Active Youth Association (AY) is a for-purpose organisation working with youth and communities in need in Lithuania and across borders. We have extensive experience in non-formal education, as well as a range of other topics. Most important among which: sustainability, social inclusion, healthy lifestyle, digital tools, human rights. 

AY cooperates with organisations of the similar profile from all over Europe (more than 500 organisations) to organize events and trainings using non-formal education (including sport) as a powerful instrument to encourage youth to take an active part in society. We are integrating youngsters into the multinational environment and promoting healthy lifestyle.

We seek to prove that physical activity is not only healthy but is the most powerful tool for inclusion and we wish to make sport accessible to everyone disregarding age, gender, wealth, experience, religion, race or background. 

Our vision is to engrave the idea that sports are not about medals. It is about personal glory and growth and being a part of a like minded team and a united community. 

In general, the key goals of the NGO corresponding to healthy lifestyle projects are: helping the underprivileged in Lithuania and other EU countries to (1) be better integrated into the society and (2) get access all public facilities. At the same time, AY (3) helps young people to build new cooperation for sports/ mental health initiatives, increase the needed skills for that and motivation for volunteering; (4) enhance self-esteem of the underprivileged (e.g. disabled); digital & multilingualism skills, social awareness, tolerance and other important values; (5) facilitate cooperation between different Lithuanian sport organisations, NGOs, youth workers, and sport trainers; (6) raise awareness about EU citizenship, work towards reducing youth unemployment; defend human rights and work on elimination of discrimination; (7) initiate social inclusion and provide opportunities for everyone willing to lead healthy lifestyle; (8) raise awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity through grassroots sports.

In whatever activity we carry out, we follow our 4 core principles: 1) dedication – meaning that we give our 100% and more; 2) openness – we work with – and for the public; 3) positivity – we see opportunities rather than problems; and 4) enthusiasm – we want to change our surroundings for the better. Surely, it’s easy to list these values on paper and a lot harder to follow them through in real.

That is why, we focus extensively in having the right team for every project. The people we will be working with (in the current project) are professionals with relevant experience and a record of success (whether in youth work and/or sports). We also rely on a deep pool of volunteers (over 1000) and potential partners to ensure: 1) the project’s implementation goes smoothly; 2) the dissemination efforts reach the specified target groups.

Active Youth Association has lengthy experience in running youth projects (Youth in Action, ESC, and others). Up until now, the organization has successfully implemented (getting just the highest scores from the evaluators) more than 30 separate project actions on its own (and several times that as a partner).

We are coordinating Erasmus+ Big Collaborative Sports projects. One of them is called “Empowerment Through Sports”. With this project we aim to create contact between different social groups by using sports as a tool in order to foster social inclusion and make young people understand how minority discrimination works and how to counteract this.

We also coordinate a project sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania called “Urban Sports Culture”. The overall goal is to create thriving urban sports communities of youngsters in the partner cities of Denmark, Lithuania and Sweden, with special focus on Kaunas, as European Capital of Culture in 2022.  The project will provide youngsters with skills using urbans sports and culture as tools for their further active inclusion in programming city development.  At the same time, the project aims to help youth in building new cooperation for sports, cultural and social initiatives, increase the motivation for volunteering, strengthen bonds between Lithuanian and Nordic countries youth organizations,  increase social inclusion of vulnerable groups and provide opportunities for everyone willing to do sports linked to health and wellbeing or start their cultural initiative. 

To tackle the problem of girls in sport Active youth has initiated the project “One Goal” that is set on empowering young women football coaches. By travelling across the globe these women will gather experience for training, collect new training methods and even learn project management skills. This will not only highly increase their employability but encourage more young girls to join the world of football, once they see their women role models. 

We are also coordinating an Erasmus+ Small Collaborative Sports project “Capoeira Connects Europe”. The main aim of “Capoeira Connects Europe” is to encourage people to engage with their own cultural heritage and to discover all forms of it around the world, thus increasing tolerance, empathy, reducing social exclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged youth and promoting active and healthy lifestyle. This will be achieved by organising free capoeira events all across Europe and not only invite disadvantaged youth, but people!

