SUSTAIN Seminar 2026 in Slovakia: Fully Supported Rural Youth Leadership and Policy-Making Opportunity for Young Europeans

The SUSTAIN Seminar 2026 is inviting motivated young people from across Europe to participate in an international learning and networking event focused on strengthening rural youth organisations, developing sustainable youth networks, and increasing the participation of rural communities in decision-making.

Organised by Rural Youth Europe (RYE) and the Rural Youth Parliament in Slovakia (VPMS), the SUSTAIN Seminar will take place from 8 to 13 November 2026 in Hokovce, Slovakia, with the main seminar programme running from 9 to 12 November.

The event will bring together 25 young people from across Europe for peer learning, organisational development, policy engagement, networking and practical planning. The activity forms part of the Rural Youth Forward project, which is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

SUSTAIN Seminar 2026 Overview

The SUSTAIN Seminar is designed for young people who are actively involved in rural communities, youth organisations, youth work, farming, community initiatives or networks and who want to learn how to make such organisations more resilient, representative and influential.

Participants will examine the challenges faced by rural youth organisations and explore practical approaches to:

• Strengthen organisational structures.
• Improve leadership and governance.
• Engage and retain volunteers.
• Develop sustainable financing models.
• Build partnerships.
• Improve communication.
• Encourage generational renewal.
• Increase youth participation in policy-making.
• Connect grassroots concerns with national and European decision-making processes.

The seminar will use a highly participatory approach, allowing participants to learn from one another while developing practical solutions that can be applied in their own communities and organisations.

What Is the SUSTAIN Seminar?

The SUSTAIN Seminar is an international seminar focused on sustaining and growing local and national rural youth organisations and networks and strengthening their European dimension.

Rural youth organisations play an important role in creating opportunities for young people to participate in their communities and make their voices heard in decision-making. However, many organisations face challenges such as dependence on short-term funding, limited volunteer capacity, informal organisational structures and difficulties transferring knowledge between generations.

The SUSTAIN Seminar seeks to address these challenges by helping participants understand what is required not only to establish rural youth organisations, but also to maintain and grow them over the long term.

The event will bring together 25 selected participants for several days of peer learning, organisational reflection and practical policy work.

About the Rural Youth Forward Project

The SUSTAIN Seminar is organised within the Rural Youth Forward project, which aims to cultivate resilient rural youth networks capable of contributing to more inclusive and participatory policy-making.

The project recognises that young people in rural areas need meaningful opportunities to influence decisions affecting their communities.

Through activities such as research, study visits, mentoring and seminars, the project seeks to strengthen the ability of rural youth organisations to:

• Represent the interests of rural young people.
• Develop sustainable organisational structures.
• Participate in policy processes.
• Build stronger networks.
• Create meaningful opportunities for youth participation.
• Contribute to local, national and European policy discussions.

What Will Participants Learn?

The SUSTAIN Seminar has been designed around practical organisational and policy challenges.

Participants will explore several important areas.

1. Organisational Sustainability

Participants will examine what makes a rural youth organisation healthy, resilient and capable of operating effectively over time.

Areas of discussion will include:

• Organisational vision.
• Governance.
• Membership.
• Programmes and services.
• Feedback mechanisms.
• Risk management.
• Knowledge transfer.
• Organisational development.

The aim is to help participants identify strengths and weaknesses within their own organisations or initiatives and develop practical approaches for improvement.

2. Leadership and Volunteer Engagement

Strong leadership is essential to maintaining youth organisations, particularly where organisations depend heavily on volunteers.

The seminar will explore sustainable approaches to:

• Leadership development.
• Volunteer engagement.
• Generational renewal.
• Knowledge sharing.
• Organisational growth.
• Building stronger teams.

Participants will have opportunities to exchange experiences and learn from the approaches used by other rural youth organisations across Europe.

3. Financing and Partnerships

Financial sustainability is another important issue for rural youth organisations.

Participants will examine approaches to:

• Sustainable financing.
• Partnership development.
• Organisational growth.
• Communication.
• Building relationships with relevant stakeholders.

