PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT / RESULTS
UPCOMING EVENT
Save the date! CHAT-YOUTH webinar on 24.4.2026 10-11:30 CET
After the CHAT-YOUTH project itself has ended, the CHAT-YOUTH network continues the work by organizing a webinar to bring together professionals who have networked through the CHAT-YOUTH project.
Sign to the event via this link: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/F75E0CB300CB1337 (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.)
CO-OPERATION AND NETWORKING ERASMUS+ PROJECT
Youth undergo personal and external crises in the current time of changes. Young people seek support and mental help online. There are different kinds of Online Counselling Chat Services (OCCS) that aim to support the well-being of young people. CHAT-YOUTH project has produced information and facilitated stakeholders to information exchange and ethical reflection with the goal of improving the quality of starting and ongoing non-profit OCCS and to capacitate youth work in Europe.
We have collected and analysed data about characteristics and good practices of OCCS that support youth (<30) to overcome crisis with human help in Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Spain. In-depth analyses of topics and dialogues are being conducted. The research results are shared and disseminated through participatory activities with European stakeholders and have been further developed into practical tools. The aim of the project has been to facilitate networking that will strengthen the links between research, practice and policy.
CHAT-YOUTH produces knowledge about OCCS that will help to develop and evaluate ongoing and start new OCCS. A special focus is on vulnerable groups, including youth from Ukraine. Networking activities have brought European stakeholders together to share experiences and to discuss quality as well as ethical issues, and also continue after the end of the project.
Even though the funding for the project has ended in January of 2026, the results of the project remain on our web pages.
FUNDING AND PARTNERS
ERASMUS+ KA220-YOU – Cooperation partnerships in youth.
9/2023 – 1/2026
Alexis Dewaele, Lien Goossens and Elke Denayer (1/2024 -), Universiteit Gent, Belgium
Maria Cabello Salmerón, Irati Higuera Lozano (3/2024 -) and Ana Mateos Ramirez (6 – 7/2024 -) La Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Katalin Felvinczi, Zsuza Kaló and Mónika Rényi (1/2024 -), Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Tuuli Pitkänen, Siiri Soininvaara (8/2024-), Essi Holopainen (9/2023 – 5/2024), Virvatuli Uusimäki (1 – 8/2024) and Sanni Heinonen (10 – 12/2025), Finnish Youth Research Society, Finland
Feel free to contact us at chat-youth@youthresearch.fi!
