Welcome to Kranjska Gora. If you aren’t here with us in person, take a deep breath. I want you to feel the crisp, thin air and spring sun of Slovenia. Outside, the scenery is a special green (in the words of Jasmina from Bosnia: green in Slovenia is somehow different from green in other parts of the world) and the weather is playing its classic spring tricks: a bit sunny, a bit cloudy, and somehow simultaneously hot and chilly so you need both a t-shirt and a winter jacket. So, pack accordingly for this journey 🙂
Now, picture the (not simultaneous but still dynamic) arrival of 200 people to the spot, the get together of youth workers, practitioners, trainers, policy makers, National agencies and Salto RCs, volunteers, keynote speakers, facilitators, panellists and contributors…
The lobby and the garden are a beautiful play of hugs, “it’s been too long” greetings, tired smiles from those who’ve survived long days of travel and energy boosts from the lucky ones who only took a few hours to get here. Whether you’re buzzing with adrenaline or clutching a coffee for dear life, the atmosphere is undeniable. If you aren’t here with us, I want this blog to make you feel like you are.
And then we finally gathered in the main hall for a famous countdown to the official opening. Darko and Anita, our usual suspects facilitators for this journey, took the stage to guide us through the official liftoff. For the Academy veterans, there was a familiar, leafy guest in the room: the turtle costume, a gentle reminder that while the world moves at high speed, meaningful innovation often requires us to slow down, look around, and move with intention. We had a nice video recap of the previous editions of the EAYW: a nostalgic reminder for those who took part and are now back here in Kranjska Gora for some more inspiration, and a nice “sneak peek” for those who are here for the first time. Regardless of which group you fall into, everyone in the room is one of the lucky ones, knowing that more than 700 people applied to be here for this edition. Imagine, what an event! Makes you start feeling the real weight and responsibility of the seats we are filling.
Day one is also reserved for the inspiring opening speeches, and both Uroš Skrinar (Director of Movit) and Charalampos Papaioannou (EC Youth Unit, joining us via “cloud presence”) understood the assignment and set a powerful tone for the days ahead.
The key takeaways were clear:
Youth work remains a strong, non-negotiable element in the future EU Youth Strategy and Erasmus+ framework.
A Call to Action: We have an 11-week window to contribute to consultations to ensure the future strategy reflects the reality of what happens on the ground.
Context: In a world where young people navigate digital and social complexities, it’s up to us to secure that youth work reflects the needs of young people.
Finally, Olga Kyriakidou took the stage to ask the question of all questions: “How many times do we participate in an inspiring event, only to never look at the reports or outcomes again? How do we truly ‘come back’ to the work instead of just moving on?”
There was a lot of approval gestures from the previous Academy participants, as we all do feel it, the piling up in our minds. Over the years, the Academy has produced a mountain of reports, researches, toolboxes, and webinars. It’s a wealth of knowledge, but sometimes it feels like we have too many insights and no single answer.
Olga reminded us that the essence of the Academy isn’t just to produce more paper, but to carry the guiding questions and insights forward. To help us navigate this, she presented The Companion – a beautiful synthesis of perspectives shaped across the previous editions, to help us navigate together.
And for me personally, the sign of a truly successful event is to leave a bit more confused than when I arrived, with more questions in my head. I believe innovation is the art of un-confusing, and we must get a little lost before we can find a better way forward. From the first peek, sounds like the Companion will be a perfect tool to help with the journey. We also got a nice deck of Companion cards, and we all know how much youth workers like presents 🙂
Speaking of presents, I’m curious: if you could send a “gift” from your home country and youth work practice to the people in the Academy, what would it be?
Because the first Academy day wrapped up exactly as it began: with small gifts and the warmth of personal connection. We gathered to share the little gifts we brought for each other, and it quickly turned into an evening of storytelling. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone’s practice and daily reality from a simple object that tells a story: a t-shirt, a bowl, a tote bag, an umbrella, shoelaces, a book, badge, iron-on patch, bag holder… Every item was a conversation starter, and there wĐ°s a lot of shared warm moments and curious questions. These aren’t just souvenirs; they are symbols of the diverse worlds we come from, helping us understand each other’s work long before we dive into the formal sessions.
So, what would you bring to the Academy? Tell us in the comments!
Written by: Ana Pecarski