EUROPEAN UNION EDUCATION & YOUTH PROGRAMMES KÖSZEG 2006 Ed Weber GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE YOUTH PROGRAMME

The Youth Programme includes non-formal education and exchange projects of the European Union targeting young people aged between 15 and 25 are called the. The Programme is open to 31 Countries. 25 EU Member States + 3 EFTA Countries + 3 Pre-Accession Countries. Youth Programme

Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Slovenia Cyprus Czech Republic Estonia Germany Greece Ireland Italy Luxembourg Hungary Latvia Lithuania Malta The Netherlands Portugal Spain Sweden United Kingdom Poland Slovak Republic 25 EU Member States

Countries in the E uropean F ree T rade A ssociation (EFTA), members of the E uropean E conomic A rea (EEA) : Island, Liechtenstein, Norway Pre-Accession Countries : Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey Partner Countries : 1 st priority: Mediterranean partner countries, South East Europe, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus 2 nd priority: Latin America Other countries

Partner countries – 1 st priority Eastern Europe and the Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine Mediterranean partner countries – Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia South Eastern Europe – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Aims of the YOUTH Programme Facilitating the integration of young people into society and encouraging their spirit of initiative, Helping young people acquire knowledge, skills and competences, and recognising the value of such experience, Allowing young people to give free expression to their sense of solidarity in Europe, Intercultural learning, mobility, tolerance, solidarity, European dimension on local level, Active participation of young people.

Promoting a better understanding of the diversity of our common European culture and shared heritage as well as of our common basic values, Helping to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promoting equality at all levels of society, Introducing a European element into projects which will have a positive impact on youth work at local level. Aims of the YOUTH Programme

Target Groups Youth groups Young people with fewer opportunities Young people who want to get involved in E uropean V oluntary S ervice Youth organizations Youth leaders, project managers or organizers, Local authorities, NGO’s, People who work in the field of youth and non-formal education.

Young people who dont have abroad experience Youngsters wıth fewer opportunıtıes Disabled Young People (Physically or mentally disabled) Young people from the cities having the a certain priority in respect for development Young people who come from families having fewer socio-economic opportunies Young people who haven’t benefitted from the Youth Programme before Priorities in the Youth Programme

Priority Themes Environment Heritage protection Art and culture Rural development Urban development Equal opportunities Anti-racism/xenophobia Health Anti-drugs/substance abuse Social exclusion (in general) Measures against delinquency Youth information Youth policies Youth leisure Youth sports Media & communications European awareness Other

How to apply? Youth Programme project applications are generally* submitted to the National Agency. Project application forms obtained from the EU website or National Agency are filled. Delivered to the National Agency by postal mail, cargo or by hand.

Project dates and activity dates

ACTION 1 YOUTH FOR EUROPE ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES ACTION 4 JOINT ACTIONS ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES Youth programme actions

ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES How is the YOUTH programme structured ? Action 1 – multilateral group exchanges of young people aged 15 to 25 Action 2 – voluntary service for young people aged 18 to 25 Action 3 – young people developing an initiative on a local level Action 4 – Joint actions between non-formal and other types of education within Europe programmes Action 5 – a package of possibilities for support measures to develop new YOUTH projects and to improve their quality

ACTION 1

YOUTH EXCHANGES Action 1 – Youth exchange Youth exchange brings together groups of young people from different backgrounds from two or more countries Gives the opportunity to discuss and confront various themes Learning from each other’s countries by discovering similarities and differences between their cultures Combat negative prejudices and stereotypes International impact on local communities

ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES Who can participate? Groups of young people, in principle aged between 15 and 25 and legally resident in a Programme country, Priority is given to projects that involve more than 2 countries and the ones involving young’s with fewer opportunities, A youth exchange can be organised with a host group and one or more sending groups, involving at least 1 EU Member State.

