IYCE
Institute for Youth and Community Empowerment (IYCE)
ADDRESS
Nassauische Strasse 5
10717 Berlin
Management
Angelika Krüger (Institute Director)
Jochen Schell (Deputy Director of the Institute)
Telephone
+49 (0)30 25741725
Website
Conceptual orientation and work profile
About the IYCE
- Foundation, development, content profile and main areas of work
The Institute for Youth and Community Empowerment (formerly: Institute for Community Education) is one of the founding institutes of the Internationale Akademie Berlin gGmbH (INA).
Closely linked to the community development approach and the situational approach, the IYCE initially developed the work of the Community Education Centres (CEC) for the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the European Regional Office of the International Community Education Association (ICEA) which, under the leadership of Angelika Krüger, has been working on the national and international implementation of community education in schools (community school concept) as well as in extracurricular activities since 1989.
As part of the programme developed and implemented at the Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme (YEPP) (2001–2011) was developed by incorporating elements of community education, the situational approach and the rights-based approach ("rights-based approach") has developed an innovative, holistic, multi-dimensional concept. This youth empowerment concept ("Youth and community empowerment concept") is based on the needs ("needs-based") of young people and aims to provide sustainable support for disadvantaged children and young people at risk of exclusion and the communities in which they live. This concept was implemented in local locations ("YEPP Local Sites") and with new partners in a series of transnational thematic projects in many European countries and continuously developed further.
Since 2012 YEPP EUROPE the work of the Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme and coordinates the YEPP Community Network.
Vision of a just, equal and sustainable inclusive society
2. empowerment – term and concept
For us, empowerment of young people and communities ("Youth & Community Empowerment") that citizens – including young people and children – participate in capacity-building opportunities and decision-making processes. This supports them in taking control of and shaping their individual and collective lives and destinies.
They gain the ability and influence to contribute effectively to the progress of their communities and society as a whole, building active and sustainable communities based on the principles of human rights, social justice and mutual respect, solidarity and co-operation. It is a holistic approach that focuses on six dimensions and levels: personal, social, political (civic participation), economic, cultural and legal empowerment.
For more information on the empowerment concept, see: https://yeppeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Keynote-Angelika-Krüger-Empowerment.pdf
3. YEPP EUROPE
Based on the results of the previous consultation process, in January 2012 the IYCE developed the YEPP International Resource Centre (YEPP IRC) which has been working very successfully under the auspices of INA gGmbH/IYCE ever since. In November 2017, the YEPP IRC was renamed YEPP EUROPE renamed.
YEPP EUROPE (www.yeppeurope.org) coordinates, develops and supports the YEPP Community Network of YEPP Local Sites and project partners in 20 countries and over 100 municipalities in Europe. We work to empower young people and communities in disadvantaged areas, promote the participation of young people and local stakeholders in decision-making processes and support active citizenship. We recognise young people as agents of social change and strive to make their voices heard. To achieve this, we develop capacity building programmes for young people and train youth workers to support young people in various areas of interest. We also work with municipalities to shape more youth-friendly policies and facilitate transnational learning and exchange of local actors in the YEPP community network.
YEPP EUROPE Team
Jochen Schell, Manager
Iva Bubalo, Project Manager
Linn Radtke, Project Manager
Angelika Klammt, Finance, Administration & Events Officer
Rosanna Phillips, Public Relations Officer
Key activities of YEPP Europe
To the Tasks of YEPP EUROPE includes, among other things
- support communities in working with the YEPP approach and the corresponding methods;
- the YEPP Concept of Change of active youth participation and trans-sectoral partnership and to implement, evaluate and continuously update and develop it in a growing number of communities in various European countries, taking into account social developments and challenges;
- work towards the implementation and perpetuation of youth and community empowerment in education policy programmes and plans as well as corresponding practice in both the public and civil society sectors;
- to support the members of the YEPP Community Network through education and training programmes and new project initiatives with appropriate learning materials (online and offline) and to provide scientific support in order to promote and consolidate the goals of youth and community empowerment both locally and internationally;
- to support local stakeholders, especially young people, in improving the situation in their community for the benefit of each individual and the community as a whole and to achieve jointly developed sustainable changes.
Project examples
- Songs for Change – understanding, promoting and implementing EU values through music (2022–2024) (www.songsforchange.eu)
- Don't Worry Be You – Fostering Youth and Community Wellbeing (2022–2024)
- Community Challengers – Towards Sustainable Communities through Arts & Entrepreneurship (2020–2022) (www.communitychallengers.org)
- INCLUSION! Actions Across Boundaries (2019 – 2021) (projectinclusion.eu )
- Fake OFF! Fostering Adolescents' Knowledge and Empowerment in Outsmarting Fake Facts (2018 – 2020) (fake-off.eu )
- Welcomeship! Building inclusive communities through community-based entrepreneurship (2018 – 2020) (welcomeship.org )
- People Places Partnerships – From Youth Initiatives to Sustainable Community Hubs (2016 – 2018) (peopleplacespartnerships.org )
- Build Your Future – Entrepreneurship Programme for Young People (2015 – 2017) (http://www.buildyourfutureproject.eu/ )
- Dream Machine – Partnerships and Youth Initiatives for Community Development" (March 2014 to October 2015) http://yeppeurope.org/dream-machine/
Further information about YEPP EUROPE and past and current projects can be found on the website www.yeppeurope.org
