In December 2019, I joined the facilitation team of EU4You, an international training course held in the serene coastal town of Slettestrand, Denmark, organized by InterStep. The training took place from the 3rd to the 13th of December and gathered youth workers from across Europe—including participants from Romania, North Macedonia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, and Denmark.
The training addressed a topic that is increasingly urgent across Europe: the rise of Euroscepticism and the need to foster a more critical, informed, and engaged approach to the European Union—especially among young people. The aim was to support youth workers in deepening their understanding of the EU’s relevance in everyday life and equipping them with tools to pass that understanding on to others in their communities.
From the very first day, the training struck a balance between reflection and action. We opened with a Baltic Sea method activity to explore participants’ hopes and fears, setting the tone for open, participatory learning. Through a mix of team-building games and community walks, we built trust among the group while also getting to know the local area and each other’s cultural backgrounds.
One of the key moments was our session on non-formal education. We explored its origins, theoretical foundations, and how it contrasts with formal education. But we didn’t just talk about it—we practiced it, using experiential activities to reflect on how non-formal methods can be used to bring EU topics closer to young people in engaging, meaningful ways.
Throughout the training, we focused on topics like the evolution of the EU, the decision-making processes within EU institutions, the role of the media, and how populism spreads through misinformation. The goal was to help youth workers sharpen their critical thinking, develop media literacy, and feel confident challenging simplified narratives or populist rhetoric.
As a result of the course, participants collaboratively developed a brochure of best practices and methods. This collection of tools—submitted in advance and refined during the training—focused on how to promote EU awareness among youth, explain complex EU processes in simple ways, and encourage open discussions about Europe’s role in society. The brochure became a resource for future workshops, local initiatives, and multiplier events that participants would carry out back in their home countries.
More than just a training on the European Union, EU4You was a learning experience rooted in cooperation, critical reflection, and a shared commitment to building a more informed and united Europe—one young person at a time.