The seminar will encourage participants to think beyond short-term project funding and consider how organisations can develop stronger and more sustainable foundations.

4. European Union Youth Participation Tools

Participants will also learn about and explore European participation mechanisms that can help rural young people engage in policy-making.

These include:

• Have Your Say.
• The European Citizens’ Initiative.
• Citizens’ panels.
• Public consultations.
• Petitions to the European Parliament.

These tools can provide avenues through which young people can move from identifying challenges in their communities to contributing to wider policy discussions.

5. Civic Dialogue

The programme will include a Civic Dialogue with European and national stakeholders.

The dialogue will be supported by Europe Direct and an invited Team Europe expert.

This component will give participants an opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders and better understand how youth perspectives can be brought into policy discussions.

6. European Parliament Simulation

Participants will take part in a simulation of the European Parliament.

Through this activity, participants will experience elements of policy negotiation and collaborative decision-making while working toward a shared Rural Youth Resolution.

This provides a practical way to understand how different perspectives can be brought together to develop common policy positions.

7. Organisational Action Plans

The seminar will not focus only on discussion and theory.

Participants will work on practical organisational action plans and recommendations that can contribute to the final policy paper of the Rural Youth Forward project.

This means participants will have the opportunity to translate what they learn during the seminar into concrete ideas and actions for their organisations and communities.

Learning Approach

The SUSTAIN Seminar will use an interactive and participatory learning model.

Rather than relying solely on traditional presentations, the programme will combine several learning methods, including:

• Short expert inputs.
• Peer-to-peer exchange.
• Case studies.
• Organisational self-assessment.
• Workshop stations.
• Civic Dialogue.
• Policy simulation.
• Collaborative drafting.
• Group discussions.
• Practical organisational planning.

Participants will therefore be expected to actively contribute their own experiences, knowledge, ideas and perspectives.

Key Project Resources

Participants will work with two important outputs from the Rural Youth Forward project:

Recommendations to Support Meaningful Youth Participation in Rural Areas

This resource provides recommendations intended to strengthen meaningful participation by young people in rural communities.

Quality Standards for Piloting and Mentorship Systems

Participants will also work with quality standards developed around piloting and mentorship systems.

During the seminar, participants will examine these resources in relation to their own organisational realities and explore how they can be transformed into practical next steps.

Who Can Apply?

The SUSTAIN Seminar is aimed at young people who have a connection to rural communities and rural youth development.

The organisers are particularly interested in applicants who fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Active members of Rural Youth Europe member organisations or partner organisations.
• Rural young people involved in local groups or community initiatives.
• Young farmers.
• Young people involved in emerging rural organisations.
• Members of national rural youth networks.
• Youth workers.
• Youth leaders.
• Youth practitioners.
• People supporting rural youth through NGOs.
• People involved in informal youth groups.
• Individuals working with public institutions supporting rural youth.

Applicants may have experience or an interest in:

• Youth work.
• Education.
• Rural development.
• Youth participation.
• Organisational sustainability.
• Policy-making.
• Community development.

Age Requirement

Applicants should be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of the seminar.

SUSTAIN Seminar 2026 Dates

The event will take place according to the following schedule:

• Arrival: 8 November 2026
• Main seminar programme: 9–12 November 2026
• Departure: 13 November 2026
• Overall dates, including travel: 8–13 November 2026

Location

The seminar will take place in:

Hokovce, Slovakia

Hokovce will serve as the setting for the international gathering of rural youth representatives, youth workers, leaders and practitioners from across Europe.

Travel, Accommodation and Meals

The organisers will provide substantial support for selected participants.

Accommodation

Shared accommodation will be covered by the organisers.

Meals

All meals will be covered from dinner on 8 November through breakfast on 13 November 2026.

Travel Reimbursement

Travel to and from Hokovce will be reimbursed in accordance with the project’s travel guidelines.

Further information regarding travel arrangements and accommodation will be provided to selected participants.

Participation Fee

There is no participation fee for the SUSTAIN Seminar.

Applicants should nevertheless wait until their participation has been officially confirmed before making travel or other arrangements.