Minimum 16 and maximum 60 participants - group leaders not included. ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES Participants

The duration of the exchange activity should be between 6 and 21 days, excluding travel. ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES Duration

How to organize a Youth exchange ? Planning visit Thematic concept (music, films, local heritage, environment, information, technology, racism, xenophobia and drug abuse) Learning process (working in groups, field visits, simulation or role-playing games, round-table discussions, practical work, presentations, cultural or sports activities linked to the main theme) The preparation - follow-up: before, during and after the exchange. ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES

Promotional value to the YOUTH programme Intercultural learning process General debates and workshops for exploration of the chosen theme Debates during youth encounters must clearly focus on: – the general and annual priority objectives and themes of the YOUTH programme – the political priorities identified in the field of youth – the future of Europe. Action 1 - Youth encounters ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES

Must be multilateral, i.e. involve partners from a minimum of 8 Programme countries (of which at least two must be EU Member States) participants, aged 15-25, + group leaders (balance) Priority to projects that involve more than 2 countries and the ones involving young ’ s with fewer opportunities Action 1 - Youth encounters ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES

Community’s Grant Type of expense Community grant Travel costs 70% Advance Planning Visit 100% of travel costs + € 48 / day per person per sending partner Preparation of activities and participants € 480 per country Activity costs € 960 or 1920 € (Bilateral and Trilateral) + € 18 flat rate / participant / day Exceptional costs (vaccination and visa costs etc.) Up to 100% ACTION 1 YOUTH EXCHANGES

ACTION 2

An EVS project allows a young person to be a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 6 and 12 months. 3 Partners in EVS Sending Org. + NA Volunteer Host Org. + NA ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE Action 2 – European Voluntary Service

1.To provide a non-formal intercultural learning experience for young people; encouraging their social integration and active participation, improving their employability, giving them opportunities to show solidarity with other people. 2.To support the development of local communities. 3.To encourage the establishing of new partnerships and the exchange of experience and good practice between the partners. ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE The 3 fundamental objectives of an EVS

be non-profit making and unpaid be planned, implemented and followed up jointly in a spirit of partnership between the volunteer, the sending and the host organisations bring an added value to the host organisation and the local community not involve job substitution, nor be a substitute for military service or alternative service formulas, involve at least one EU Member State. last for a limited period (between months), (in exceptional situations, it can be 3 weeks-6 months). ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE European Voluntary Service should

EVS – fields of interest Fields of interest could be Environment Arts and culture Activities with children Young people or elderly, Heritage Sports and leisure Civil protection ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE

Evaluation and follow-up Advance Planning Visit (actual cost + for max. 2 days 48 Euro fixed amount per day) Exceptional costs Arranging visa and insurance Contribution to SO (480 Euro flat rate to be used for sending costs + 18 Euro fixed amount to be used for communication cost) In projects involving young people with fewer opportunities: Staying in contact with the volunteer Visa and vaccination cost Volunteer recruitment and preparation Volunteer’s international travel cost Responsibilities of SOS ending O rganizations: Contributions from Community ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE EVS financing

Volunteer’s accommodation and food Mentor Exceptional volunteer costs (actual costs, backed up by invoices / receipts) in projects involving young people with fewer opportunities Personal support Volunteer’s allowance Task-related support Contribution to the host activities (fixed amount + flat rate / organisation) Obligations of HOHost Organizations: Contributions from Community ACTION 2 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE EVS financing

ACTION 3

Youth Initiatives supports young people’s initiative, creativity and active participation. ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES To support projects at local, regional or national level. Facilitating the integration of young people into society. Disseminating the good project ideas & practices all over Europe by the help of networking projects. ACTION 3 – Youth initiatives

ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES  GROUP INITIATIVES  NETWORKING PROJECTS  FUTURE CAPITAL Youth initiatives have 3 subgroups Any group consisting of young people can apply. ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES ACTION 3 – Youth initiatives

1. Group Initiatives A group should consist of at least four individuals The project should have links with the local community. It should provide a new learning experience for the group of young people carrying out the project. Duration of the projects: Between three months and one year. ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES ACTION 3 – Youth initiatives

