With the project, we aimed to achieve a structural strengthening of the trainer pools within the partner organisations, thereby contributing to the professionalisation of their work. One of the key objectives was to prepare a handbook for LGBTIQ+ and other organisations working with and for marginalised groups of young people, providing simple practical examples and guidance on how to establish trainer pools in non-formal education. We sought to develop innovative educational approaches and methods for the inclusion and participation of young people from marginalised groups in socio-political processes, such as elections, and through this to train new trainers and enhance the competences of existing ones. At the same time, we aimed to ensure better inclusion and political participation of young people by involving them in non-formal education and by strengthening the capacities of the organisations working with them. The project also aimed to empower local, national, and European LGBTIQ+ organisations to apply youth work and non-formal education approaches in their activities, thereby contributing to greater quality and recognition of youth work among key stakeholders.
We applied for the project because we recognised the need for a more inclusive society for LGBTIQ+ and other young people from marginalised groups, as well as the need to strengthen trainer pools that often work directly with these young people within educational processes. We aimed to empower trainers to enable inclusion, mobilisation, and political participation of LGBTIQ+ youth, enabling them to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to express their needs and engage politically. At the same time, we addressed the needs of partner organisations for greater professionalisation and a stronger trainer base, as well as the broader need to further develop youth work with LGBTIQ+ young people at national and European levels. The project thus stemmed from the desire to fill existing gaps in knowledge, methods, and tools for establishing and developing trainer pools, and to raise awareness among LGBTIQ+ youth about the role of the EU and their political participation.