Conference – Symposium – Forum
15-17 May 2026 | Bonn, Germany, Germany
The event is designed for young people such as EuroPeers, members of Youth Advisory Boards, steering or working groups, and other youth-led or youth-involving structures who contribute to decision-making in National Agencies or SALTO Resource Centres.
You(th)4Participation
The event is designed for young people such as EuroPeers, members of Youth Advisory Boards, steering or working groups, and other youth-led or youth-involving structures who contribute to decision-making in National Agencies or SALTO Resource Centres and who want to exchange experiences, connect with others, and help strengthen meaningful youth participation across Europe.
This is the right event for you if you want to:
_Share your experience of working with National Agencies or SALTO Resource Centres
_Learn from other young people who work with National Agencies or SALTO Resource Centres
_Exchange good practices of youth involvement in decision-making
_Reflect on meaningful participation and how to strengthen it
_Contribute your expertise in regards of the future Erasmus + Programme
_Engage in European-level networking and build long-term connections
The meeting builds on the goals of Aim 5 of the European Youth Participation Strategy, which focuses, among other things, on strengthening young people’s roles in governance and decision-making within the implementation of the European youth programmes.
The event is coordinated by the German National Agency together with New Power in Youth Strategic Partnership & SALTO Participation & Information.
Importantly, the meeting is prepared by a youth-led preparation team, made up mainly of young people — including members of the Youth Advisory Board of the German National Agency JUGEND für Europa, EuroPeers, and youth representatives of the Youth Participation Strategy Steering Group.
Aims of the meeting
The meeting aims to create a dynamic space for mutual inspiration, shared learning and collective reflection on how young people engage in their work with National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres. Participants will exchange experiences, challenges and good practices, identify what enables meaningful involvement in institutions, and explore practical dos and don’ts.
A further objective is to highlight and strengthen opportunities for young people to take advisory roles. The meeting intends to build participants’ motivation and confidence to initiate, develop and improve youth involvement mechanisms within their respective structures.
Together, participants will discuss the future of the Erasmus + Programme and explore how they can actively contribute to shaping its development in line with the Youth Participation Strategy.
How will we work?
During You(th)4Participation we will follow a hands-on, interactive format with opportunities for discussion, reflection, and co-creation. Participants will actively contribute their expertise to the programme, complemented by insights from attending researchers and invited speakers.
There will be plenty of opportunities to:
- share your experiences
- brainstorm and develop ideas
- spot common challenges and think about ways to improve
- explore how to keep working together after the meeting.
Expected Results
- Increased knowledge about the work of National Agencies and opportunities for youth involvement
- Strengthened motivation and capacity among young people to develop an/or enhance participation mechanisms
- Inspirational material for NAs and SALTOs seeking to implement shared decision-making structures and approaches
- Summary of potential improvements in youth involvement processes
- Recommendations for the next generation of European youth programmes
Profile of Participants
This invitation is open to:
- Young people who are actively involved in advisory or decision-making within National Agencies/SALTO Resource Centres in different ways
- Representatives involved in the implementation of the Youth Participation Strategy
- Members of youth boards or other youth representation bodies connected to NA work or the work of SALTO Resource Centres.
We especially invite participants facing exclusion or participation barriers. This could mean for example, but is not limited to, having health conditions, living with a disability, facing educational difficulties, facing discrimination, facing social, economic or geographic barriers. It is essential to have multiple perspectives on the topic of this event meaningfully for a variety of participants and needs. We are happy to shape the conditions that allow it for you to participate in this activity.
The meeting is expected to gather approximately 40–50 participants.
Practicalities and Application Procedure
Dates: 15–17 May 2026, 14 and 18 May 2026 are travel days
Venue: Conference facilities of JUGEND für Europa, the German National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth & European Solidarity Corps, Bonn
More information at: SALTO