Leaders of Tomorrow: Empowering Youth Workers for European Social Change

Data inizio: 01/01/2025 Data fine: 31/12/2026
Ref. 2024-3-IT03-KA153-YOU-000290116

Co-funded by European Commission – Erasmus Plus Programme

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Il progetto mira a fornire ai giovani e agli operatori giovanili competenze essenziali come leadership, gestione dei progetti e inclusione sociale, per migliorare la loro efficacia nel lavoro con i giovani. Affronta le lacune nelle competenze creando un ambiente di apprendimento che integra strumenti digitali e l’educazione non formale, con un’attenzione particolare ai giovani emarginati. Inoltre, promuove la collaborazione internazionale, incoraggiando reti transnazionali e iniziative imprenditoriali.

The project aims to equip young people and youth workers with essential skills like leadership, project management, and social inclusion to enhance their effectiveness in youth work. It addresses skill gaps by fostering a learning environment that incorporates digital tools and non-formal education, with a focus on marginalized youth. Additionally, it promotes international collaboration, encouraging transnational networks and entrepreneurial initiatives.

🇮🇹 SOS Europa (Italy)

SOS Europa is a non-profit organization based in Rome, committed to promoting European values, social inclusion, youth mobility, and active citizenship through training, cultural exchange, and EU-funded initiatives. With extensive experience in Erasmus+ projects, SOS Europa supports youth leadership, non-formal education, and civic engagement. Its team—led by President Mattia Di Tommaso—includes legal, educational, and cultural experts, making the association a reference point in youth empowerment, policy innovation, and international cooperation.

🇬🇷 Youth Horizons (Greece)

Youth Horizons (YoHo) is a dynamic non-profit organization based in Megara, Greece, committed to empowering young people—especially those with fewer opportunities—through non-formal education, intercultural dialogue, and European mobility projects. Founded in 2014, YoHo promotes inclusion, human rights, and active citizenship through youth exchanges, training courses, and volunteering. Their experienced team includes youth workers, educators, and activists dedicated to social impact and community development.

🇪🇸 Euro Mirada (Spain)

Euro Mirada is a Spanish non-profit organization based in Andalucía, promoting human rights, youth participation, and social inclusion through education, sports, and cultural initiatives. Active in the Erasmus+ programme, Euro Mirada supports personal development and ethical reflection, fostering solidarity and intercultural dialogue. The team, led by President Isabel Atienza, brings strong international experience in coordinating youth projects across Europe.

🇲🇹 International E-Learning Institute Ltd (Malta)

IELI is a private educational provider based in Malta, currently pursuing accreditation as a Higher Education Institute. It specializes in digital learning and internationalization, offering online university-level courses in fields such as IT, Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurship, and Advanced Design. With a 15-year background in student support and academic tutoring, IELI is committed to innovation, accessibility, and global educational cooperation.

🧭 Why Investing in Youth Leadership Matters in Europe

1. Reasons

Democratic Renewal: Youth leadership is key to revitalizing democracy in Europe. Young people bring new energy, ideas, and perspectives that are essential for addressing today’s societal challenges and renewing civic participation.
Social Cohesion and Inclusion: Empowering young leaders promotes diversity, equality, and inclusion, helping to combat discrimination, marginalization, and youth disaffection across Europe.
Innovation and Adaptability: Young leaders are often early adopters of technology and innovation. Their leadership can drive digital transformation, sustainability, and creative responses to local and global issues.
Long-Term Impact: Investing in youth leadership builds resilient communities and creates a ripple effect that benefits education, employment, active citizenship, and European integration in the long run.

2. Opportunities

European Mobility and Exchange: Programs like Erasmus+ offer unique platforms for young people to develop leadership skills through mobility, volunteering, and intercultural experiences.
Skill Development: Youth leadership initiatives help young people acquire soft skills (communication, teamwork, critical thinking) and hard skills (project management, digital tools) that are in demand in today’s labor market.
Policy Engagement: Through structured dialogue and youth consultations, young leaders can influence EU policies, ensuring that youth voices are reflected in decision-making processes.
Network Building: Youth leadership programs foster strong transnational networks that support future cooperation, peacebuilding, and mutual understanding across borders.