We are partners in an Erasmus+ Small Collaborative Sports project called “Social A.C.T. – Active Cycling Team”. The project promotes the idea that cycling is beneficial to health. It focuses on the importance of sport volunteering to acquire skills and develop active citizenship.  25 beneficiaries will be trained to become group cycling guides and will use their skills by implementing local initiatives. This project also aims to facilitate social inclusion of the most vulnerable, those facing situations of isolation and/or discrimination.

And we partner in another Small Collaborative called “Sport Without Boundaries”. Sports and physical activities is a great opportunity to meet people of different generations, different backgrounds, different cultures and break negative stereotypes that exist in our society. The project aims to increase volunteerism and physical activity of disadvantaged groups living across Europe. Summer camps, international football tournaments are just a small part of what we want to achieve. 

We partner in another project that has a very similar aim – “Inclusion for Healthy Generations”. With this one we have the ability to be free with our physical activity events and you can join us every single month. By providing participants with various activities and affordable ways to practice non-professional sports, we will give more opportunities to every member of our community. Setting a common goal for becoming healthier will help people come together and support each other to achieve it. 

We are also partners in another Erasmus+ Collaborative project “SPORTIFICATION”. The project is aimed at increasing, promoting and encouraging participation of young people across the EU in sports and PA activities. This objective is relevant to young people aged 13 to 20 living at the periphery of cities because statistics show that they tend to be less involved in sports activities and PA activities, increasing risk of obesity and other weight-related medical problems. Young people find these activities less attractive than activities that connect them to computers, internet and application. Therefore, the connection that this objective establishes between sports and gamification is a consistent solution.

And lastly, we are partners in a project named “Sport as an Equal Playground”. It aims to bring sports closer to young people with fewer opportunities, who are at a disadvantage compared to their peers. We will be tackling the issue at the European level since it is a European need and nowadays cannot be tackled by single countries only. We will make an effort to integrate practices into different countries and offer a more coherent answer to the challenges is sport.

Also, we are paying huge attention to mental health. Our organised project “A Beautiful Mind“ contributed to the promotion of human rights by increasing the knowledge about mental health between the youngsters and the public overall. Participants were learning how to find ways of communicating with people having a mental disorder and ways to support them. This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current project and join the promotion of human rights.

We also partner up and work on a project “Be Kind to Your Mind”. Mental health plays an important role in everyone’s life. A mentally healthy person works more productively, and is capable of contributing more to his/her surroundings. It is clear that mental disorders could lead to serious problems and wasted human potential. And so the core goal of the project “Be Kind to Your Mind” is to increase knowledge about mental health between youngsters and the general public. In order to reach this goal, the following objectives have been set: raising awareness about the existing mental health situation. reducing prejudices towards the mentally ill, defining what is mental health and why it’s important, explaining how mental disorders are diagnosed and treated, advising youth how to live a healthier lifestyle and cope with the surrounding stress, finding ways of communicating with people having a mental disorder and ways to support them.

In fact, we have been organizing many different events/seminars/open practices for children and youth within Lithuania as well. E.g. 3×3 basketball championships, 6×6 football championships, public sports management & marketing seminars for sports management students, sports managers and simple sports enthusiasts. Furthermore, one of our biggest sports projects is the kindergarten basketball championship of Lithuania, where more than 150 teams participate every year (since 2013). By this championship, we promote grassroots sports, gender equality, social inclusion and increase awareness of healthy lifestyle since young days.

One of the main AY priorities is a healthy lifestyle and well-being of youth. For this reason, experience gained through our past projects will be used for the current project since Active Youth Association pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities.

Key person involved in our applications is the board member of AY – Gediminas Kondrackis. He has experience in all 1) finance-related; 2) organisational; and 3) legal matters. Mr. Gediminas has contributed to many international & local projects (more than 20). Mostly, by providing trainings on social entrepreneurship (e.g. in “More than Money: Social Entrepreneurship Heroes” and “Together: Refugees & Youth) & other topics. In his work, Mr. Gediminas focuses on NFE methods and is constantly updating his knowledge, which will be very important for the current projects as well. He is also able to build online platforms & use professional software, such as Photoshop. This is an asset for any project team. Mr. Gediminas holds a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.

