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Assembly of European Regions

Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985

You are here: Home / Archives for Project YOUTHopia

#HotlineCohesion – Get back on track with ALMA!

22 March, 2023 By Barbara Polin

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. 

Opportunities for youth employment and green transition offered by Cohesion Policy require appropriate visibility, especially amongst the youth. Widespread information makes sure that opportunities reach their target, and that the future is shaped to the needs of those who will live in it. 
Every week the AER will publish its series #HOTLINE COHESION with information concerning new funding opportunities and participatory processes open to youth in your regions!

 With ALMA, no young person is left behind 

Social inequalities and unemployment stop young people from achieving good standard of living and healthy lifestyle. After the pandemic excluded them from the labour market, the cost of living crisis worsened their difficulties. The ALMA initiative gives young disadvantaged people the opportunity to improve their situation.

What is ALMA ?

The ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) initiative is a transnational working mobility scheme, where participants receive support in their education, training, or employment path. It aims to restore the confidence of young people with difficulties in finding job opportunities or from disadvantaged backgrounds.

How does ALMA work?

The programme boosts the employability of young people by putting them in touch with professionals who can support participants in accessing job opportunities and integrating in the labour market and in society.  

A transnational collaboration between partner organisations, the ALMA “initiative aims to facilitate the transfer and upscaling of innovative solutions to the societal challenges of today. Through supporting transnational cooperation, the initiative aims to expand best practices in fields involving employment, education, skills and social inclusion across Europe.” 

Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve…but first of all, discover how to apply.

ALMA supports all young people under 30 who are neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET). The initiative  targets those who are struggling the most and who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and “have difficulties accessing the labour market or training for individual or structural reasons (e.g. disability, long-term unemployment, insufficient school performance or vocational skills, migration background, etc)” 

Eligibility of candidates and organisations

Candidates will be eligible if their EU Member State and region implement ALMA under their ESF+ programmes.

  • National and regional ESF+ Managing Authorities are invited to programme ALMA under ESF+.  The European Commission will provide support to help reduce potential obstacles and scale up the initiative through central coordination at EU level. Member States can also benefit from the higher co-financing rate of up to 95% when programming ALMA under the mandatory social innovation dedicated priority.  “Managing authorities and organisations interested in participating can contact: [email protected] and check the manual of guidance.” 
  • Public and private organisations (e.g. youth organisations, NGOs, local authorities, job centers, schools, VET providers, etc.) are able to apply for ALMA once they open calls for proposals established in one of the EU Member States. “By getting in touch with the European Commission (via [email protected]) in order to be introduced to the relevant partners in your country.” 

What does ALMA provide?

To ensure that nobody is left behind, ALMA grants to participants a tailor-made experience covering traveling costs, insurance, social security, accommodation, food, coaching and counselling before, during and after the stay abroad.  

To achieve a well-coordinated initiative, ALMA operations consist of three phases: 

  • Preparation: The participants receive intensive tailor-made training and coaching in their country to prepare them for a stay abroad. 
  • Mobility: participants spend 2 to 6 months in another EU Member State, integrated into the work environment of a company. 
  • Follow-up: After achieving new skills and developing their aptitudes abroad, they are guided in their home country to gain employment or further education. 

If you are looking for further information on the implementation of ALMA mobility programmes, please consult the ALMA manual of guidance, published by the European Commission. 

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#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green – Youth Ways for a Just Transition

15 March, 2023 By Anna Comacchio

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. 

HOW TO MITIGATE THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE TRANSITION

It is no secret that the very needed green transition will lead to profound changes in the labour market – ‘new jobs will be created, while some jobs will be replaced and other refined’. Ensuring a fair and just transition becomes therefore a crucial point of action for regions and its youth.

In the Zasavska region in Western Slovenia for instance, since 2013 almost 5.000 jobs have been lost and the GDP has been dropping to 53% of the Slovenian average due to the closure of the Zasavaje coal mine and the region’s coal-fuelled power plant. Yet, studies show that the adoption of clean energy technologies in more than half of the EU coal regions can counter this effect through the creation of around 460.000 new jobs by 2050. The need to manage this change and develop appropriate supportive actions (as fostering the s.c. green skills20) to fully exploit the employment potential of the transition is one of the greatest responsibilities of the EU and its regions.

In the coming years, the Cohesion policy will support regions in their transition paths at several levels:

Actions needed to mitigate the impact of the transition on the society (as labour market interventions and reskilling of the workforce) will be supported under Policy Objective 4 ‘A more social and inclusive Europe’. In addition, financial support from the Just Transition Fund will be delivered to regions in the Just Transition Plans to alleviate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the transition.

