From Insight to Impact: Advocating for Youth Information Across Europe

2025

From Insight to Impact: Advocating for Youth Information Across Europe

From 17 to 20 June 2025, the ERYICA network brought together 25 youth professionals from 12 countries for the ALTYO Training Course on Advocacy and Lobbying for Youth Organisations, held in Vilnius, Lithuania. Over four transformative days, participants explored the tools and strategies to champion youth information rights—locally, nationally, and at the European level.

Hosted by LiJOT and supported by Erasmus+, this training wasn’t just about building knowledge—it was about networking and empowering action. It marked an essential step in our collective journey to ensure that youth information services remain visible, valued, and influential in both practice and policy - and that youth needs are heard. Our youth information workers have the tools to support young people in asking for what they need, to change things in society, and to actively participate in the changes they want to see.

Why Advocacy and Lobbying Matter in Youth Information Work

There are multiple dimensions to advocacy in the youth information field, and each is essential.

First, advocacy helps ensure that youth information services themselves are recognised, supported, and resourced. In a changing policy environment, where funding priorities shift and access to trustworthy information is increasingly challenged, it's vital to advocate for the field and its relevance in young people’s lives.

Second, youth information workers are in a unique position to amplify the voices and needs of young people. Being on the frontline means they witness emerging challenges and trends early, and can bring those insights to the attention of decision-makers.

And third, advocacy is also about empowering young people to speak up for themselves. A key component of the ALTYO training was exploring how youth professionals can help young people understand advocacy, develop their campaigns, and become active participants in shaping the policies that affect them. It's not just about speaking on behalf of youth—it's about equipping them to speak for themselves.

5 Takeaways from the ALTYO Training

1. Anyone can advocate.
Advocacy doesn’t require a massive budget. Whether it’s writing an open letter, running a campaign on social media, or inviting a local official to your centre, there are always entry points.

2. Pick your battle—and do your homework.
Effective campaigns start with clarity. What change do you want? Who can make that change happen? What data and stories back up your case?

3. Networks are power.
From peer alliances to cross-sectoral coalitions, strong campaigns rarely go solo. Building strategic partnerships multiplies your impact.

4. Digital matters—but don’t stop there.
Online activism can amplify your cause, but real influence often happens in person. Face-to-face meetings with decision-makers remain essential.

5. Youth info is advocacy in action.
Providing accurate, accessible information is itself a form of advocacy. But going a step further—by engaging in campaigns, policy consultations, or stakeholder dialogues—can lead to structural change.

A Look Inside the Training

The ALTYO curriculum—based on the comprehensive ERYICA manual—took participants through:

• The difference between information campaigns, advocacy, and lobbying;

• EU policymaking structures and entry points for civil society;

• How to set SMART advocacy objectives;

• Power mapping and stakeholder analysis;

• Messaging and communication planning;

• Fundraising and resource mobilisation;

• Strategic planning, campaign design; 

• Teamwork and leadership.

All of it was built on the belief that advocacy is a democratic right, and youth organisations must utilise it to make youth voices—and youth services—heard.

What's Next?

This training is part of a broader commitment by ERYICA to build the capacity of youth information workers across Europe. Whether it’s through training, peer learning, or new resources, we continue to invest in strengthening the field and those who drive it forward.

We invite all our members and partners to:

• Reflect on their own advocacy role;

• Share stories of influencing change or defending youth information services;

• Stay engaged in upcoming opportunities to develop your advocacy skills.

Advocacy is not just an action - it’s a mindset. And it's one that youth information workers are uniquely equipped to carry forward.