A mobility project for youth workers. Six countries. One shared goal.
"Equipping the people who work with young people."
Youth workers sit at the intersection of some of the most pressing challenges facing young people today — social exclusion, digital inequality, mental health, access to opportunity. They do this work with limited resources and a growing expectation to communicate, create, and engage in a world transformed by digital technology.
The Youthwork.AI project was built around a single honest observation: most youth workers wanted to use AI tools in their practice but lacked the foundation to do so confidently or critically. Not just the technical skills — but the conceptual understanding, the ethical frameworks, and the practical experience needed to make good decisions about when and how to use these tools with and for young people.
Over eight days in Bugibba, Malta, youth workers from six Erasmus+ partner countries came together for a structured training programme. They explored AI fundamentals, worked hands-on with a range of tools, built real outputs aligned with their organisational needs, and left with both competencies and a shared commitment to ethical, inclusive AI use in youth work. This toolkit is the final output of that project — built collectively, freely available, and designed for the wider European youth work community.
Equip youth workers with foundational understanding of how AI actually works — so they can use these technologies with confidence and critical awareness rather than guesswork.
Move from theory to practice through hands-on training with real tools, grounded in the day-to-day realities of non-formal education and youth work.
Address the concerns that hold back AI adoption — bias, privacy, responsible usage — and provide clear frameworks for ethical decision-making that participants can carry back to their organisations.
Train youth workers to use AI to reduce barriers for marginalised young people, creating resources and programmes that are accessible regardless of language, ability, or background.
Ensure every participant left with real, usable work developed during the training and immediately applicable in their professional context.
Co-create this toolkit as a collective output — practical, freely available, and designed to benefit not just the participants but the wider European youth work community.
Each brought a different context and community — and that diversity was the point.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.