Sport Unit of the European Commission hosted the participants of the Healthy Lifestyle For All Youth Ideas Labs on August 28 and 29, 2022 at the DG EAC headquarters in Brussels.

The event was a working meeting of youth delegates, nominated by 5 invited organisations, and represents a follow-up of the launch of the Youth Ideas Labs during the EU Sport Forum in Lille in June, and will present the main outcomes at the kickoff of the European Week of Sport in Prague this September.



The events in Brussels started with outdoors welcome, introduction and networking sessions on Sunday in Park Leopold, recapping the work carried out in Lille, and giving a chance to get to know the new participants. Participants then also enjoyed a #BeActive teambuilding activity, in the form of a treasure hunt in Brussels city center.



Monday working sessions included introductions and welcomes by the representatives of the Sport Unit of the European Commission, with the Head of the Sport Unit Ms Floor Van Houdt, Deputy Head Ms Marisa Fernandez Esteban, and Policy Officers Mr Tomas Kukal - the coordinator of the Youth Ideas Labs, Mr Ignazio Cocchiere and Mr Stefano Pintus.



The participants were also introduced to the Blue Book traineeship programme of the EU, as well as jobs and other career opportunities within the EU institutions, especially the European Commission, European Parliament and the European Council.



Youth, Volunteer Solidarity and Traineeships Office presented the main concepts of the European Year of Youth, which is being celebrated this year, topics covered, and opportunities for young people to contribute.



In the afternoon, more details about the pledges of the Healthy Lifestyle For All initiative, and the planned Seminar, which will be held in Prague in September were given. Here, also the participants of the Youth Ideas Labs will play an active role.



Apart of getting useful information, the participants worked intensively on the topics of their proposals how to address the overall topic, and suggest actions to improve the field of Healthy Lifestyle for All, through the subtopics of mental health, digital health, inclusion (specifically of transgender youth), skills-development and volunteering, as well as taking into account transversal approach of sustainability and the environment, evidence-base and research, accessibility and barriers, and linking it also to formal education.



The facilitators encouraged critical thinking and working in smaller groups, engaging the participants also through physical exercises activities and through teambuilding tasks supporting informal individual, as well as formal organisational networking and cooperation.



European University Sports Association (EUSA) is one of the signatories of the HealthyLifestlyle4All pledge, and one of the invited organisations to nominate youth delegates. EUSA was represented at the event by the following nominated youth participants: Ms Flobena Nikolli (ALB), Ms Marianna Pikul (POL), Ms Filipa Godinho (POR), Ms Sara Gaspar (HUN), Mr Mariano Carcatella (ITA/SLO), Mr Federico Palumbo (ITA) and in cooperation with the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) also by Ms Carolina de Sousa a Sa (POR/GBR) and Mr Leonardo Mikac (CRO); and by Mr Andrej Pisl (SLO) as one of the facilitators.



The European Commission invited Marie Curie Alumni, European Solidarity Network, European University Sports Association (EUSA), Erasmus Students Network (ESN) and ENGSO Youth to propose the youth delegates, to contribute with their ideas on the topic of healthy lifestyle for all, and also promote the initiative through their organisations, and personally.



Commission's Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) is responsible for the EU Commission's policies on education, youth, sport and culture. The #HealthyLifestyle4All initiative and the related Youth Ideas Labs is a 2-year initiative of the Commission, launched in 2021 during the kickoff of the European Week of Sport by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, responsible for European Union policies related to Horizon Europe, research and innovation, the Erasmus+ programme, education, culture and sport. The Youth Ideas Labs events in 2022 also correspond and contribute to the European Year of Youth.

For more information about the HealthyLifestyle4All initiative and campaign, please see https://sport.ec.europa.eu/healthylifestyle4all