The University of Latvia, Tallinn University and Tampere University in collaboration with Finnish Youth Research Society and Latvian Youth Workers’ Association have launched Erasmus+ cooperation partnership project “PRO Youth Work” that aims to strengthen youth work recognition and quality through professionalization and education possibilities, and to build stronger bonds between youth researchers and youth policy makers to promote evidence-based youth policy development in Latvia, Estonia and Finland, and other Baltic-Nordic countries.
The project activities include experts’ competence development program for academic staff in youth work field (WP2), including two study visits in Tampere university ( 8 – 12 March 2026) and Tallinn university (25 – 25 may 2026), the development of two study programs for youth workers in Latvia and Estonia (WP3) and the activization of the international pool of youth researchers in Baltic-Nordic region (WP4), promoting the co-creation of youth research publications and drafting recommendations for youth policy makers.
Two major results of the project will be the development and approbation of two new study programs for youth workers:
- bachelor-level (EKI6) first cycle short work-based study program at the University of Latvia and
- the Master-level (EKI7) microdegree study program for youth work managers at the Tallinn University.
As the third important outcome, a network of youth researchers in Nordic-Baltic region will be strengthened via exchange of best practices and development of new methodological approaches to study youth questions and co-creation of several publications. The researchers will meet in two international co-working seminars in Latvia and Estonia and will discuss with youth policy makers in two national conferences. Their proposals for the scientific foundations for measuring the impact of youth work will support evidence-based youth policy development.
With all planned activities, the project aims to strengthen the recognition and quality of youth work and provide more opportunities to better prepare youth workers and youth policy makers for their work in the field.
Duration of the project is 33 months: 28 December 2025 – 27 September 2028
Project coordinator: University of Latvia (Project manager: Sintija Lase)
Partners: Tallinn University (Estonia), Tampere University (Finland), Finnish Youth Research Society (Finland) and Latvian Youth Workers’ Association (Latvia)
Project identification number: 2025-1-LV02-KA220-YOU-000362888
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