2026 EUSA Mobility of Youth Workers held in Ljubljana
Between October 16 and 18, the EUSA Institute hosted a mobility of youth workers in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Organised under the title "Engaging Higher Education Students in Physical Activity through Running," the event brought together over 50 youth workers, university sports coordinators and peer student leaders from 14 European countries.
Led by EUSA Projects & Policy Director Andrej Pisl and EUSA Education Officer Milia Molinie, the project aimed to strengthen the professional competences of youth workers and promote healthy, active lifestyles across higher education.
Before the start of the content sessions, an outdoor team-building gathering with introductions and an ice-breaker session kicked off the activity.
The educational programme afterwards opened with a presentation of European youth mobility frameworks and competence validation through Youthpass, presented by EUSA's Projects and Communications Officer Hristina Hristova, followed by insights into student physical fitness and literacy from Gregor Starc of the University of Ljubljana and an outline of the main objectives on behalf of EUSA by Andrej Pisl.
The next session was dedicated to showcasing larger European initiatives: Runners4All (European Students Run), Cycle2Connect (European Student Cycling Challenge), and Step-Walk-Run (Supporting Togetherness and Engagement in Physical Walking and Running), co-funded by the European Union.
Local initiatives were shared as case studies by guest speakers from Slovenia, presenting running and other non-competitive activities engaging the wider student population.
These presentations were then followed by several good practice examples from selected partner countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal.
Through collaborative workshops and round-table discussions, participants developed deeper connections, exchanged information and experiences, and learned from each other. The participants also used non-formal education tools with the main aim resulting in engaging (more) students, addressing barriers to participation and promoting social inclusion.
The mobility also served as an on-site learning laboratory in conjunction with the jubilee 30th NLB Ljubljana Marathon and the European Students Run 2026, which welcomed a record number of 2,616 student runners.
Demonstrating sustainable active transit, delegates used Ljubljana's Bicikelj city bikes to reach the convention centre for the Running Expo, and green transport was also encouraged for international and other local travel.
Over the weekend, the participating youth workers analysed the info points, crowd logistics, communication, and dedicated student cheering zones along the route.
Participants also cheered for the runners, and some also took part in the runs themselves. They joined other participants and supporters of the European Students Run in Ljubljana, and the event concluded on Sunday.
The mobility was coordinated by the EUSA Institute in partnership with university sports bodies and youth organisations from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The project was an Erasmus+ KA1 mobility in the field of youth, co-funded by the European Union and managed through the Slovenian National Agency Movit.
We also invite others to share your insights on physical activity and running through our anonymous questionnaires. We are currently collecting inputs through two targeted surveys:
- Participants' Survey (for individual students): https://forms.gle/Xtcgy1SiVq83FrqH
- Organisers' Survey (for event hosts): https://forms.gle/7BWSZxTHmEHiYJSM6
For more information, please visit https://www.eusa.eu/projects/