At the 17th German Child and Youth Day (DJHT) on May 18, professionals exchanged views on the "Erasmus+" project "Live Learning - A way to Europe for everyone!". The focus of the project is the development of methods for young people with sprecial need who participate in international exchange programs.
Representatives of the participating organizations were present. The experts from Germany, Slovenia and France reflected on their findings from the digital work, discussed best practice examples and their experiences with international projects from the program "Integration through Exchange" (IdA) of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the European Social Fund (ESF). The event was moderated by Liselotte Israelsson (Coordination Europe, Sweden) and Tobias Köck, member of Solijjugend and chairman of the German Federal Youth Council (DBJR).
In addition to the above-mentioned discussions, there was an exciting dialogue between Albert Klein-Reinhardt, representative of the department "international youth policy" in the Federal Ministry of Youth (BMFSFJ), and Tobias Köck. Köck asked whether and how the approaches of non-formal education are taken into account by the federal government. Klein-Reinhardt's answer was that there are relevant studies on the effect of European and international youth work programs on the personality development of young people. The "Live Learning" project impressively confirms this. It therefore remains an important youth policy concern, Klein-Reinhardt continued, to achieve greater social and political recognition for the importance of international youth work as a non-formal educational opportunity.
With nearly 50 participants the meeting organized by the Solijugend can be judged as a full success. It is to be hoped in particular that the professional exchange, but also the project results help to finish the pandemic-related standstill in the international youth exchange as soon as possible - specially because disadvantaged young people are getting more and more out of sight.
