Call for Participation: In Ukraine, with Ukraine – Empowering Youth Work in Times of War (Capacity Building Event)

Date: 17th May to 22nd May 2025

Place: Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Application deadline: 8th April 2025

What is the project about?

How can youth work support young people facing the realities of war? What does inclusive youth work look like in a war-affected community? How can we foster resilience and create safe spaces for learning and development?

This capacity building event brings together professionals and organizations committed to strengthening youth work in challenging contexts. Through hands-on workshops, peer learning, and expert insights, participants will explore innovative strategies for working with displaced and trauma-affected youth.

Beyond learning, this event is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, build lasting partnerships, and develop joint initiatives for more inclusive and effective youth work. By collaborating across borders, we look to create stronger support systems and impactful projects for young people.

Programme highlights:

• Interactive workshops and peer learning on fostering well-being and creating diverse-sensitive, inclusive learning environments for trauma-affected youth.
• Insights from youth work experts on innovative strategies in crisis contexts, with space for experience-sharing and exchange.On-Spot Visits - Exploring approaches to strengthening resilience, inclusion, and youth empowerment through dialogue with tangible local initiatives, such as:
  • Youth Residence Chernivtsi: Young Voices at the Center
    Supporting displaced and local youth through community building and social transformation.
  • Inclusive Social Enterprises in Action: A Café That Creates Change
    A social enterprise fostering employment and inclusive community development in challenging times.
• Opportunities to build partnerships, collaborate across borders, and strengthen youth work initiatives.

In the event, you will:

Gain Experience – Develop first-hand insights into the realities of youth work in a war-affected community.

Enhance Practical Skills – Learn inclusive approaches, best practices, and effective methods for supporting displaced and trauma-affected young people.

Foster Personal Growth – Strengthen your ability to build resilience, adaptability, and well-being – both for yourself and the young people you work with.

Expand Your Network & Collaborate – Connect with like-minded professionals and organizations to develop future partnerships and international youth initiatives.

The training is for: 

This training is open to youth work professionals from diverse backgrounds, including youth workers, social workers, educators, community leaders, and representatives of NGOs and civil society organizations working in relevant fields. Whether you’re an NGO interested in building a European network, a trainer engaged in non-formal education, a teacher working with displaced youth or an activist seeking new approaches, this program offers valuable insights and connections.

We welcome 30 participants from Erasmus+ Youth Programme countries and Partner Countries Neighbouring the EU to apply.

Programme

You can download the programme for the project here.

Language: 

English

Costs: 

The participant fee for this event is 60 Euro and covers travel as well as accommodation.
However, we believe that financial barriers should not prevent anyone from taking part. If the fee is a challenge for you or your organization, please reach out to us—we are open to finding solutions together. Your commitment to youth work matters more than financial constraints, and we encourage you to apply!

Inclusion Support: 

Inclusion support for individual needs is available and will be covered based on actual costs. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive environment and encourage everyone to apply. To provide the best possible support, we kindly ask participants to inform us in advance about any specific needs regarding transportation or other accommodations during the training. The final amount of support will be agreed upon by both parties.

Travel costs reimbursement:

Travel costs will be reimbursed based on actual expenses, up to the maximum lump sum amounts determined by travel distances (in Euros). The distance band of maximum reimbursement per participant is based on the Erasmus+ Distance Calculator.

• 10-99 km – 28€ / green travel 56 €
• 100-499 km – 211€ / green travel – 285€
• 500-1999 km – 309€/ green travel – 417€
• 2000-2999 km – 395€/ green travel – 535€

We prioritize eco-friendly practices and encourage green travel whenever possible. If feasible, opt for sustainable transport options to help reduce our environmental impact.

Traveling to Ukraine: 

Traveling to Ukraine can be challenging under the current circumstances. Reaching the venue is possible via Poland or Romania, with several available routes.

To make your journey as smooth as possible, we have identified a set of travel options and will discuss them individually with each participant. Our team will provide guidance and support to ensure a well-organized trip.

Safety and Security:

Safety is a key concern when traveling to Ukraine. Chernivtsi is in a comparatively safe region, located in western Ukraine, away from active war zones. Nevertheless, participants take part in the event at their own risk.

The training venue is equipped with considerable safety infrastructure, including an air raid shelter, and independent water resources. Additinally, we have a safety concept in place, which will be shared with all participants. Safety is our priority, and we will stay in close contact with participants to provide updates and guidance as needed.

Organiser:

Kreisau-Initiative e. V.

Funding: 

This capacity building event is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. The main costs will be covered by the organisers, including accommodation in single rooms, full board, and the implementation of the training programme, including trainers' and experts' fees.

How to apply:

Please fill in the application form by 8th April 2025.

The participants will be selected based on the available number of places per country.
You will be informed at the latest by 14th April 2025 if you can participate and then receive more details.

Contact information: 

Alla Bahlei, bahlei [at] kreisau.de, Tel. +49 (0)30 53 89 31 63 65