Youth Work in Schools (YWIS) project partners gathered for a transnational project meeting hosted by Junta de Freguesia de Vila Boa do Bispo in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal, on 10–11 November 2022. Representatives from Greece (UTh), Portugal (JFVBB), Finland (XAMK), and Estonia (SNTK, Kuressaare Nooruse School) participated in two days of collaboration, planning, and knowledge exchange.
The meeting opened with a warm welcome session and team-building activity, where participants reflected on their individual roles and contributions within the YWIS project. This created a strong sense of teamwork and shared purpose for the next stages of implementation.
During the Project Overview, partners discussed the project’s identity, timeline, and financial management. The consortium voted on the final YWIS logo — selecting “Logo C” as the official design — and agreed on minor visual adjustments to better reflect the project’s identity.
The Work Package Analysis focused on planning the next Transnational Project Meeting, which will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, in February 2023, alongside a youth conference and networking activities to enhance dissemination and collaboration among partners.
Participants also had the opportunity to visit Alpendorada School and Vila Boa do Bispo Primary School, where they observed award-winning sustainable development practices implemented within the Eco-Schools programme. The visits showcased innovative environmental projects such as GreenCork, EcoX, and Voluntariado Jovem Natureza Floresta, among others.
A dedicated session on Dissemination, Sustainability and Evaluation outlined strategies for improving project visibility.
- SNTK (Estonia) will lead the communication plan and website development.
- All partners will contribute photos and team introductions to the shared Google Drive for use on social media and the YWIS website.
- UTh, JFVBB, and XAMK will promote the YWIS website via their institutional channels.
During the final session, partners discussed Next Steps, including the development of a “Good Practices and Local Networks” survey to collect examples of successful youth work initiatives from each partner country. These findings will feed into a shared Handbook of Good Practices, built progressively throughout the project.
The meeting concluded with presentations from the Greek partners on the Youth Council of Thermi Municipality, illustrating inspiring approaches to youth participation and life-long learning in schools.
The YWIS team continues to build strong transnational cooperation, working towards more effective, innovative, and inclusive youth work practices within European schools.