YOUTH-LEAP

VVIF is in a new partnership with Middle Eeast Technical University (Türkiye), Youth Policies Association (Türkiye), Comune Di Pieve Del Grappa (Italy), Casa Eslava (Spain), Ayuntamiento De Alzira (Spain) and the Municipality of Samokov (Bulgaria). Together we are working on "YOUTH-LEAP: Youth Leadership and Empowerment through Active Participation" project, that aims to foster youth participation in democratic life, enhance social and civic engagement, and develop an innovative EU Youth Participation Model.

The goal is to increase youth involvement in decision-making processes, promote active citizenship and entrepreneurship, and reinforce civic engagement. During the project, 4 Participation Enablers (Pens) from each country will support and mentor local youth and address local issues by organizing campaigns, proposing solutions, and collaborating with local governments to implement these solutions.

First Training of the Participation Enablers in Samokov

On July 10, 2025, the first training for Participation Enablers (PENs) took place in the town of Samokov. The event brought together motivated and inspired young people, ready to take a step toward more active participation in the life of their community.

The training focused on the topic of youth participation and empowerment, as part of the YOUTH-LEAP project, which we are implementing in partnership with Samokov Municipality.

Transnational Partner Meeting in Bulgaria

On August 30–31, 2025, the Values, Virtues, Integrity Foundation hosted a transnational project meeting with our partners under the YOUTH-LEAP project.

The event was held in our event hall, where we welcomed representatives from Italy, Turkey, and Spain.
We discussed the progress of the Participation Enablers (PENs) training, planned the next phases of the project, and set the dates for the international YA training in Spain next year.

Тransnational project meeting in Barcelona, Spain

At the end of February 2026, part of the team of the “Values, Virtues, Integrity” Foundation took part in a transnational project meeting within the “Youth Leap” project, which was held in Barcelona, Spain. The meeting brought together project partners from Italy, Spain, and Turkey with the aim of coordinating the next stages of the project implementation and strengthening international cooperation.

During the working sessions, participants discussed key aspects of the upcoming training for youth activators, which will take place in Italy. The content of the training program, organizational details, and the roles of the partner organizations in the preparation and implementation of the event were also reviewed.

In addition to the preparation of the training, the partners exchanged ideas and good practices related to working with young people, as well as discussed concrete steps for the further successful implementation of the project activities.

Stay tuned for more updates on YOUTH-LEAP!

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