PROJECT

ArYE – Action-Research for Youth in Europe is an Erasmus+ project that fosters collaboration among universities, civil society organisations, and local communities through Participatory Action Research, youth engagement, and collaborative learning. Funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme (KA220-HED – Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education), the project brings together partners from Finland, France, Italy and Portugal, who develop activities within their respective local contexts while contributing to a shared international cooperation framework. The project runs from January 2024 to April 2026.

Objectives

Across the different local contexts, academic knowledge is combined with the experience and expertise of local communities. Students, researchers, youth workers, artists, activists and community members collaborate to co-design local initiatives, educational programmes and research activities, drawing on participatory methodologies and creative approaches.

Implementation

The project was implemented through the design and pilot testing of four training modules on Participatory Action Research, jointly developed by universities, organisations and youth collectives in the four partner countries and compiled into four syllabi (WP2). The modules were piloted in learning spaces outside the university, identified as key settings for collaboration with local communities (WP3). They were subsequently reviewed and jointly evaluated by the project partners, and the outcomes were presented through local dissemination events (WP4).

The project also included four international meetings, hosted in turn by the partner institutions, which fostered the exchange of experiences and strengthened the project network. ArYE concluded in April 2026 with a public online meeting presenting the outcomes of the local projects, attended by partners from all four participating countries.

Results

ArYE contributed to:

• strengthening practices that support youth work through Participatory Action Research methodologies;
• recognising third places as valuable learning environments;
• building lasting synergies between universities and civil society organisations, promoting collaborative models centred on youth participation and social innovation.