Gediminas is accompanied by other well-trained staff of Active Youth. Augustus Romanovskis is the Active Youth Health project team leader and over the years he is only getting better at what he does. A person able to lead a team, a workshop session, create budgets and do it all with a smile is very important to any team. His degree in law, experience in running a business and now experience in starting and closing down projects is invaluable. He has now been a part of more than 10 projects as a project manager and runs the whole team with the belief that trust and communication is key.

No good project management team can work without a woman’s touch. Adriana Lavrukaitytė is a hardworking project manager and a multilingual student of European Studies and Human Resources Management with communication, teamwork and management skills gained through work experience, attended studies, training, studying abroad and participating in various Erasmus+ projects, as well as volunteering an being an active member of the University and the society. She has experience with many successful projects and is a leader in organising events and communicating with the people. Active Youth would not be the same without her. 

Gediminas Augustas and Adriana are accompanied by other staff of the association, who all have international experience. They are young leaders, who developed during their studies & life in Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia. This has not only given them a strong educational basis but has also taught them how to communicate with people coming from different cultural and social backgrounds.

Not to mention that by being professional and open for discussions the team has gathered a big trustworthy group of international and local partners. The managers working in this team are also invited into international conferences, forums and international alliances of like-minded people. We, of course, also offer help in project writing and execution, we are mentors and mentees, we organise and we follow. 

All in all, the previously mentioned activities have indeed given the key staff the needed experience to work in a multinational environment.

Active Youth Planet (AYp) is a climate-focused team of Active Youth Association (AY) – a for-purpose organisation working with youth and communities in need in Lithuania and across borders.

• AYp mission is to educate people about sustainability and better choices for the climate
• AYp vision: to lead the change in climate-friendly behaviour (of citizens, NGOs, businesses) and policies in Lithuania 

AY has been actively involved in local and international (youth) projects since 2014. Up until now, the organization has successfully implemented (getting just the highest scores from the evaluators) more than 60 separate project actions on its own (and several times that as a partner). What is more, our NGO has built up a large partnership network worldwide (more than 700 organisations) and belongs to Lithuania’s Youth Board (LiJOT) (a platform for dialogue with decision-makers). All of that can be used for the current project.

In whatever activity we carry out, we follow our 3 core principles:

1. Sustainability – seeking sustainable impact over the long-term
2. Compassion – being open & compassionate to target groups & other stakeholders
3. Can-do attitude – seeing opportunities rather than problems

Surely, it’s easy to list these values on paper and a lot harder to follow them through in real life.

That is why we focus extensively on having the right team for every project. The people we will be working with (in the current project) are professionals with relevant experience and a record of success (whether in youth work and/or environment/climate fields). We also rely on a deep pool of volunteers (over 1000) and potential partners to ensure: 1) the project’s implementation goes smoothly; 2) the dissemination efforts reach the specified target groups.

The projects AYp takes on, as a rule, focus on demanding and sensitive issues (e.g. plastic waste). Hence, we look forward to the challenges offered by the current project.

Active Youth Association has lengthy experience in running Erasmus+ projects. Therefore, we know how to chip in at all the steps of the project, starting with the application itself and finishing with result dissemination. We have carried out projects that have focused on ecology, cycling, food waste and others (see below).

Sustainable development is our greatest aspiration and non-formal education is a key to promote it. AYp is encouraging young people to take action and lead eco-lifestyle by:

• raising awareness and building capacity among youth on climate change;
• Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour;
• enhancing international cooperation and knowledge-sharing among organisations;
• strengthening the participation of youth in environmental and climate decision-making processes.

