In the 2021-2027 period, the Alpine Space programme launched the Youth Ambassadors Initiative in order to ensure youth participation in the Alpine area in the long term.
Coordinated by the EUSALP Secretariat, the initiative encourages approved Interreg projects to cooperate with EUSALP and its Youth Council from the very beginning of the implementation and throughout the project lifetime.
The initiative allows young people to raise their voice regarding the project implementation and take part in the Youth Council discussions. They act as ambassadors of the project during events and as multipliers on social media.
First presented at the Get started! Seminar for Alpine space projects for classic and small-scale projects in Salzburg on 16 November 2022, the initiative is a follow-up of the European Year of Youth 2022, during which the Alpine Space programme promoted youth-related projects co-financed in the 2014-2020 period.
The first youth ambassador has already been appointed by the AlpTextyles project. During the kick-off event of the project, the EUSALP Youth Council representative Aljon Kerec joined a panel discussion with the partners responsible for the project work packages. He contributed to the discussions on how intangible cultural heritage linked to Alpine textile value chains can revitalise local communities with opportunities for sustainable local development.
If you are interested in involving a Youth Ambassador in your Alpine Space project or to learn more about the initiative, contact Simon Soltner, policy officer at the EUSALP Secretariat, or Natael Fautrat, leader of the Youth Council!
