The project “Ladder to involve highly vulnerable young people in NFL programs internationally”, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aims to enhance youth organisations’ capabilities to involve Highly Vulnerable Young People (HVYP) in non-formal education (NFE) programs and international mobilities. It focuses on preparing organisations to tackle challenges encountered while engaging these youths, sharing knowledge and best practices among partners and beyond for more inclusive youth work. It focuses on bridging the gap between inclusion policies and practices highlighting the resource gap for integrating HVYP.
How Can We Help Everyone to Thrive Through Mobility?
Who Are Highly Vulnerable Young People?
In 2022, the International Network for Inclusion of Associazione Joint defined “highly vulnerable young people” as those who face at least two significant barriers in life, one of which is chronic, systemic, or particularly difficult to overcome. These individuals encounter challenges far beyond those faced by young people with fewer opportunities.
For that very reason, ensuring the inclusion of highly vulnerable young people in Erasmus+ programs is vital for their development. It fosters their social inclusion, enhances emotional and mental well-being, and builds pathways for their future success. At the same time, addressing their needs and improving their social position requires tailored strategies, complex professional support, and consistent, long-term assistance.
Why is it so hard to open new perspectives?
For youth organizations, involving highly vulnerable young people is not a simple task. Typically, 2-3 years of relationship-building and preparatory work precede a young person’s participation in an international mobility program.
Nonprofits often struggle with limited resources – whether in human capacity, financial support, or expertise. The need to perform a more complex task in a typically resource-poor organisation, restricts the ability to open up these non-formal learning programmes for highly vulnerable youth.
The LADDER to Inclusion project is dedicated to capacity-building. It aims to empower professionals to make mobilities accessible for highly vulnerable youth. Representatives from four highly experienced organizations across four countries – Academy of Experience, Associazione Joint, MARTA and Las Niñas del Tul –, started working collaboratively to develop tailored strategies and tools that prioritize inclusion and safety of highly vulnerable youth.
The Rungs That Build the LADDER
The project aims to achieve several key outcomes, starting by creating a comprehensive knowledge base for youth professionals.
- Handbook and infographics on the involvement and support of highly vulnerable young people in Erasmus+ mobilities.
- Child and youth safeguarding policy sample and guide to help youth organisations to develop and implement their own tailored safeguarding policies.
- Comprehensive online training course for youth workers to equip them with the skills they need to engage highly vulnerable young people to international non-formal learning.
- Modular training guide and curriculum to enhance the training of youth workers in the design and delivery of inclusive programmes.
The LADDER to Inclusion project will test and use all these tools, and organise several international mobilities and professional events to share knowledge and experiences.
Rungs of the LADDER are not built only by creating knowledge, but also sharing and putting it into practice. Three international mobilities will be organised involving more than 70 highly vulnerable young people. 12 youth organisations will be mentored to develop their own child and youth safeguarding policy. Nearly 100 youth workers will be trained, while several local and international event should pass along the knowledge.
How Can You Grow With Us?
We also aim to connect youth organisations and seed further international partnerships that are prepared to deliver high quality mobilities for highly vulnerable youth.
Are you representing a youth organisation and would you like to network with us?
If you want to develop your own child and youth safeguarding policy…
If you work with highly vulnerable young people and would love to involve them in international programmes…
If you are active at European level and plan to extend your activities to work with highly vulnerable young people…
… then feel free to contact us. The LADDER to Inclusion project is open to other organisations as associate partners. Please drop us a line at [email protected] and let us cooperate.
To learn more about the outcomes, tools, and opportunities being developed follow the project’s updates on Facebook or Instagram.