A few concrete examples:

• Erasmus+ youth exchange “Eco-Friendly Europe”, united young adults to tackle/address environmental problems that are acute in the participating countries. Participants were discussing and searching solutions for making our lives more sustainable and friendlier to the environment.
• Erasmus+ youth exchange “Cycle and the City” mission was to promote cycling as a healthy, sustainable and fun alternative to cars.
• Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of youth “Save The Ocean” has a goal to take a small step towards better habits & cleaner ocean. It raises awareness about existing issues and involves youth into the creation of a sustainable world
• Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of youth  “The Circle of Fashion” – The project aim is to introduce people to sustainable/ethical fashion, conscious clothing and to show possible ways to protect the environment.
• Erasmus+ KA205 “Wear(e)able” supports the wave of commitment by young people and focuses on environmental protection with the issue of sustainable clothing. 
• F*CK CO2 platform – It’s a platform that allows you to donate to a project that reduces our CO2 footprint by hundreds of thousands of kilograms.

Our aim is, by definition, to not just address the issue, but also inform the local communities about 1) the benefits of such projects; and 2) the seriousness of the issues being brought to light. For that reason, AYp pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities – from early research to implementation and result dissemination. Such an approach & competencies are relevant for any project.

The key person involved in this application is the board member of AY – Gediminas Kondrackis. He is accompanied by other staff of the association, who all have international experience.

Our staff are young leaders, who developed during their studies & life in different European countries. This has not only given them a strong (formal and non-formal) educational basis but has also taught them how to communicate with people coming from different cultural and social backgrounds.

The key staff involved have been part of all the previous activities of the association. Therefore, they have the necessary knowledge to chip into the current project as well.

Through their other endeavours, they have:

• Led seminars for youth about Eco-friendly living
• Educated youth about Erasmus+ & ESC opportunities 
• Organized international competitions, social inclusion events of foreigners to the local community, and several sports events encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
• In addition, they have participated in previous ‘Youth in Action’ & Erasmus+ youth exchanges, training courses about ecological sustainability and other environmental initiatives.

All of this has given them a range of skills and competencies usable for the current project.

Active Youth Association (AY) is a for-purpose organisation working with youth and communities in need in Lithuania and across borders. We have extensive experience in non-formal education, as well as a range of other topics. Most important among which: sustainability, social inclusion, healthy lifestyle, digital tools, human rights.

AY has been actively involved in local and international (youth) projects since the very start of its existence. Up until now, the organization has successfully implemented (getting just the highest scores from the evaluators) more than 30 separate project actions on its own (and several times that as a partner). What is more, our NGO has built up a large partnership network all over Europe (more than 500 organisations) and belongs to Lithuania’s Youth Board (LiJOT) (a platform for dialogue with decision makers). All of that can be used for the current project. All of that can be used for the current project.

In whatever activity we carry out, we follow our 4 core principles: 1) dedication – meaning that we give our 100% and more; 2) openness – we work with – and for the public; 3) positivity – we see opportunities rather than problems; and 4) enthusiasm – we want to change our surroundings for the better. Surely, it’s easy to list these values on paper and a lot harder to follow them through in real.

That is why, we focus extensively in having the right team for every project. The people we will be working with (in the current project) are professionals with relevant experience and a record of success (whether in youth work and/or the topic of the project). We also rely on a deep pool of volunteers (over 1000) and potential partners to ensure: 1) the project’s implementation goes smoothly; 2) the dissemination efforts reach the specified target groups.

The projects AY takes on, as a rule, focus on demanding and sensitive issues (e.g. discrimination). Hence, we look forward to challenges offered by the current project.

Active Youth Association has lengthy experience in running Erasmus+ projects. Therefore, we know how to chip in at all the steps of the project, starting with the application itself and finishing with result dissemination.  We have carried out projects that have focused on human rights, hate speech, tolerance, and other.

