How is the experience at the Exchange Forum in Leuven, Belgium? What are participants' perspectives on the whole event? What have they gained, and what are their key takeaways? We’ve launched a short blog from the Exchange Forum, giving voice to various participants to share their insights and reflections. Curious to learn more? Read our blog for highlights from the second day of the Exchange Forum!
Written By: Olga Kyriakidou, Hellenic Youth Workers Association, Greece
What a day here in the “Growing Youth Work” National Process Forum, a valuable opportunity to reconnect with peers after a year and to gain updates on recent developments in our field.
The day included an insightful session where we reviewed research findings, and I had the chance to add my own reflections, which seemed to resonate with others and added further depth to our discussions. The journey of national contact points over the past year was also highlighted, allowing us to revisit the challenges we faced and take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate our achievements.
Overall, I felt really engaged and inspired. Hearing about the research was informative, but it was even better to be able to dive in and share my perspective and reflections with others. Seeing that my thoughts resonated with the group was motivating, it gave me a sense of how much value we can bring to each other in these spaces. Revisiting the journey of the national contact points was another highlight, as it really brought home how far we’ve come despite the obstacles. I left today feeling positive and pumped for what’s next.
A lot of what we discussed felt very relevant to my work, especially since we had the chance to dive into topics that matter to our community of practice. With the 4th European Youth Work Convention on the horizon, it’s exciting to look ahead and see how today’s conversations might shape what’s to come.
My main takeaway? We really need these moments to reflect, share, and get inspired together, they’re what keeps us moving forward.