HOW DOES YOUTH GET INVOLVED?

Why is it essential to include young people in the Just Transition process?

Enabling young people to have a say in their future, be designers of their own projects and therefore become leaders and future leaders in their own communities are building blocks for achieving a fairer and more equal society. Young people are utterly concerned about the environment and they can be agents of change.

The EUTeens4Green project is a call to action for teens to take ownership in their communities and contribute to a fair and just green transition in the areas most in need to phase out coal and transitioning to forms of less polluting and renewable energies. 

Through mini-grants provided directly to groups of young people, the project is designed to empower the next generation to become actors of change in their regions and help to reduce socio-economic disparities. By focusing on regions identified in the preliminary analysis of the Territorial Just Transition Plans and most affected by the low-carbon transition, the project has the potential to alleviate inequalities between regions and create a more equitable future for all.

THE STAKES.

The criteria to run a EUTeeens4Green project are: 

  • Take place in a Just Transition region
  • Be run by young people aged 15-24
  • Request a max. refunding of €10.000
  • Last maximum of 12 months
  • Must engage social groups negatively affected by the transition to a green economy
  • Ensure diversity & inclusion and good environmental performance

Projects to be funded in the frame of EUTeens4Green may cover activities like the following (non-exhaustive list):

  • Awareness-raising/communication activities
  • Capacity-building actions (education, training, mentoring, events)
  • Campaigning and advocacy activities
  • Participatory processes aimed to engage with different groups of people
  • Innovative solutions or pilots for testing innovative solutions
  • Exchange of good practices
  • Research
  • Other activities in line with the scope of the action

Applications for the first cohort closed on the 9th of January and we are looking forward to knowing more about the successful applicants and their experience!!

Check out the page to find out too and to keep yourself posted when a new call is open!


See you next week at #HotlineCohesion!

The Youthopia Project is co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission.

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#HotlineCohesion: The IVY League of Volunteering

10 March, 2023 By Anna Comacchio

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. 

The IVY League of Volunteering

Borders are theoretical, cooperation is practical. This is the spirit of The Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY), an initiative funded by Cohesion Policy that connects the values of European cooperation and the matters of local and regional communities. 

Since 2017, IVY fosters a community of young volunteers and host organisations committed to implementing European projects across Europe. Funded through the EU Interreg programme, IVY has the dual goal to support cooperation thanks to the involvement of motivated young people and empower them professionally, while making the benefits of cooperation more visible among local communities and beyond.

IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER.

Besides the opportunity to put in practice their goodwill, volunteers receive a daily allowance, contribution to travel expenses and health insurance.

As participants, young people have the opportunity to support cross-border cooperation through project management or communication activities. 

In project management, they will contribute to the implementation of projects as Interreg Project Partners, learning first-hand how European cooperation works. In communication, they will work as Interreg reporters and contribute to give visibility to the achievements of EU projects.

Whether as Project Partners or Reporters, volunteers build their professional skills in an international working environment, learning how international cooperation functions in practice and how volunteering brings to life a connected Europe.

In 2022, the European Commission signed a 3-year-long contract with the aim to deploy 420 volunteers by the end of 2024.

Seize the opportunity, check here for the latest vacancies and apply!

IF YOU WANT TO BECOME AN HOST ORGANISATION.

IVY is open to receive applications from candidate host organisations throughout  the year. They can be based in the following areas:

  •  EU countries
  • Switzerland and UK
  •  European Economic Area (Iceland,Liechtenstein, Norway)
  • IPA-CBC countries (Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Turkey)
  • ENI-CBC countries ( Algeria, Armenia, Georgia, Egypt, Israel,Jordan, Lebanon,Republic of Moldova,Palestine,Tunisia)

Managing Authorities, Joint Secretariats and National Authorities are eligible to host Interreg Reporters, while Project beneficiaries can apply as hosts of Interreg Project Partners.

APPLY TO BE A HOST

See you next week with a new episode of #HotlineCohesion series

#HotlineCohesion is part of the YOUTHopia project, co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO).

Discover more about #HotlineCohesion and YOUTHopia!

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#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe – Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

28 February, 2023 By Anna Comacchio

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. 

Are you looking to team up with similar regions across Europe as a way to boost the development of your own region? The next Interreg Europe call, open from 15 March to 9 June 2023, could be the answer you are looking for!