AY Is fighting with the issue of discrimination and defending human rights through non formal education activities. For instance, “Let’s Turn Discrimination into Tolerance!” youth exchange project was organized in order to spread tolerance for various minorities (sexual, gender, religious, ethnic, etc.) among European youth. Another our project called “Make Love Speech” gathered 30 youth workers to discuss about  existing problems of hate speech, racism, and discrimination. It even turned into the movement in Lithuania. Furthermore, the Active Youth Association is promoting human rights since it is the way to ensure psychological & emotional safety of youngsters. Our organised project “A Beautiful Mind“ contributed to the promotion of human rights by increasing the knowledge about mental health between the youngsters and the public overall. Participants were learning how to find ways of communicating with people having a mental disorder and ways to support them. This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current project and join the promotion of human rights.

What is more, Active Youth Association cooperates with other European NGOs and international organizations in hosting and helping others host youth activities in a number of countries, promote cultural diversity and contribute to the positive social changes in the European continent.

Our aim is, by definition, to not just address the issue, but also inform the local communities about 1) the benefits of such projects; and 2) the seriousness of the issues being brought to light. For that reason, AY pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities. From early research to implementation to later stages of result dissemination. Such approach & competences are relevant for any project.

Key person involved in this application is the board member of AY – Gediminas Kondrackis. He is accompanied by other staff of the association, who all have international experience.

Our staff are young leaders, who developed during their studies & life in Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia. This has not only given them strong educational basis but has also taught them how to communicate with people coming from different cultural and social backgrounds.

The key staff involved have been part of all the previous activities of the association (see above). Therefore, they have the necessary knowledge to chip in to the current project as well.

Through their other endeavours, they have led seminars for youth to develop their entrepreneurial skills (Lithuania), educated children about studies abroad (Lithuania, the Netherlands), worked as animators in youth clubs (Denmark), organized international student competitions and study fairs, social inclusion programs of foreign students to the local community, youth university exchanges (Latvia), and several sport events encouraging healthy lifestyle (Lithuania). In addition, they have participated in previous ‘Youth in Action’ & Erasmus+ projects themselves (e.g. “Creative Approaches for Youth” in Ukraine, “Be Part of It” in Romania, “Eco Startup” in Spain), courses about NFE methods, environmental initiatives, and activities supporting Ukraine during the “Euromaidan” events. All of this has given them a range of skills and competencies usable for a project as this one.

Furthermore, the key staff has a truly entrepreneurial spirit. Apart from AY, they have also founded their own business enterprise – “MB Wellness Travels”, where they create further employment opportunities for youth. With this business, they have appeared in a few publications aimed at inspiring the young (e.g. “BZN Start”, “Panele” journals), start-up events and award ceremonies, as well as youth employment forums to deepen their insights in the field. Additionally, the board members have started a Lithuania-based initiative aiming to help and integrate the incoming refugees from Syria & Africa (http://refugees.lt).

All in all, the previously mentioned activities have indeed given the key staff the needed experience to work in a multinational environment.

Active Youth Association (AY) is a for-purpose organisation working with youth and communities in need in Lithuania and across borders. We have extensive experience in non-formal education, as well as a range of other topics. Most important among which: sustainability, social inclusion, healthy lifestyle, digital tools, human rights.

AY has been actively involved in local and international (youth) projects since the very start of its existence. Up until now, the organization has successfully implemented (getting just the highest scores from the evaluators) more than 30 separate project actions on its own (and several times that as a partner). What is more, our NGO has built up a large partnership network all over Europe (more than 500 organisations) and belongs to Lithuania’s Youth Board (LiJOT) (a platform for dialogue with decision makers). All of that can be used for the current project. All of that can be used for the current project.

In whatever activity we carry out, we follow our 4 core principles: 1) dedication – meaning that we give our 100% and more; 2) openness – we work with – and for the public; 3) positivity – we see opportunities rather than problems; and 4) enthusiasm – we want to change our surroundings for the better. Surely, it’s easy to list these values on paper and a lot harder to follow them through in real.

That is why, we focus extensively in having the right team for every project. The people we will be working with (in the current project) are professionals with relevant experience and a record of success (whether in youth work and/or the topic of the project). We also rely on a deep pool of volunteers (over 1000) and potential partners to ensure: 1) the project’s implementation goes smoothly; 2) the dissemination efforts reach the specified target groups.

