Young Delegates and Alumni Club come together to explore Education & Employability

The meeting created a space for young delegates and alumni to exchange experiences, explore ongoing ENGSO Youth initiatives and contribute to discussions around the role of sport in developing skills, supporting young people’s learning and strengthening their opportunities for the future.

The session opened with a short welcome and the interactive “Pack your Suitcase” activity, giving participants an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and how they have helped them develop skills, before moving into the main discussions.

Participants took part in the Youth Dialogue Bike session, facilitated by Sarah Falczyk, who also shared her work on democratic education through sport beyond ENGSO Youth. Using the analogy of a bicycle, Sarah introduced participants to different aspects of youth participation and democratic engagement, guiding them through practical activities that encouraged reflection on young people’s role in decision-making and the importance of participation. 

The meeting featured an overview of the YouthSportCV research, presented by Saskia Effert. The session introduced participants to the project’s work around identifying and understanding the skills young people develop through sport, and how these skills can be recognised and communicated beyond the sporting environment.

The meeting also introduced the Dare To Team Up (DTT-Sport) Project, providing an overview of the project and some of its outputs. It was also shared that, as part of the project, the existing Human Rights Education through Sport board game will be further developed over the coming months. As part of this development, participants tested some of the new questions through a Kahoot quiz, providing an interactive way to explore the additions and give initial feedback on the resource.

The final part of the meeting focused on sharing an update that ENGSO Youth has been selected to participate in the 12th Cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue, which focuses on European Youth Goal #4: Information and Constructive Dialogue. Participants were informed that they will have the opportunity to contribute to ENGSO Youth’s position and bring the perspectives and experiences of young people in grassroots sport into the process. The cycle will explore topics including improving young people’s digital life conditions, tackling disinformation, strengthening media literacy, and feeding into the revision of the European Youth Goals and the development of the next EU Youth Strategy.

By bringing together current Young Delegates and Alumni, the meeting also strengthened connections across different generations of ENGSO Youth participants. The exchange highlighted the value of creating spaces where young people can learn from each other, share experiences and contribute to ongoing work.

From developing skills through sport to having a voice in European youth policy, the meeting showed how education, employability and meaningful youth participation are closely connected – and how young people can help shape the opportunities that come next.