Cooperation Strengthens Cohesion

The Interreg Europe programme, financed by the Cohesion policy’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is designed to support interregional learning among regions across Europe. 

The aim of this programme is to facilitate knowledge-sharing between public authorities and learn from positive existing practices of other regions. By joining a project, for four years regions learn from each other and work together on a shared policy issue. Although direct beneficiaries are regional and public authorities, ultimately, young people, citizens and groups impacted by these policies (e.g., SMEs) benefit from more effective public intervention as a result. 

The programme was launched in 2014, and since then it has provided over €1 billion to over 1000 projects. The funding is allocated on a competitive basis, based on the quality of the proposed project and its potential impact. Projects must have a focus on policy learning and innovation and involve partners from at least three participating countries.

Why reinvent the wheel if the wheel can travel to your region?

Many of these projects achieved excellent results. For example, thanks to the project “Inkrease” and an inspiring and instrumental practice from France, Lower Austria has opened a ‘House of Digitalisation’ for local companies, which provides a service to help them with their digital innovation needs. 

Likewise, as a result of the “Regional Creative Industries Alliance’ and inspired by ideas from Latvia and Spain, in Wallonia, Belgium, creative industry SMEs can now count on support from a new incubator, which provides a portfolio of services, including access to the leaders in their field.

These and other projects demonstrate that Interreg brings “clear European added value by helping to ensure that borders are not barriers, bringing Europeans closer together, helping to solve common problems, facilitating the sharing of ideas and assets (knowledge, skills, infrastructure, etc.), and encouraging strategic work towards common goals.” (Programme Manual)

Longing to apply? Next Steps and Dates to Remember

You have a project idea and you are looking for more partners around Europe to cover specific expertise or reach the geographical balance?
Contact the AER Project Unit – [email protected] / [email protected] 
You don’t have a project idea but would like to explore the possibility to join a consortium? Contact the AER Project Unit and let us know your availability and interest.
15 March: The call opens at a launch event in Sweden The “Europe, let’s cooperate! interregional cooperation forum” in Stockholm, Sweden, will open the second call for project proposals. Registrations will close on 3 March 2023.
15 March: Project application opensConnect to the Interreg Europe Portal and start creating your project application.
24-27 April: Project development week – Join four project development webinars on 24-27 April 2023. Interreg Europe will guide you through the steps to relevant partnership, good project methodology, project management and finances, as well as project communication.
March – June: Q&A sessions Join online every second week a call at 10am to get immediate answers to your questions about your project development from the Interreg Europe team. The sessions are planned on: 24 Mar | 5 Apr | 21 Apr | 5 May | 19 May | 2 June.
Get Ready for the Call!

See you next week with a new episode of #HotlineCohesion series

#HotlineCohesion is part of the YOUTHopia project, co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO).

Discover more about #HotlineCohesion and YOUTHopia!

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#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists – Make Europe, do journalism.

22 February, 2023 By Barbara Polin

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. 

The many opportunities for youth employment and green transition offered by Cohesion Policy require appropriate visibility, especially amongst the youth. Widespread information makes sure that opportunities reach their target, and that the future is shaped to the needs of those who will live in it. 
Every week the AER will publish its series #HOTLINE COHESION with information concerning new funding opportunities and participatory processes open to youth in your regions!

Write about Europe to make it real

EU Cohesion Policy is abstract until citizens understand it. One of the ways to make it real is to write about it. Youth4Regions is the programme by the European Commission that offers tailored training to aspiring young journalists interested in reporting about European affairs and Cohesion Policy.

Managed by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), Youth4Regions aims to address the challenge of technical language used to describe European affairs; it trains a new generation of journalists who are passionate about giving visibility to the social impact of European projects.

How to participate in Youth4Regions?

Brussels may be the policy-making epicentre of the EU, but the EU is what exists outside Brussels. Through Youth4Regions, young journalists have the opportunity to demonstrate by submitting a short article (from 2500 to 6250 characters) or a short video (between 2 and 3 minutes) about the local impact of a EU project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) or the Cohesion Fund (CF).

What does Youth4Regions offer?

Selected participants will attend the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023, which will take place between 7 and 13 October 2023 in Brussels. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the Programme.

During the week, participants will receive practical training on how to cover EU Cohesion Policy, engage with established journalists from Europe and their home countries, participate in study trips to the headquarters of EU institutions and pan-European media, and attend the European week as correspondents.

Are you eligible for Youth4Regions?

