Addressing the European Agenda on Children and Young People

EU Youth Strategy

The EU Youth Strategy is the framework for EU youth policy cooperation for 2019-2027, based on the Council Resolution of 26 November 2018. EU youth cooperation shall make the most of youth policy's potential. It fosters youth participation in democratic life; it also supports social and civic engagement and aims to ensure that all young people have the necessary resources to take part in society.

The EU Youth Strategy focuses on three core areas of action, around the three words: Engage, Connect, Empower, while working on joined-up implementation across sectors. During a 2017-2018 dialogue process which involved young people from all over Europe, 11 European Youth Goals were developed. These goals identify cross-sectoral areas that affect young people’s lives and point out challenges. The EU Youth Strategy should contribute to realising this vision of young people.  

European Youth Goals

These goals reflect the views of European youth and represent

the vision of those active in the EU Youth Dialogue:

1. Connecting EU with Youth
2. Equality of All Genders
   
3. Inclusive Societies
   
4. Information & Constructive Dialogue
   
5. Mental Health & Wellbeing
   
6. Moving Rural Youth Forward
   
7. Quality Employment for All
   
8. Quality Learning
   
9. Space and Participation for All
   
10. Sustainable Green Europe
    
11. Youth Organisations & European Programmes
    

The EU Youth Strategy should contribute to realising this vision of young people

by mobilising EU level policy instruments as well as actions at national, regional

and local level by all stakeholders.

​ICTIDC`s “Children and Youth Programs” are committed to:

• Promoting high standards of quality in non-formal education for children and young people bridging the formal education from early childhood stage to high school education and academic training of young people.
  
• Dedicating specific efforts on involving marginalized young people, who are exposed to discrimination and human rights violations.
• Fostering inclusive and creative youth training programs development: via active youth involvement, community outreach and participatory projects with children, young people and their families.
  
• Promoting youth participatory governance and supporting the development of youth-led policy-drafting and decision-making.
  
• Promoting human rights with focus on youth and child rights, fostering critiques and mobilization for rights protection and prevention of child and youth rights violations.
  
• Mobilizing a greater social commitment and targeted political initiatives to combat child and youth poverty and its consequences, to reduce youth unemployment, improve access to quality education and training, and provide stronger support the to the young NEETs.
  

                                                               ICTIDC`s Child and Youth Protection Policy

​Equality, Respect and Empowerment of Children and Youth in Ireland

• ​Irish Creative Training & Innovative Development Center subscribes to equal treatment of all children and young people, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, (dis)ability and social or cultural background. 
• We discourage any kind of patronizing and tokenist approaches to child and youth participation, making sure that all children are treated with dignity and respect
• We work to empower children and young people with knowledge and skills to choose their future development and build the necessary qualifications for integration in social, cultural and economic life of our societies. 
  

​In addition, the departments of the Irish Creative Training & Innovative Development Center offer a wide range of services for children and young people.

• Non-formal Education with Children and Young People via our Language Training Department; The Sports Development Center and the ART-based Training Hub.
  

ICTIDC offers a flexible creative learning environment for the young people, who need to adjust their educational schedules in order to accommodate further learning activities, outside of the formal learning curricular.

In addition, we offer youth work programs trough sports, where young people from different cultural backgrounds meet and play together, not only benefiting from a pleasant physical activity but also getting to know each other and fostering the intercultural dialogue via the valuable interpersonal communication that sports offer. 

Children and young people are among the most active and dedicated participants of our Art-based Training Hub classes, contributing with creative energy and curiosity, this way learning by doing and further developing social and emotional skills. 

​The unique emotional learning that our Art-based Training Hub offers provides a very special platform for participation of anyone who is eager to learn via Applied Drama and Participatory Theatre.

• Bridging Formal and Non-formal Education with Children and Young People via our STEAM Leadership Academy; Creative Thinking Point and Environmental Education Academy.
  

We are still facing significant gaps between formal and non-formal education in Europe. Those gaps might vary from country to country and from region to region within the countries, but their impact still produces educational disparencies.

The Environmental Education Academy provides environmental education to both young people and child and youth educators as a process that allows them to explore environmental issues, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the environment. 

The Child and Youth Programs in ICTIDC mobilize the resources of both educators and young learners to bridge the gaps between formal and non-formal education and provide a flexible youth-friendly and learner-centered approach, ensuring a quality education for all.

• Training Child and Youth Educators via our Teacher Training Academy and eLearning Center;
  

​Training and upgrading the knowledge and skills of the child and youth educators is an investment in children, seeking to ensure a best quality education to all of them - in all educational facilities across the country and in Europe.

• Career guidance and career development training curricula for students and recent young graduates via our Career Management Academy

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• Training for professional skills development via ICTIDC `s TVET Center 
  

Professional training for young people in the VET institutions, providing work placements;

• Community Outreach with Children and  Youth via the Migrant and Refugee Integration Center and the Sports Development Center
  

Recognizing the needs for adequate inclusive programs on migrant and refugee integration, we invest our professional efforts in provision of bespoken integration learning programs for migrant and refugee children and youth, who are often invited to join their parents`integration courses and learning activities, this way merging the classical professional learning formats with intercultural activities that foster inclusion and intercultural communication. 

​The Sports Development Center  embraces the concept of sport development as the promotion of sports activities with and for the community. Successful sports development programs in ICTIDC are largely based on effective partnership and networking with a wide range of community groups, service providers, facility operators, national governing bodies, local authorities and voluntary groups in Ireland and internationally.

• Promoting Youth Work via our Youth Work Learning Center and Digital Youth Work Lab