Research – Act – Impact (RAI)

SO1 – Solidify understanding and empower youth voices : We will move beyond traditional civic education by fostering critical consciousness and deepen participants’ comprehension of socio-environmental justice through an intersectional lens. Participants will learn to deconstruct the root causes of socio-environmental issues not as inevitable facts, but as
products of systemic decisions. 

SO2 – Build concrete research and democratic competences through experiential learning : We will provide hands-on training in the full YPAR cycle, in order also to demystify research and positions it as an accessible tool for advocacy. Furthermore, by working in international teams to conduct this research, participants will actively practice democratic skills: negotiation, consensus-building, respecting diverse viewpoints, and collective decision-making.

SO3 – Foster advocacy and translating knowledge into action : A key failure of traditional education (besides being too often top-down) is stopping at awareness-raising. YPAR is inherently action and change-oriented. A core objective is to support youths in moving from research findings to designing a tangible, impactful social or environmental action. We will develop impact plans to turn abstract knowledge into practical change-making skills.

SO4 – Strengthen European solidarity and peer support networks : While YPAR specialises in the strength of local action and community impact for change, the international setting is a crucial youth work strategy. In this exchange we aim at bringing together young people from different geographic and socio-economic backgrounds to work on a common goal and exchange on topics that they might not have the chance or the space to discuss about with their peers. This allows us to break down stereotypes and build connections, solidarity, and a shared sense of empowerment