What was it?

The Youth in Action programme, which ran from 2007 to 2013, aimed to inspire active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance and involve young people in shaping the future of the European Union.

Youth in Action (YiA) promoted mobility, non-formal learning, intercultural dialogue and inclusion, primarily among people aged 13-30 and supported youth workers and civil society organisations through training and networking.

What did it achieve?

The programme supported around 8,000 projects and provided opportunities for around 150,000 young people and youth workers every year.

  • An overview of YiA, covering the period 2007-2011, outlines the programme's key acheivements.

The Commission also carried out a major survey(171 kB) English (en) in 2011 to assess the impact of Youth in Action projects.

Among the young participants:

  • 91% said the experience increased their foreign language proficency;
  • 87% said it made them more at ease with multiculturalism;
  • 84% learned better how to serve their community or society;
  • 75% learned better how to identify opportunities for their personal or professional future;
  • 67% said their job prospects increased thanks to their YiA experience.

Among the youth workers:

  • 92% said they acquired skills and knowledge they would not have gained through projects organised at national level.
  • 86% said would now pay more attention to an international dimension in their work.

Among the youth organisations:

  • 90% said participating in YiA increased their project management skills;
  • 89% said it increased their appreciation of cultural diversity.

The full findings of the survey are available here(242 kB) English (en) .

What are the next steps?

Since 2014, Erasmus+, the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport, continues to offer similar opportunities in the areas of youth and non-formal learning. 

Find out more