EYS2026 – Academy

The Academy “Skills for Engagement & Impact” (2026 module) is a capacity-building training program designed for youth workers. Its purpose is to strengthen the practical skills of people who work with young people and civic engagement.

What is the Academy about

The Academy represents a virtual space co-created through the delivery of multiple training cycles in 2026 tailored for youth workers, educators, and civil society professionals. The overall goal is to equip participants with the knowledge, practical tools, and methodologies to design, facilitate, and evaluate engaging youth participation activities that foster active citizenship and meaningful civic engagement.

What participants will learn

The training cycles focus on practical skills in areas such as digital engagement (using digital tools to involve young people), gamification of civic education (using game-based methods to teach civic participation), communication strategies, and EU youth policy mechanisms (understanding how European youth policies work and how to engage with them).

How the training will work

The Academy follows a blended learning methodology, combining online learning modules with face-to-face training sessions, focus groups, interviews, collaborative workshops, and digital interaction. It is built around a co-creation approach, where participants and member organisations actively contribute by sharing experiences, identifying successful practices and activities implemented through different projects internationally, and helping develop learning materials and practical resources.

The Academy serves as a space to collect, refine, and promote these results, fostering mutual learning and the transfer of knowledge across organisations. The methodology is grounded in the principles of non-formal education, with a strong emphasis on peer-to-peer learning, collaboration, and the exchange of experiences in an international context.

Expected outputs

The Academy is more than a training programme—it is a collaborative learning and resource hub that grows through the experience of its members and participants.

Throughout the training cycles, the Academy will host practical learning modules and curricula on digital youth engagement. Through the network of member organisations, it will also collect and showcase inspiring case studies, innovative practices, and participant testimonials from projects implemented across different countries. These real-life examples demonstrate successful approaches to engaging young people, strengthening democratic participation, and fostering active citizenship.

The knowledge generated through each training cycle is transformed into practical resources that can be used by youth workers, educators, and civil society organisations. The Academy continuously develops and enriches a practical Engagement Toolkit containing tested methods, activities, facilitation techniques, and learning materials that participants can immediately adapt to their own work with young people.

By the end of 2026, the Academy aims to deliver:

• Learning modules and a curriculum on youth engagement.
• One completed blended training cycle.
• A practical Youth Engagement Toolkit.
• At least 20 case studies and participant testimonials collected from member organisations and Academy participants.
• At least 40 youth workers, educators, and civil society professionals trained.

The Academy is an international training programme that combines learning with the exchange of practical experience. Participants gain new skills while contributing examples and ideas that help build resources for the wider network.