The Youth4Regions Programme targets young and aspiring journalists who fit the following criteria:

  • Interest in what EU Cohesion Policy is doing in European regions
  • Background in journalism (ongoing studies or up to 2 years of experience)
  • Nationality: EU, EU candidate countries (Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine), potential candidates (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Kosovo), ENI countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan) and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). 
  • Age: 18 to 30 years old
  • Availability during the week of 7 – 13 October 2023

See you next week with a new episode of #HotlineCohesion series

#HotlineCohesion is part of the YOUTHopia project, co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO).

Discover more about #HotlineCohesion and YOUTHopia!

#HotlineCohesion - Get back on track with ALMA!

#HotlineCohesion – Get back on track with ALMA!

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. Opportunities ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green - Youth Ways for a Just Transition

#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green – Youth Ways for a Just Transition

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. HOW ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: <strong>The IVY League of Volunteering</strong>

#HotlineCohesion: The IVY League of Volunteering

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe - Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe – Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. Are ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists - Make  Europe, do journalism.

#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists – Make Europe, do journalism.

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

YOUTHopia is a pan-European communication campaign that will engage five EU regions in bringing Cohesion Policy closer to their young ...
Read More
Follow AER!
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​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

15 February, 2023 By Anna Comacchio

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. 

The many opportunities for youth employment and green transition offered by Cohesion Policy require appropriate visibility, especially amongst the youth. Widespread information makes sure that opportunities reach their target, and that the future is shaped to the needs of those who will live in it. 
Every week the AER will publish its series #HOTLINE COHESION with information concerning new funding opportunities and participatory processes open to youth in your regions!

Youth unemployment is a longstanding challenge for Europe

High youth unemployment in Europe has been a persistent issue for the last decades. Post-pandemic figures show that, as of October 2021, 2.905 million youth (under 25) were NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in the EU and the youth unemployment rate was 15.9%. Unless appropriate measures are taken, more and more young people may disengage from active job search, and they may grow distant from the political and social life of their communities.

The EU response to youth unemployment

This issue becomes even more relevant in light of the new Cohesion policy 2021-27, especially when it comes to relaunching local economies and jobs which have been largely affected by the pandemic. The new policy provides several novelties such as the new European Social Fund+ and the Youth Employment Initiative, and the Just Transition Fund – which are further reinforced through the financial support coming through Recovery and Resilience Facility and REACT-EU as part of the Recovery Plan for Europe.

The youth action for a green and fair future

On their side, young citizens lead the protests asking for concrete actions to be taken to fight climate change, protect biodiversity and safeguard their future. With the adoption of the European Green Deal, the EU made the response to these requests its highest priority, setting the ambitious goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050 while reducing greenhouse gas emission by 55% by 2030. When it comes to climate change, Cohesion policy is key as it provides the place-based framework and the financial support needed to ensure that a ‘just’ and ‘sustainable transition becomes an opportunity for European regions.

Youth for a Just Transition

The magnitude of the transition requires the active involvement of the young generations, as those mostly concerned by the transition. ‘Youth for a Just Transition: A Toolkit for a Youth Participation in the Just Transition Fund’ promoted by the European Commission highlights that young people’s participation in the transition process is essential because:

  • They have the ‘right to participate’ in decisions concerning their future;
  • They own ‘valuable ideas and skills’ that should be applied to develop a sustainable transition path and solutions to possible challenges;
  • They can foster the ‘intergenerational dimension’ of the transition raising the awareness of their local peers about its reasons and consequences;
  • ‘Achieving a successful transition‘ requires providing ‘sufficient opportunities and good alternative jobs for young people’.

The Commission is also putting its money where its mouth is, fostering concrete actions to ensure meaningful participation of the youth in the transition process with calls for proposals such as ‘EUTEENS4GREEN’ (coming up soon in our #HotlineCohesion).

On its side, at AER we recognise the major importance to build upon the space that the transition provides for actions that are explicitly targeted to (re)launch youth employment in the context of a future and green economy and society. YOUTHopia is our space to make cohesion real for the NextGeneration. 

See you next week at #HotlineCohesion!

The Youthopia Project is co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission.

Read more about #HotlineCohesion and #YOUTHopia:

#HotlineCohesion - Get back on track with ALMA!

#HotlineCohesion – Get back on track with ALMA!

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. Opportunities ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green - Youth Ways for a Just Transition

#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green – Youth Ways for a Just Transition

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. HOW ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: <strong>The IVY League of Volunteering</strong>

#HotlineCohesion: The IVY League of Volunteering

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe - Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe – Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. Are ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists - Make  Europe, do journalism.

#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists – Make Europe, do journalism.

