An interactive training session entitled “Youth Policy and Youth Work in Ukraine: How to Create Opportunities for Young People” took place at the student co-working space of the Education and Research Institute “Ukrainian Engineering and Pedagogical Academy” at Karazin University.
The event, which took place on 24 April 2026, was organised by representatives of the Centre for Innovative Educational Technologies at the ERI “UEPA”: Maryna Vasylieva, the Centre’s coordinator, Deputy Director of the ERI “UEPA”, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and Professor; and Roman Nesterenko, a trainer in social entrepreneurship and creativity development, an expert in internationalisation and project activities, and Deputy Head of the International Relations Department at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.
Around 30 participants took part in the session, which was held in a hybrid format—both in person and online. The aim of the event was to help students gain an understanding of contemporary youth policy, its tools and opportunities, as well as to develop practical skills in civic engagement, teamwork and launching their own initiatives.
The session programme combined a short lecture, interactive exercises, discussions, group work, a role-play and elements of project-based activities. Right at the start, participants took part in an exercise entitled “Young people today are…”, during which they outlined their own views on today’s youth, their opportunities, needs and challenges.
Key topics of discussion included access to education, employment, the impact of the war on young people’s lives, mental health, civic engagement, and young people’s participation in social processes.
During the theoretical session, participants were introduced to the fundamentals of youth policy in Ukraine, key regulatory documents and the main areas of its implementation. Particular attention was paid to opportunities in non-formal education, youth support programmes, entrepreneurship development and international mobility.
A key part of the session was a presentation of the international ERASMUS+ project “ResilientMind — Empowering Youth Against Disinformation” (2025-2-FR02-KA220-YOU-000379255), which aims to develop critical thinking and resilience among young people in the face of disinformation. Participants learnt about the project’s objective, which is to build the ability to recognise manipulation in the digital environment, as well as the creation of an interactive online platform with personalised learning pathways. A distinctive feature of the initiative is the active involvement of young people as co-creators of content and learning materials.
The practical part of the session focused on addressing the real-life challenges faced by young people. Working in groups, the participants analysed issues such as unemployment, emigration, mental health and low levels of civic engagement, and put forward their own solutions.
The exercise on developing youth projects proved particularly engaging. The teams presented ideas aimed at fostering leadership, volunteering, career guidance and mental health support. This format gave participants the opportunity to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice and feel like initiators of positive change.
The event concluded with a reflection session, during which participants shared their impressions and identified key insights. Participants highlighted the practical value of the event, the relevance of the topics covered, and the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in real life.
Organising such events helps to foster active citizenship among young people, develop critical thinking, teamwork and project-based skills, and engage young people in the development of their local community, university and country.
The session was organised as part of the project “Youth Participation and Policy: Strengthening Youth Engagement in Governance, Budgeting and Life Skills Development in Lviv, Volyn and Zakarpattia Regions”, implemented by the “Youth Platform” NGO with the assistance of UNICEF and financial support of the Government of Germany through the German state development bank KfW.
