“Non-formal Youth Work and Formal Youth Studies” is the first Activity of long-term Capacity Building project “International Youth Studies /InYouS/: Curricula, Distance Learning Course and Open Educational Materials” being implemented by FYCA and funded by European Commission.

Official Opening Ceremony will be an opportunity to familiarize you with our operations, present our mission and project work plan in the upcoming period. The participants from 13 European countries (Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine) will be present because of the launch of the “InYouS” Project and therefore we consider your presence as a very important one.

The project will ameliorate the recognition of youth work and non-formal education through the development of certified “International youth studies” curricula (and organizing a distance-learning course for youth workers) and open educational materials for European Higher Education Institutions.

The specific objectives are:

• Stimulating and strengthening the integration of non-formal education and formal education at universities through the establishment of a certified course on International youth studies.

• creating bridges between formal and non-formal education, youth policy and practice in order to release innovation potential to raise the quality of educational and social service to Europe’s young people, to promote career flexibility and mobility, and to assert the value and utility of evidence-based policy and practice;

• Strengthening human potential in youth field by building a critical mass of quality youth workers;

• Promoting international recognition of the youth work and non-formal education through developing and adopting award criteria that are in line with the formal educational system.