Erasmus+ co-operation partnership

Youth Connect EU-Ukraine (YOU) is a 24-month Erasmus+ co-operation partnership project that supports young people affected by the war in Ukraine by strengthening their resilience, inclusion and agency across Europe.

The project brings together youth organisations, higher education institutions and community-based partners from Poland, Romania, Czechia and Ukraine and focuses on three main areas:

• strengthening youth organisations working with Ukrainians across Europe and within Ukraine
• promoting intercultural dialogue and inclusion between Ukrainian and local youth in host communities
• fostering cross-border collaboration to create a co-ordinated response to the challenges facing Ukrainian youth.

The project features mapping and needs analysis of youth organisations; capacity-building workshops on trauma-informed care, intercultural communication, diversity and inclusion, financial literacy, leadership skills; a practical toolkit and a guide with best practices; 5 intercultural exchange programmes and 15 youth-led inclusion initiatives; 4 international forums and a collaborative digital platform; and awareness campaigns and a final conference to disseminate results.

Led by Fundacja British Council in Poland, the project consortium includes:

• UCT Prague (Czech Republic) – providing integration support for displaced Ukrainian students
• Volyn Youth Center (Ukraine) – a youth-led organisation offering leadership training and community engagement
• Fundatia Nationala pentru Tineret (Romania) – a national youth network supporting young people and Ukrainian refugees
• Sustainable Development Agency ‘Skyscraper’ (Ukraine) – specialising in youth policy, civic engagement and volunteerism.