The projects AY takes on, as a rule, focus on demanding and sensitive issues (e.g. discrimination). Hence, we look forward to challenges offered by the current project.

Active Youth Association has lengthy experience in running Erasmus+ projects. Therefore, we know how to chip in at all the steps of the project, starting with the application itself and finishing with result dissemination.  We have carried out projects that have focused on social inclusion, hate speech, tolerance and other.

AY Is fighting with the issue of social exclusion through non formal education activities. For instance, our organised project “Community: Seniors Involved” aimed to boost youngsters’ empathy, respect and social responsibility concerning older generations, as well as help to tackle the problem of elderly isolation. Another our project called “Capoeira Connects Community” was organised to ensure a continuous and successful social integration of refugees through martial art – capoeira. Capoeira is an afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates game, music and dance, brings members of a community closer. It provides a safe and healthy way to release anger and frustration. Main idea of the project was to create sustainable programme, to help refugee’s to integrate through sports & lower existing fears of the locals and phobias towards refugees. This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current project and join the promotion of social inclusion.

What is more, Active Youth Association cooperates with other European NGOs and international organizations in hosting and helping others host youth activities in a number of countries, promote cultural diversity and contribute to the positive social changes in the European continent.

Our aim is, by definition, to not just address the issue, but also inform the local communities about 1) the benefits of such projects; and 2) the seriousness of the issues being brought to light. For that reason, AY pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities. From early research to implementation to later stages of result dissemination. Such approach & competences are relevant for any project.

Key person involved in this application is the board member of AY – Gediminas Kondrackis. He is accompanied by other staff of the association, who all have international experience.

Our staff are young leaders, who developed during their studies & life in Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia. This has not only given them strong educational basis but has also taught them how to communicate with people coming from different cultural and social backgrounds.

The key staff involved have been part of all the previous activities of the association (see above). Therefore, they have the necessary knowledge to chip in to the current project as well.

Through their other endeavours, they have led seminars for youth to develop their entrepreneurial skills (Lithuania), educated children about studies abroad (Lithuania, the Netherlands), worked as animators in youth clubs (Denmark), organized international student competitions and study fairs, social inclusion programs of foreign students to the local community, youth university exchanges (Latvia), and several sport events encouraging healthy lifestyle (Lithuania). In addition, they have participated in previous ‘Youth in Action’ & Erasmus+ projects themselves (e.g. “Creative Approaches for Youth” in Ukraine, “Be Part of It” in Romania, “Eco Startup” in Spain), courses about NFE methods, environmental initiatives, and activities supporting Ukraine during the “Euromaidan” events. All of this has given them a range of skills and competencies usable for a project as this one.

Furthermore, the key staff has a truly entrepreneurial spirit. Apart from AY, they have also founded their own business enterprise – “MB Wellness Travels”, where they create further employment opportunities for youth. With this business, they have appeared in a few publications aimed at inspiring the young (e.g. “BZN Start”, “Panele” journals), start-up events and award ceremonies, as well as youth employment forums to deepen their insights in the field. Additionally, the board members have started a Lithuania-based initiative aiming to help and integrate the incoming refugees from Syria & Africa (http://refugees.lt).

All in all, the previously mentioned activities have indeed given the key staff the needed experience to work in a multinational environment.

Active Youth Association (AY) is a for-purpose organisation working with youth and communities in need in Lithuania and across borders. We have extensive experience in working with non-formal education in topics such as sustainability, social inclusion, healthy lifestyle, digital tools, human rights.

AY has been actively involved in local and international (youth) projects since the very start of its existence. Up until now, the organization has successfully implemented (getting just the highest scores from the evaluators) more than 30 separate project actions on its own (and several times that as a partner). What is more, our NGO has built up a large partnership network all over Europe (more than 500 organisations) and belongs to Lithuania’s Youth Board (LiJOT) (a platform for dialogue with decision makers). All of that can be used for the current project. 

