Have you ever wanted to get involved with international projects and help steer an international organisation? Are you passionate about sharing the voices of your peers and speaking on behalf of young people? Would you like to organise projects that give a platform to young people and encourages civic participation? If so, this is an opportunity for you. 

We’re looking for European Youth Cardholders aged 18 to 29 to become new members of the EYCA Youth Panel. 

What are we offering?

• A one-of-a-kind learning and development programme with like-minded young people. You’ll meet new people from different backgrounds.
• You’ll have access to trainings to develop all the necessary skills: public speaking, advocacy, project management, logistics and budget planning, proposal drafting and activity reporting.
• Voice the concerns and ideas of your generation. EYCA is one of the largest European networks focused on giving a voice to youth, you’ll be able to use our tools and reach out to make a difference.
• Get hands-on experience with organising Europe-wide initiatives and projects. This is a great way to understand how international organisations work.
• Be part of a network of alumni. 
• The possibility to travel across Europe for meetings and events.

Find out more about EYCA, the Youth Panel and how you can apply below.

Who are we? What’s the EYCA Youth Panel?

We are the European Youth Card Association (EYCA) – a non-governmental, not-for-profit association of 40 member organisations in 35 countries across Europe. Together we work to empower Europe’s youth. EYCA member organisations issue the European Youth Card to 7.8 million young people, and we aim to encourage more young people to be socially, culturally, educationally and economically mobile.

The idea behind the EYCA Youth Panel was originally to allow cardholders to have a stronger voice when European Youth Card services are designed. Since then, it has evolved further to now being its own fully-fledged programme. The Youth Panel now provides feedback to our organisation, helps to steer EYCA projects and is responsible for organising its own youth-led initiatives. 

The EYCA Youth Panel is composed of 11 young people, aged 18 to 29, selected amongst European Youth Cardholders. The mandate is for two years. A dedicated trainer assists the Youth Panel to carry out its initiatives. 

What’s your role?

As an EYCA Youth Panel member, you will be asked to provide insights, act as an EYC ambassador, advocate for the issues you feel passionate about and organise a large-scale project to give a similar opportunity to other young people.

Over the next two-year mandate, the Youth Panel will focus on the four following areas:

1. 1. Represent EYCA in external events and join our internal meetings. You’ll have the opportunity to speak on behalf of EYCA at international events. And you’ll be able to join our Board & regional group meetings to better understand how EYCA functions. This joint role is to make sure that young people are at the centre of our organisation. You’ll be sharing the voices of your generation.
   2. Offer feedback and suggestions on EYCA’s activities and organisation. As ambassadors of the European Youth Card, your ideas on how to improve our initiatives are key. What can we do better? Where is there potential for improvement? These are the questions you’ll be asking yourself.
   3. Deliver the Rural Youth Camp. This youth-led project will see dozens of young people come together and brainstorms new ways to increase youth participation in rural areas. The Youth Panel will be responsible for organising this, with the assistance of the EYCA team, of course.
   4. Develop the Youth Panel’s communication and visibility. As a Youth Panel member, you’ll be continually thinking about how to increase the reach of your initiatives to get new people involved. Encouraging civic participation among young people is a big ambition of the Youth Panel.

To carry out these responsibilities, several in-person and online meetings will be organised. Applicants should be available to join the following meetings:

• 3 in-person Youth Panel meetings (Kick-off training in February 2023; Summer camp in July 2023; and end-of-year meeting in October 2023). 
• Online meetings throughout the year. 

In addition, each Youth Panel member will be invited (but not obliged) to join the following:

• An EYCA board meeting, a regional group meeting of EYCA members, and the annual EYCA Conference. This is a great way to understand how EYCA works and help shape the direction of our organisation.
• If interested and selected, you could also represent EYCA at the Advisory Council on Youth (Council of Europe) and several EU youth conferences.

A dedicated Youth Panel trainer will assist with the coordination of all these meetings and activities, so no need to worry if it seems too big a responsibility. This trainer will also develop your skills for these initiatives. 

Who are we looking for?

If you tick all the boxes below, we’d love to hear from you:

• Aged 18-29 years old
• Have a valid European Youth Card on the date you apply
• Good command of English – Everything will be in English, but you’ll be encouraged to use your national language when reaching out to your peers.
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally to events around Europe. At the very least, you should join the physical meetings (February, July, and October 2023; locations TBC) and the online meetings of the Youth Panel.
• Strong motivation to be part of the EYCA Youth Panel and in a position to commit for 2 years.

Plus, you have to be passionate about one or more of the causes that are relevant to young people. Let us know what you are passionate about in your application!

EYCA offers equal opportunities to all young people, regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or health condition.

How to apply?

Step 1

Record a video about yourself (no longer than 2 minutes). Please tell us:

• Why do you want to be part of the EYCA Youth Panel?
• What are the causes you feel passionate about, and you’d like to work on? If you’ve already worked in support of a cause, let us know. Every little thing counts!
• How can you help promote European Youth Card opportunities to young people across Europe? What are your ideas to increase youth civic participation?
• How do you think this experience will help you? How can you contribute to making this experience helpful for everyone involved?

-> If you don’t feel comfortable being in front of the camera, you could provide the voice-over while showing footage of other relevant things.

Step 2

Upload the video to YouTube (we recommend setting the video as unlisted so only those with access to your link can view it).

Step 3

Fill in the application form and don’t forget to include your YouTube link by Sunday, 27 November 2022, at 23.59 CET. You can expect an answer from us within a few weeks.