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

YOUTHopia is a pan-European communication campaign that will engage five EU regions in bringing Cohesion Policy closer to their young ...
Read More
Follow AER!
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YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

24 November, 2022 By Barbara Polin

YOUTHopia is a pan-European communication campaign that will engage five EU regions in bringing Cohesion Policy closer to their young citizens.

AER Secretary General Christian Spahr and YOUTHopia regions officially inaugurating YOUTHopia!

Cohesion Policy is a matter for and of citizens. Co-funded by DG REGIO, the YOUTHopia project aims to make sure that young people across Europe become aware of it and seize the opportunities it offers.

As pan-European communication campaign, YOUTHopia has the goal of raising awareness of Cohesion Policy while empowering beneficiaries to communicate about its benefits. At the same time, YOUTHopia aims to encourage open dialogue between young people, stakeholders and policy-makers about the future of Cohesion Policy, a discussion that aims to put youth at the forefront of present and future decisions.

A truly pan-European initiative: who is onboard

YOUTHopia will stretch across the territory of the whole Union. It will involve a regional actor from the EU south-easternmost tip (the Union of Cyprus Municipalities), moving across 4551 km to the north-westernmost part (Donegal County, Ireland), stopping in Eastern and Western Slovenia, and Košice Self-governing Region, Slovakia. The Assembly of European Regions and Café Babel will support their communication efforts and relaunch the campaign on the European arena.

YOUTHopia launch at the Eurodyssey Forum in Limassol, Cyprus

Project Coordinator Agnese Pantaloni during the launch in Cyprus, 8 November 2022

YOUTHopia kicked off at the Eurodyssey Forum 2022 in Limassol, Cyprus, where young people and stakeholders gathered to discuss their perspectives on the AER professional exchange programme managed by regions.

During the YOUTHopia co-development session, participants discussed their expectations and priorities about communicating on Cohesion Policy, and brainstormed on which regional stakeholders could help amplifying the campaign message and outreach.

Examples of stakeholders included high schools and universities because of their interest in training journalists and communicators, but also youth councils and youth organisations for their objective of involving young people in local decision-making process.

Participants also discussed and voted on the official slogan of the project, which will be shared soon.

YOUTHopia will become (even more) real

The inauguration and co-development session kicked off the work of YOUTHopia. In 2023, YOUTHopia will become even more real by letting young people know that Cohesion Policy is a matter for and of citizens’ opportunity.

Engaging editorial and multimedia content will be produced by our partner Cafébabel, a youth participatory magazine with an innovative storytelling approach based on solutions journalism, as explained by Quentin Ariès, a seasoned journalist and project manager of Cafébabel.

So stay tuned and get in contact with us if you want to know more or want to get involved as an individual or region in YOUTHopia! Just contact: [email protected]


Discover more about YOUTHopia!

#HotlineCohesion - Get back on track with ALMA!

#HotlineCohesion – Get back on track with ALMA!

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. Opportunities ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green - Youth Ways for a Just Transition

#HotlineCohesion: EUTeens4Green – Youth Ways for a Just Transition

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. HOW ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: <strong>The IVY League of Volunteering</strong>

#HotlineCohesion: The IVY League of Volunteering

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe - Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

#HotlineCohesion: Call from Interreg Europe – Sharing Solutions for Better Regional Policies

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. Are ...
Read More
#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists - Make  Europe, do journalism.

#HotlineCohesion: Youth4Regions, the programme for young journalists – Make Europe, do journalism.

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

​​#HotlineCohesion: Cohesion Policy for a Young and Green Future

Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy. The ...
Read More
YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

YOUTHopia is Real: Discover how a pan-European communication campaign is built

YOUTHopia is a pan-European communication campaign that will engage five EU regions in bringing Cohesion Policy closer to their young ...
Read More
Follow AER!
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AER Projects

  • Ongoing projects
    • EU-BELONG: An Intercultural Approach to Migrant Integration in Europe’s Regions
    • Includ-EU: Regional and local expertise, exchange and engagement for enhanced social cohesion in Europe
  • Partner search
  • Completed projects
    • SCIROCCO Exchange project
    • SKILLNET – Sector Skills Network of VET centres in Advanced Manufacturing: a coalition of transnational VET providers
    • CUBES – Cultural Administration Boosting with the Engagement of Sustainability for Local Communities
    • Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it
    • AMiD – Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities
    • AER Summer Academy 2016
    • Alcohol Prevention Peer Reviews
    • ECREIN+
    • Engaged
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