European Rural Youth Summit [ERYS]

This year, we aim to build on the achievements of the first edition of the summit, ensuring its legacy while focusing on the expansion of the European Youth Village program across Europe.

Organized under the umbrella of the European Youth Village Program, together with the Romanian National Agency for Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ANPCDEFP), ERYS is more than a meeting; it’s a movement towards strengthening rural youth networks, amplifying the young people’s voices, and driving tangible change across the European rural communities.  You can see HERE more details about the first edition in 2023 and HERE a short vibe-video of the first edition.

Apply before 31st of May 2024 and be part of a decisive moment where collaboration and action converge to shape the future of rural Europe!

Why participate?

Engage in innovative and interactive sessions with policymakers, young people from rural areas and professionals from the field of Youth to voice your experiences and insights beyond traditional formats.

Contribute to make the policy recommendations developed during the first edition of the summit practical and effective, so they can have a genuine impact on the ground. This means taking the ideas and plans from our policy document and turning them into concrete steps that can be implemented across European rural communities. 

Join efforts to forge a strong European community around the European Youth Village program. 

Gain a clearer understanding of the European Youth Village program and explore how it can be adapted and implemented in different rural contexts.

Learn from workshops and sessions facilitated by experts. This year, the workshops will focus on the following four main topics: [1] Power of Youth, [2] Inclusion and Diversity, [3] Rural Development and [4] Wellbeing. 

Share best practices and connect with peers and organizations active in the field of rural youth across Europe, exploring opportunities for collaboration. 

Who should apply?

• Rural youth from across Europe: young people aged 16-30 who live or come from rural areas in Europe. They can be students, workers, entrepreneurs, or activists who are passionate about rural development and want to make a difference in their communities. The underage participants may join only if they are accompanied by an adult person.
• Experts and practitioners in the field of rural youth sector: youth workers, community organizers, representatives of non-governmental organizations interested in scaling the European Youth Village program in their countries and other experts who have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural areas in Europe.
• Policymakers and decision-makers: representatives from the European Union, national and local governments, and other organizations involved in rural development and rural youth sector. They will be invited to participate in the summit to engage in dialogue with rural youth and to learn about their perspectives and experiences.

Logistics and organizers

The event will take place in Hălăucești – one of the villages that held the European Youth Village title in 2022 and 2023.
The participants will be accommodated in double rooms in a 3* hotel in Roman city. Transfer by bus will be provided each morning and evening between the locations (25-30 minutes by car). Further details with logistics will be provided closer to the event. 

For international travel, Iași is the main air entrance in North-East Romania and its international airport has connections with a big variety of cities all over Europe. Another airport closer to Roman (the city where the participants will be accommodated) is Bacau. From Bucharest (Otopeni Airport), there are daily trains and buses to Roman. 

The event is organized by the NGO Rural Platform, the European Youth Village’s Governance (Active Development Association ADA and Go Free Association) and the Romanian National Agency in charge with Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ANPCDEFP), together with the young people from Hălăucești.