In whatever activity we carry out, we follow our 4 core principles: 1) dedication – meaning that we give our 100% and more; 2) openness – we work with – and for the public; 3) positivity – we see opportunities rather than problems; and 4) enthusiasm – we want to change our surroundings for the better. Surely, it’s easy to list these values on paper and a lot harder to follow them through in real.

That is why, we focus extensively in having the right team for every project. We rely on a deep pool of volunteers (over 1000), social media followers and potential partners to ensure: 1) the project’s implementation goes smoothly; 2) the dissemination efforts reach the specified target groups.

The projects AY takes on, as a rule, focus on demanding and sensitive issues (e.g. lack of active citizenship). Hence, we look forward to challenges offered by the current project.

Active Youth Association has lengthy experience in running Erasmus+ projects. Therefore, we know how to chip in at all the steps of the project, starting with the application itself and finishing with result dissemination.  We have carried out projects that have focused on digital tools, research methods, democracy, active citizenship and others.

In the past, we organised a project about civil society “Tavo balsas” that took 2 years. Aim of it was to encourage partnerships between public administrations and the local community by creating an inclusive society that uses creativity, motivation and their competencies. Moreover, this project provided youth with general knowledge of public governance processes and possible involvement in political processes. We promoted democracy and active citizenship by organising meetings with youth from Lithuanian cities. Furthermore, our project “Democracy through Dialogue not Conflict” included an international meeting of politicians and youth in the Foreign Affairs’ Ministry of Lithuania. During the meeting, the ways for Eastern Partnership youth to get involved were analysed and best ideas shortlisted. Also, project “Time to Act!” was a part of the European Youth week of 2015 and had its goals aligned with the ones of the Week. It promoted youth participation in political and civic processes. This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current project and join the promotion of active citizenship.

What is more, Active Youth Association cooperates with other European NGOs and international organizations in hosting and helping others host youth activities in a number of countries, promote cultural diversity and contribute to the positive social changes in the European continent.

Apart from organizing youth exchanges and trainings, our association is also involved in educational activities for little kids, cultural events, blood donations, clothes donations to needy children, sport competitions, quizzes, discussions on themes which are interesting for youth, and other projects aimed to help youngsters, support and facilitate their creative initiatives.

Moreover, during the global health crisis that was caused by Covid-19, AY created a platform (Coronahelpers.lt) which streamlined the search and registration of volunteers who are able to help in the fight with this virus.

Our aim is, by definition, to not just address the issue, but also inform the local communities about 1) the benefits of such projects; and 2) the seriousness of the issues being brought to light. For that reason, AY pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities. From early research to implementation to later stages of result dissemination. Such approach & competences are relevant for any project.

Key person involved in this application is the board member of AY – Gediminas Kondrackis. He is accompanied by other staff of the association, who all have international experience.

Our staff are young leaders, who developed during their studies & life in Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia. This has not only given them strong educational basis but has also taught them how to communicate with people coming from different cultural and social backgrounds.

The key staff involved have been part of all the previous activities of the association (see above). Therefore, they have the necessary knowledge to chip in to the current project as well.

Through their other endeavours, they have led seminars for youth to develop their entrepreneurial skills (Lithuania), educated children about studies abroad (Lithuania, the Netherlands), worked as animators in youth clubs (Denmark), organized international student competitions and study fairs, social inclusion programs of foreign students to the local community, youth university exchanges (Latvia), and several sport events encouraging healthy lifestyle (Lithuania). In addition, they have participated in previous ‘Youth in Action’ & Erasmus+ projects themselves (e.g. “Creative Approaches for Youth” in Ukraine, “Be Part of It” in Romania, “Eco Startup” in Spain), courses about NFE methods, environmental initiatives, and activities supporting Ukraine during the “Euromaidan” events. All of this has given them a range of skills and competencies usable for a project as this one.

Furthermore, the key staff has a truly entrepreneurial spirit. Apart from AY, they have also founded their own business enterprise – “MB Wellness Travels”, where they create further employment opportunities for youth. With this business, they have appeared in a few publications aimed at inspiring the young (e.g. “BZN Start”, “Panele” journals), start-up events and award ceremonies, as well as youth employment forums to deepen their insights in the field. Additionally, the board members have started a Lithuania-based initiative aiming to help and integrate the incoming refugees from Syria & Africa (http://refugees.lt).