Financial Opportunities: The maximum amounts are: € (priority 1), € (priority 2), € (priority 3). Financial opportunities comprise related payments (Transportation costs, meeting & training costs, trainer/expert fees, accommodation costs, CD / pamphlet / booklet / magazine / website publication costs, etc.) that are necessary for the realization of the projects. A Group Initiative doesn’t involve young people’s transnational mobility. ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES ACTION 3 – Youth initiatives

2. Networking Projects A Networking project aims at identifying good practices and transferring the outcomes resulting from a successful Group Initiative to other groups in other countries. It may involve young people’s mobility. Examples: Establishing a common web-site, Preparing a common performance/festival on music, dance, theatre, paintings, Preparing a joint meeting/seminar to exchange good practices, etc. ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES ACTION 3 – Youth initiatives

Financial Opportunities: The maximum amounts are: € (priority 1), € (priority 2), € (priority 3). Networking projects may include young people’s transnational mobility. ACTION 3 YOUTH INITIATIVES ACTION 3 – Youth initiatives

ACTION 4

ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 4 – Joint Actions Joint Actions – promote a “Europe of knowledge” – are developed together with: SOCRATES (funding, exchange, professionals, students in formal education) SOCRATES LEONARDO DA VINCI (vocational trainings) Non-formal Education (Youth) No Joint Actions Call for proposals have been organised in 2005

ACTION 5

SUPPORT MEASURES Support Measures are instruments aimed at helping all those involved in youth activities or interested in youth matters to prepare and develop projects and initiatives. Support Measures have two main aims: To assist the development of the Action 1,2,3 through the support of training, cooperation and information projects. ACTION 5 – Support Measures

1.Practical training experience (job shadowing) 2.Feasibility visits 3.Contact-making seminars 4.Study visits 5.Seminars 6.Training courses 7.Youth information 8.Transnational partnerships and networks 9.Support for quality and innovation ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 5 – Activity Types

1. Practical training experience (job shadowing) This activity allows youth workers to acquire the skills for organising a transnational project by working in a partner organisation for a limited period of time. 2. Feasibility visits These allow project managers to discuss a project idea before submitting an application under Actions 1 or Contact-making seminars These bring together potential partners for YOUTH projects. ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 5 – Activity Types

4. Study visits These activity provides an opportunity to learn about youth work provisions in other countries. 5. Seminars These are a tool for the exchange of experience and good practice, consultations or policy development etc. with regard to the YOUTH programme and youth policy. 6. Training courses These help those involved in youth work and non-formal education to acquire advanced skills and knowledge for their activities. ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 5 – Activity Types

7. Youth information This activity supports the production of and innovative ways of communicating information relating to the objectives and priorities of the YOUTH programme. 8. Transnational partnerships and networks This activity supports the creation of new networks under the YOUTH programme. 9. Support for quality and innovation This activity aims at involving young people with less opportunities in the YOUTH programme at national, regional and local levels. ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 5 – Activity Types

How is a project financed? Activities 1-6 These activities are co-financed on the basis of fixed amounts and flat rates, as they are characterised by a limited duration and a limited number of participants. These fixed amounts and flat rates are maximum amounts. Activities 7-9 For these activities, YOUTH programme funding is based on actual costs and should not exceed 50 % of the total project cost. ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 5 – Support Measures

One of the partner organisations takes the lead in submitting the application as well as in implementing the project. For activities 1-6 the application has to be submitted by the host organisation to its National Agency. For activities 7-9 the application can be submitted by any of the partner organisations, which will take on the role of coordinator, to its National Agency. ACTION 5 SUPPORT MEASURES ACTION 5 – How to supply

 November 1  September 1  June 1  April 1  February 1 Application deadline  February 1 and June 30  December 1 and April 30  September 1 and January 31  July 1 and November 30  May 1 and September 30 Projects starting between GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE YOUTH PROGRAMME Application deadlines