STAR Youth Regional Design Thinking Lab – Call for Participants

An open call for participation in the Regional Design Thinking Lab has been launched within the STAR Youth project. The event will take place from 5 to 10 October 2026 in Rudnik, Serbia, bringing together more than 20 youth workers and representatives of youth organisations from the Western Balkans and the European Union, including five participants from Kosovo.

The Regional Design Thinking Lab will provide a space for learning, exchanging experiences, fostering creativity, and jointly developing new approaches to youth work. Rather than focusing solely on acquiring knowledge, participants will actively engage as co-creators of ideas and practical solutions.

Over four working days, participants will explore the real needs and challenges faced by young people, youth workers, and communities. They will develop ideas, create prototypes, test them, and refine their solutions through feedback and collaboration.

The Lab will place particular emphasis on:

    • Reconciliation and dialogue-building
    • Peacebuilding
    • Empathy and understanding of different experiences and perspectives
    • Social cohesion
    • Developing higher-quality and more practical youth work

Through the Design Thinking approach, participants will engage in a process of understanding needs, defining challenges, generating ideas, creating prototypes, testing solutions, and connecting their work with real-life youth work practice.

Key Information

Dates: 5–10 October 2026

Location: Rudnik, Serbia

Participants: 20+ youth workers and representatives of youth organisations from the Western Balkans and the European Union, including five participants from Kosovo

Programme: Four working days

Accommodation and meals will be provided by the organisers, while travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with the STAR Youth travel rules.

The Regional Design Thinking Lab is organised as part of the STAR Youth project, co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.

The project brings together partner organisations PRONI, Connect International, EduNorth, Libero, and Kosova Young Lawyers (KYL), working together to strengthen youth work, regional cooperation, and social cohesion.

Join a regional space for collaboration, creativity, and learning, where the ideas of young people and youth workers can be developed into practical solutions for communities

Applications: Apply Here

Application deadline: 25 September 2026