Queer Youth Work in Europe - Creating Brave, Proud and Safe Spaces for Young LGBTQI+ People

Whether your organisation has extensive experience in LGBTQI+ inclusion or is just beginning to explore ways to create more supportive spaces, this immersive learning exchange is designed to equip youth workers with the tools and knowledge to build safer, more inclusive, and accessible environments for all young people.

Taking place in Dublin, this initiative will bring together youth professionals, educators, and activists from across Europe to explore key strategies for fostering allyship, inclusion, and empowerment. Through hands-on learning, peer exchange, and real-world insights, participants will develop new approaches to ensuring every young person,regardless of their background, identity, or needs, feels valued and supported.

Key Objectives: 

• Creating inclusive youth spaces: Learn how to cultivate environments where all young people, including LGBTQI+ youth, feel safe, affirmed, and empowered. Explore tools and methodologies to make youth settings more welcoming and responsive to diverse needs.
•  Allyship and support networks: Develop strategies to build stronger networks of allies among youth workers, volunteers, and young people themselves, ensuring sustained support for marginalized youth.
• Intersectionality and accessibility: Understand the unique barriers faced by young people from different backgrounds, including those with disabilities, and explore ways to make youth spaces more inclusive and equitable.
• Peer learning & best practices: Exchange experiences, challenges, and success stories with international colleagues to strengthen professional networks and develop innovative approaches to inclusive youth work.
• Learning from Ireland’s Youth Work Model: Gain insight into Ireland’s policies and structural supports for inclusive youth work through site visits to leading organisations.
• Cultural & community immersion: Participate in Dublin’s Pride Parade, to engage with Ireland’s vibrant LGBTQI+ community 
• Leveraging Erasmus+ for inclusion: Discover how Erasmus+ funding can support youth organisations in expanding their reach, developing new projects, and fostering inclusive youth engagement.

This Partnership Building Activity is led by Youth Work Ireland, the Irish national organisation committed to supporting, empowering, inspiring, and educating young people through high-quality youth work services. The organisation works with all young people, striving to ensure equality, access, and opportunities for meaningful participation, helping them reach their full potential and contribute to stronger communities across Ireland.