3. Needs

Access and Inclusion: More efforts are needed to reach young people with fewer opportunities—including those in rural areas, from migrant backgrounds, or facing economic difficulties—ensuring equitable access to leadership pathways.
Capacity Building: Youth workers and organizations require continuous training and resources to effectively mentor and support the next generation of leaders.
Recognition of Non-Formal Learning: Europe must continue to promote and validate learning that happens outside formal education systems—such as through Youthpass or similar tools—to boost young people’s self-confidence and employability.
Safe Spaces for Participation: Young people need safe, inclusive, and supportive environments where they can express themselves, take initiative, and grow as leaders without fear of failure or exclusion.

Conclusion
Investing in youth leadership is not just a policy choice—it is a strategic necessity for Europe’s democratic, social, and economic future. A Europe that empowers its young people is a Europe that thrives.

🏛️ Leaders of Tomorrow – Bootcamp in Rome

May 16–21, 2025 | Rome, Italy

Organized by SOS Europa and funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme, the Leaders of Tomorrow Bootcamp is a dynamic international training experience aimed at equipping youth workers, volunteers, and young professionals (ages 25–35) with essential skills for effective youth engagement and community leadership.

🔹 Objective
The bootcamp focuses on developing leadership, project management, and social inclusion competencies through a combination of non-formal education, digital tools, and peer learning. Special attention is given to empowering those working with marginalized youth.

🔹 Added Value
Participants will receive a Youthpass Certificate, a European-recognized validation of learning experiences, to enhance their personal and professional growth in the youth sector.

🔹 International Collaboration
This project strengthens transnational networks among youth professionals and promotes a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and intercultural exchange through the active participation of organizations from Italy, Greece, Spain, and Malta.

🔹 Key Details

🗓 Dates: May 16–21, 2025 (Working days: May 17–20)
📍 Venues: Palazzo Valentini & Campidoglio, Rome
👥 Participants: 4 youth workers/volunteers per country
🌐 Project website: www.piattaformaprogetti.eu/leaders-of-tomorrow

🔹 Logistics
Accommodation and meals will be covered by the coordinator. Travel costs will be reimbursed after the event within the following maximum limits:

🇪🇸 Spain: €295
🇬🇷 Greece: €221
🇲🇹 Malta: €209

🔹 Contacts

📩 Email: leaderstomorroweu@gmail.com

👉 To register: Registration Form
👉 Reimbursement Form: Submit travel receipts here

🇪🇺 Leaders of Tomorrow: Roma ospita il Bootcamp Europeo per Youth Workers

Un’esperienza internazionale di formazione e cooperazione per costruire il futuro del lavoro giovanile in Europa

Dal 16 al 21 maggio 2025, Roma è stata il cuore pulsante dell’animazione socioeducativa europea grazie al progetto “Leaders of Tomorrow – Empowering Youth Workers for European Social Change”, un Bootcamp internazionale promosso da SOS Europa APS e finanziato dal programma Erasmus+ Gioventù, nell’ambito della Call KA153-YOU – Mobilità degli operatori giovanili.

L’evento, ospitato in luoghi istituzionali di grande valore simbolico come Palazzo Valentini e il Campidoglio, ha visto la partecipazione attiva di delegazioni provenienti da quattro Paesi europei:

Italia – SOS Europa APS (coordinatore)
Grecia – Youth Horizons
Spagna – Euro Mirada
Malta – International E-Learning Institute Ltd (IELI)

Un Bootcamp per i protagonisti del cambiamento

Il progetto ha coinvolto 16 youth workers (quattro per ciascun Paese) in un percorso intensivo e altamente partecipato, incentrato sullo sviluppo delle competenze chiave per il lavoro giovanile, in linea con le priorità del Programma Erasmus Plus: inclusione sociale, partecipazione democratica, trasformazione digitale, imprenditorialità e leadership.

I partecipanti, tutti tra i 25 e i 35 anni, hanno condiviso esperienze, strumenti e metodi innovativi per migliorare l’efficacia delle attività educative nei loro contesti locali e internazionali.

