A couple of weeks ago, the outgoing and incoming cohorts of the Youth Panel met in the European Youth Centre in Budapest. This marked a goodbye to the panellist for the 3^rd edition, and a warm welcome to the group for the 4^th edition.

Not only did we have the opportunity to meet face-to-face, but we were also honoured to be joined by some key figures in the youth sector. The Youth Department of the Ministry of Cultural and Innovation of Hungary, the Director of the European Youth Centre Budapest (EYCB), and our Hungarian EYCA member organisation shared invaluable insights with the group.

A key dimension of the meeting was to lay the groundwork for the incoming edition of Youth Panel—a group full of energy, passion, and fresh ideas. Getting to grips all all that EYCA does and helping them understand where they’ll be able to make an impact was the priority. They’ll be representing EYCA at different events; offering feedback to internal structures of our organisation; contributing to communications actions; and taking on a project of themselves. There’s plenty to be done!One of the most exciting moments of the meeting was the preparation for the European Youth Event (EYE), taking place in June. This event is a huge opportunity to bring young people together and showcase initiatives that matter. The panel has already started putting together the pieces of their engagement, with the team starting a map of local grassroots projects that will serve as a baseline for the workshops. More info on this will come soon.

As the panel moves forward, their collective goal is to amplify youth voices across Europe. Whether it’s through the European Youth Card, local activities, or more policy-making initiatives, they’re committed to empowering young people and ensuring their voices are heard on the issues that matter most

Make sure to follow along and see the next steps of their actions.