How to Apply for the SUSTAIN Seminar 2026

Interested applicants must complete the official application form.

                                                            APPLY HERE

Application deadline: 25 September 2026.

Participation is by selection only, meaning that completing the application does not automatically guarantee a place at the seminar.

Selected applicants will receive a confirmation email following the selection process.

Applicants are specifically advised not to make travel arrangements or other commitments until their participation has been confirmed.

Application Deadline

The deadline is:

25 September 2026

Applicants should ensure that their application is completed and submitted before the deadline.

Because participation is competitive and limited to only 25 participants, interested applicants are encouraged to prepare their applications early rather than waiting until the final day.

Important Information for Applicants

Before applying, prospective participants should make sure that they can satisfy the main participation requirements.

Applicants should be prepared to:

1. Demonstrate a connection to rural communities.
2. Show an interest or experience in rural youth work, community development, youth participation, organisational development or policy-making.
3. Participate in the entire programme from 8–13 November 2026.
4. Communicate and participate actively in English.
5. Share relevant experiences, practices or perspectives with other participants.
6. Demonstrate motivation to apply what they learn after the seminar.
7. Wait for official confirmation before making travel arrangements.

Why This Seminar Matters for Rural Youth

Rural young people often face challenges related to access to opportunities, participation in decision-making, organisational resources and representation.

Youth organisations can help address these challenges by creating structures through which young people can organise, communicate their concerns and participate in community and policy processes.

However, simply creating an organisation is not enough. Organisations need sustainable leadership, effective governance, committed volunteers, reliable partnerships and mechanisms for transferring knowledge between generations.

The SUSTAIN Seminar therefore focuses on the longer-term question of how rural youth organisations can remain effective, representative and influential.

By bringing together participants from different European countries, the seminar also creates an environment in which young people can compare experiences and identify solutions that may be adapted to their own local contexts.

Networking and International Exposure

One of the important aspects of the SUSTAIN Seminar is the opportunity to meet other young people working on rural youth issues across Europe.

Participants can exchange experiences with:

• Rural youth leaders.
• Young farmers.
• Youth workers.
• Community activists.
• NGO representatives.
• Youth practitioners.
• Members of rural youth networks.

This international environment can encourage new partnerships, ideas and approaches to rural youth development.

Practical Outcomes for Participants

The seminar is designed to produce practical results rather than only providing theoretical knowledge.

Participants will have opportunities to develop:

• Organisational action plans.
• Recommendations.
• Policy ideas.
• New approaches to youth participation.
• Strategies for organisational sustainability.
• Ideas for volunteer engagement.
• Approaches to partnership development.
• Knowledge of European participation mechanisms.

Participants are also encouraged to use their learning and networks to support concrete actions after the seminar.

Organisers

The SUSTAIN Seminar is organised by:

• Rural Youth Europe (RYE)
• Rural Youth Parliament in Slovakia (VPMS)

The activity forms part of the Rural Youth Forward project and is co-funded by the European Union through EACEA under the Erasmus+ programme.

Important Disclaimer

The activity is part of the Rural Youth Forward project, co-funded by the European Union through EACEA. The views and opinions expressed by the organisers and participants are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Learn more about this opportunity HERE

Conclusion

The SUSTAIN Seminar 2026 in Hokovce, Slovakia offers a valuable opportunity for young people involved in rural communities and youth development to strengthen their organisational, leadership and policy-making skills.

With 25 participants from across Europe, the seminar will combine peer learning, practical workshops, organisational assessment, policy engagement, Civic Dialogue and a European Parliament simulation. Participants will also have the opportunity to develop practical action plans and contribute to recommendations for strengthening rural youth organisations.

The organisers will cover shared accommodation and meals, while travel will be reimbursed according to the project’s travel guidelines. There is also no participation fee, making the opportunity accessible to eligible young people who are committed to rural youth development.

Those interested should ensure they meet the age, country, rural-community connection, English-language and participation requirements and submit their application by the 25 September 2026 deadline.

Discover more global Conference opportunities on OFY HERE