On January 29-30, 2026, the UP2NEB consortium convened for its third Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) in Ankara, Turkiye. This meeting represented a crucial moment in the evolution of the project, which focuses on empowering youth workers from the EU's peripheral areas by providing them with updated skills and practical learning resources in line with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative.
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Key highlights from the TPM
Review of the past few months: The meeting commenced with a thorough evaluation of accomplishments since the last gathering. This review enabled the consortium to assess progress across various workstreams, celebrate successes, and pinpoint any challenges that required attention.
Updates on communication and dissemination: Effective communication remains critical to the success of any European project. The consortium dedicated time to updating each other on the status of the communication and dissemination strategy, sharing tools and best practices for reaching a broader audience. These discussions underscored the importance of engaging both youth workers and wider communities to ensure that the project's resources and findings have a lasting impact.
Reflections on methodology usage: A significant topic of discussion was reflecting on how to effectively utilize the training methodology in the upcoming mobilities, drawing on experiences from the previous two mobilities in Romania and Turkiye. This reflection aimed to enhance the applicability of the methodologies developed and ensure they meet the needs of youth workers and their communities.
Compendium of youth projects: The consortium also discussed about the creation of the Compendium of Youth Projects. This included a template for presentations and guidelines on how to effectively collect information for inclusion in the compendium. This resource aims to highlight best practices and successful projects within the network.
Participation in NEB Talks and Youth Pitches: Additionally, the consortium participated in the NEB Talks session and the Youth Pitches event, scheduled during the second mobility. These events provided valuable platforms for sharing insights and showcasing the work of youth workers involved in the project.
Establishing future deadlines and meetings: Finally, the consortium set dates for future meetings and established deadlines for contributions from each partner. Clear timelines are essential for ensuring that the project remains on track and that all activities are completed as scheduled.
Regaining a Sense of Belonging Mobility
The mobility held in Ankara from January 26-30, 2026, centered around the theme "Regaining Sense of Belonging" marking the second of four workshops focused on idea development and prototyping. The objectives of this workshop included exploring the Regaining Sense of Belonging pillar of the New European Bauhaus through non-formal education, facilitating collaboration among young people to develop concrete, beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive projects tailored to their local needs, and encouraging synergies among youth, youth workers, trainers, and other stakeholders to address complex societal challenges through co-creation.
Expected outcomes from the mobility included youth participants gaining improved knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to create impactful projects that enhance their communities' lives. Specifically, ten young people and two youth workers aimed to enhance their capacity to collaboratively tackle societal problems through the co-creation of living spaces. During the workshop, participants prototyped and pitched two to three innovative ideas, showcasing their exploration of the New European Bauhaus principles.
The ideas presented included:
🌱 The New Babylon Gardens Project - Rooftop and balcony gardens as communal ecosystems
🌐 Different ages. Same story - Reimagining spaces to forge meaningful connections between generations through dialogue, activities, and shared time
🗺️ Roots & Routes - Understanding movement not only as physical transport but as a means to connect, participate, and belong.
The initiative was represented by Diana Ionita from GEYC, along with Prof. Gabriela Ciolpan and Anemona Lazăr from Lazăr Edeleanu Technological High School in Năvodari, the local partner in this project. Check here their reflections on the experience.
About UP2NEB
The UP2NEB project is a 3-year Erasmus+ KA2 cooperation partnership aimed at engaging and empowering youth workers, particularly those from peripheral areas of the European Union. By providing co-designed, practical learning resources and updated skills, the project supports youth workers in their efforts to help young people connect with and engage in the New European Bauhaus initiative—a creative and multidisciplinary movement that links design, sustainability, and inclusivity across Europe. Through its focus on training and capacity-building, UP2NEB is helping youth workers from across Europe navigate the evolving landscape of digital education and sustainable development, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to make a real difference in their communities. As the project progresses, the team is excited about the opportunities ahead, particularly in fostering a more connected, skilled, and empowered generation of youth workers ready to take on the challenges of the future.