Collaborative Field Visits Drive Methodological Development in ENGAGED Youth
This week, representatives from the ENGAGED Youth consortium came together in Spain and Portugal for site visits and in-depth discussions focused on methodology development and cross-national learning.
The Norwegian project coordinator from the University of Bergen joined colleagues from Universidad de Sevilla and the NGO Pensando en el Futuro for a visit to the Spanish Living Lab in Polígono Sur, one of Seville’s most socially diverse districts, home to vibrant Roma communities and other historically marginalised groups. The visit offered valuable insights into the local context and ongoing youth engagement efforts led by our Spanish partners.
Later in the week, the Spanish and Norwegian teams travelled to Lisbon to meet with Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Aventura Social Associação. Together, we explored the Portuguese Living Lab and engaged in collaborative work to refine the project’s shared methodology. These working sessions included open discussion and deliberation, allowing partners to reflect on local practices while drawing comparisons across national settings.
We would like to thank the representatives of Step Forward and the municipality of Loures for your insights and perspectives. Step Forward is organised by and for youth and it was impressive to hear how they come up with ideas and arrange activities for their peers to stimulate connectedness and participation in the local community.
The three ENGAGED Youth Living Labs in Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom form the backbone of the project. These spaces foster meaningful collaboration between researchers, practitioners within the communities, and youth, who actively contribute to the development of both knowledge and policy.
The consortium looks forward to continuing this momentum with an upcoming visit to our UK partners at Glasgow Caledonian University and our third Living Lab, Osmani Trust, based in Tower Hamlets in London.
These visits has further strengthened our shared commitment to co-creating inclusive, impactful intervention that supports youth participation in democratic life across Europe.
