27–30 October 2026 | Frankfurt, Germany

We are pleased to invite you to the European Conference “What’s YOUTH got to do with it? – Horizontal European Strategies and their meaning for youth work and youth volunteering”, taking place from 27 to 30 October 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany.

The conference will bring together around 100 European stakeholders from the fields of youth, youth work and youth volunteering, including representatives from youth organisations and networks, National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres, trainers, European institutions and policy representatives. Europe is facing increasingly complex challenges, including geopolitical instability, technological transformation, climate change, disinformation and social and economic shifts. Against this background, horizontal European strategies addressing skills, preparedness, resilience, intergenerational fairness and democratic participation are gaining increasing relevance.

The conference aims to create a space for exchange, reflection and discussion on the meaning, potential and relevance of these strategies for the youth work and youth volunteering sector. Together with participants, we will explore how these strategies connect with existing work in the field, what opportunities and challenges they create, and how youth work and volunteering can contribute to strengthening participation, resilience, democratic engagement and capacity building across Europe.

The programme will offer a mixture of expert inputs, panel discussions, plenary exchanges and interactive workshops, providing space for collective reflection, dialogue and the development of future-oriented perspectives.

Registration

Registration is now open. Due to the limited number of places, there will be a selection process to guarantee a balanced representation of different countries and stakeholders.

Please apply via the following link: The deadline for application is 8 September 2026. All applicants will receive information on the selection results shortly after the application deadline: Call for Participants (#1061): Application form: What’s YOUTH got to do with it? | TCA/NET Cooperation Platform

We hope to welcome you to Frankfurt in October 2026 and look forward to inspiring discussions on the future of youth work and youth volunteering in Europe.

Partners and Contacts

The conference is organised by JUGEND für Europa, the German National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth, Erasmus+ Sport and the European Solidarity Corps, in cooperation with the (youth) National Agencies from Belgium Flanders, France, Latvia, Malta and Slovenia and the SALTO Resource Centres European Solidarity Corps and Training & Cooperation.

For further information you can contact:

Alicia Holzschuh / Marlene Mayer

Advisors on European youth policy and youth work, JUGEND für Europa

Email: holzschuh@jfemail.de / mayer@jfemail.de
Phone: 0049 (0)228 9506 275 / 0049 (0) 228 9506 398