COLOURS OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

COLOURS OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION
📍 Bratislava, Slovakia
🗓 28th March – 31st August 2024

Exploring the many shades of learning, creativity, and impact in youth work.

The COLOURS OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION (CoNFE) study visit was an inspiring European journey designed to exchange practices, explore innovative methods, and strengthen the impact of youth work across communities. Together with partners from Estonia, Belgium, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Austria, the project brought together passionate youth workers and NGO representatives who believe that non-formal education (NFE) can transform both individuals and societies.

Over the course of an intensive and creative week, participants discovered how non-formal learning can respond to today’s community needs. They experienced storytelling workshops, organisation pitches, and reflective activities that encouraged deep dialogue about the role of youth work in shaping resilient, inclusive societies. The programme combined best practice sharing with hands-on exploration, using methods such as future scenario building, SWOT analysis, peer storytelling (“Stand-up FΔΔK UP”), and the Inner Compass Walk – a reflective outdoor activity co-created during the project and later developed into a transferable educational tool.

The study visit also created space for networking and cross-sectoral cooperation. Through evening events with local NGOs at SPOT Coworking and interactive workshops with community organisations, participants explored how youth work can better connect with local realities and foster long-term partnerships.

CoNFE became a collaborative laboratory of ideas. Participants co-created new non-formal methods, identified emerging trends in youth work, and developed joint follow-up initiatives that continued after the project ended. The outcomes include several international collaborations, newly designed training activities, and stronger links between youth organisations and local communities across Europe.

By highlighting the “colours” of non-formal education, the project showcased the richness and diversity of approaches that empower young people, strengthen inclusion, and promote innovation in learning. CoNFE demonstrated how even small-scale partnerships can have a big impact by connecting passionate people, creative organisations, and shared values.