All in all, the previously mentioned activities have indeed given the key staff the needed experience to work in a multinational environment.

Active Youth Association (AY) is a for-purpose organisation working with youth and communities in need in Lithuania and across borders. We have extensive experience in non-formal education, as well as a range of other topics. Most important among which: sustainability, social inclusion, healthy lifestyle, digital tools, human rights.

AY has been actively involved in local and international (youth) projects since the very start of its existence. Up until now, the organization has successfully implemented (getting just the highest scores from the evaluators) more than 30 separate project actions on its own (and several times that as a partner). What is more, our NGO has built up a large partnership network all over Europe (more than 500 organisations) and belongs to Lithuania’s Youth Board (LiJOT) (a platform for dialogue with decision makers). All of that can be used for the current project. All of that can be used for the current project.

In whatever activity we carry out, we follow our 4 core principles: 1) dedication – meaning that we give our 100% and more; 2) openness – we work with – and for the public; 3) positivity – we see opportunities rather than problems; and 4) enthusiasm – we want to change our surroundings for the better. Surely, it’s easy to list these values on paper and a lot harder to follow them through in real.

That is why, we focus extensively in having the right team for every project (presently, our paid staff is 15). Committed people are professionals with relevant experience and a record of success (whether in youth work and/or the topic of the project). We also rely on a deep pool of volunteers (over 1000) and potential partners to ensure: 1) the project’s implementation goes smoothly; 2) the dissemination efforts reach the specified target groups.

The projects AY takes on, as a rule, focus on demanding and sensitive issues (e.g. refugee integration in Lithuania). Hence, we look forward to challenges offered by the current project.

AY has been active in the field since 2014. We have carried out more than 30 relevant projects/initiatives (learn about them here). This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current proposal.

Our aim is, by definition, to not just address the issue, but also inform the local communities about 1) the benefits of such projects; and 2) the seriousness of the issues being brought to light. For that reason, AY pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities. From early research to implementation to later stages of result dissemination. Such approach & competences are relevant for any project.

Furthermore, we have carried out various Erasmus+ projects as well. One of them is called “Social Entrepreneurship Heroes“ and it aims to grow future social entrepreneurs who could tackle various social problems within their local settings, as well as on a wider scale. Moreover, in order to promote environmentally friendly behavior, we organised “Save The Ocean Project“ that has a main aim to take a small step towards better habits & cleaner ocean. Also, our Erasmus+ KA2 project “Young (Ex-)offenders’ Support“ fostered employability of young ex-offenders by providing employers, youth/social workers & career specialists with tools to teach, guide & employ this vulnerable group. This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current proposal.

What is more, Active Youth Association cooperates with other European NGOs and international organizations in hosting and helping others host youth activities in a number of countries, promote cultural diversity and contribute to the positive social changes in the European continent.

Our aim is, by definition, to not just address the issue, but also inform the local communities about 1) the benefits of such projects; and 2) the seriousness of the issues being brought to light. For that reason, AY pays attention to every detail and carries out the full spectrum of activities. From early research to implementation to later stages of result dissemination. Such approach & competences are relevant for any project.

Key person involved in this application is the board member of AY – Gediminas Kondrackis. He has experience in all 1) finance-related; 2) organisational; and 3) legal matters. Mr. Gediminas has contributed to many international & local projects (more than 20). Mostly, by providing trainings on social entrepreneurship (e.g. in “More than Money: Social Entrepreneurship Heroes” and “Together: Refugees & Youth) & other topics. In his work, Mr. Gediminas focuses on NFE methods and is constantly updating his knowledge, which will be very important for the current project as well. He is also able to build online platforms & use professional software, such as Photoshop. This is an asset for any project team. Mr. Gediminas holds a BSc degree in Economics from University of Amsterdam. He is accompanied by other staff of the association, who all have international experience.