Formazione non formale, digitale e trasformativa

Il Bootcamp ha adottato un approccio basato su metodologie di educazione non formale, combinando:

Learning by doing e simulazioni pratiche
Workshop interattivi su leadership, comunicazione interculturale e project management
Strumenti digitali per la gestione collaborativa e la progettazione europea

Ogni giornata è stata dedicata allo sviluppo di competenze specifiche, culminando con la consegna del Youthpass, il certificato europeo di validazione dell’apprendimento non formale.

Un processo partecipativo dal principio al follow-up

Gli youth workers sono stati coinvolti attivamente in tutte le fasi del progetto:

Pianificazione: consultazioni, focus group, co-progettazione dei moduli formativi
Preparazione: formazione online, promozione locale, organizzazione logistica
Implementazione: conduzione delle sessioni formative, facilitazione dei gruppi, raccolta feedback
Follow-up: disseminazione dei risultati, valutazione dell’impatto, creazione di nuove reti e progettualità

Impatto, innovazione e cooperazione transnazionale

Il progetto ha lasciato un segno tangibile non solo sui partecipanti, ma anche sulle organizzazioni partner. Le competenze acquisite saranno condivise e integrate nei programmi educativi delle rispettive realtà associative, contribuendo a elevare la qualità e l’innovazione del lavoro giovanile in Europa.

Attraverso un piano di disseminazione interna ed esterna, sistemi di monitoraggio e la valorizzazione tramite Youthpass, il progetto punta a generare un impatto moltiplicatore e a favorire il riconoscimento professionale degli youth workers.

Guardando al futuro

“Leaders of Tomorrow” non è stato solo un evento, ma un punto di partenza per una nuova stagione di collaborazione europea tra operatori giovanili. I partecipanti continueranno a lavorare insieme attraverso piattaforme digitali, sessioni di mentoring e progetti futuri, mantenendo viva la rete costruita a Roma.

🇪🇺 Leaders of Tomorrow: Rome Hosts the European Bootcamp for Youth Workers

An international experience of training and cooperation to shape the future of youth work in Europe

From May 16 to 21, 2025, Rome became the beating heart of European youth work thanks to the project “Leaders of Tomorrow – Empowering Youth Workers for European Social Change”. The initiative was promoted by SOS Europa APS and funded by the Erasmus+ Youth Programme, under Call KA153-YOU – Mobility of Youth Workers.

The event, held in highly symbolic institutional venues such as Palazzo Valentini and the Campidoglio, brought together delegations from four European countries:

Italy – SOS Europa APS (coordinator)
Greece – Youth Horizons
Spain – Euro Mirada
Malta – International E-Learning Institute Ltd (IELI)

A Bootcamp for Change-Makers

The project involved 16 youth workers (four from each country) in an intensive and highly engaging training course focused on developing key competences for youth work, in line with the priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme: social inclusion, democratic participation, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

Participants, aged between 25 and 35, exchanged knowledge, tools, and innovative methods to enhance the effectiveness of educational activities in their local and international contexts.

Non-Formal, Digital, and Transformative Learning

The Bootcamp adopted a non-formal education approach, combining:

Learning by doing and hands-on simulations
Interactive workshops on leadership, intercultural communication, and project management
Digital tools for collaborative planning and European project design

Each day focused on specific competences, ending with the award of the Youthpass certificate, a European recognition of non-formal learning achievements.

From Planning to Follow-Up: Youth Workers at the Centre

Youth workers were actively involved in all stages of the project:

Planning: consultations, focus groups, and co-design of training modules
Preparation: online training, local outreach, logistical coordination
Implementation: facilitating sessions, leading group work, collecting feedback
Follow-up: disseminating results, measuring impact, and building new partnerships

Impact, Innovation, and Transnational Cooperation

The project had a tangible impact not only on participants but also on the partner organizations. The acquired competences will be shared and embedded within each organization’s youth programmes, raising the quality and innovation of youth work across Europe.

Through a robust internal and external dissemination plan, monitoring systems, and Youthpass certification, the initiative aims to generate a multiplying effect and promote the professional recognition of youth workers.