EPTO | European Peer Training Organisation

19/04/2026

🛝 Playground Youth Work

🤩 The seminar of the PYW project has just finished successfully!

👫 15 youth workers from 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇮🇹 Italy and 🇬🇪 Georgia and facilitators from each partner, were gathered to explore youth work practices, develop playground youth work activities and improve their competencies in leading outdoor youth work activities.

✨After a 7-day-long seminar, the participants have already developed 16 outdoor activities, which they will test in their own communities in the following 3 months.

😎 It wasn’t just about the work; participants shared ideas and approaches, discovered each other’s cultures and country-specific traits, and formed genuine friendships built on shared values.

😉 Stay tuned to have a chance to join the fun and life-changing activities for young people aged 13-20 years.

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🎈 What is Playground Youth Work?

Playground Youth Work takes youth work outdoors. It meets young people in everyday spaces and turns them into places for learning, belonging and friendship.
With guidance from youth workers, play becomes a tool for growth. A simple game becomes a way to build confidence. A public space becomes a place to feel safe and supported.

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the European Union within the scope of the Erasmus+ program. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EUPA Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

12/04/2026

🛝 Playground Youth Work

🌐 The website of the project is already launched, now you can check it and get informed about all activities and news: https://pyw2026.netlify.app/

🤩 The website is a mystery box of the project; you can find everything about the project, starting from information about the project, ending with the outcomes, like the curriculum of playground youth work and video tutorials.

😉 So, it's worth staying tuned!

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🎈 What is Playground Youth Work?

Playground Youth Work takes youth work outdoors. It meets young people in everyday spaces and turns them into places for learning, belonging and friendship.
With guidance from youth workers, play becomes a tool for growth. A simple game becomes a way to build confidence. A public space becomes a place to feel safe and supported.

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the European Union within the scope of the Erasmus+ program. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EUPA Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

23/01/2026

🛝 Playground Youth Work

🧐 Why the Playground is the Heart of Salesian Education?

😇 For St John Bosco, the playground was not just a place for fun. It was a place where real education happened through joy, trust and presence.

👉🏻 He believed that when adults join young people in the playground, everything changes. The teacher becomes a friend. The adult becomes present.

“Without affection there is no confidence, and without confidence there can be no real education.” St John Bosco

🤸‍♀️ The playground builds connection. It is a space where young people feel safe to be themselves and grow through play.

🙆‍♂ A Place to grow and express
The playground gives young people freedom. It is where they can move, laugh, explore and create.
It is not a break from education. It is a different kind of education, based on experience, relationships and expression.

Playground Youth Work is inspired by Don Bosco’s vision. He believed that young people need more than classrooms. They need a variety of spaces to grow in every part of life.

🌱 Five spaces that help young people grow:

🏡 Home - A place where you feel welcomed and accepted
🛝 Playground - A place to play, connect and build friendships
🎒 School - A place to learn and take on responsibility
⛪ Church - A place to reflect and explore meaning
🎭 Theatre - A place to express yourself and tell your story

🎈 What is Playground Youth Work?

Playground Youth Work takes youth work outdoors. It meets young people in everyday spaces and turns them into places for learning, belonging and friendship.
With guidance from youth workers, play becomes a tool for growth. A simple game becomes a way to build confidence. A public space becomes a place to feel safe and supported.

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the European Union within the scope of the Erasmus+ program. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EUPA Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

13/01/2026

🛝 PlayGround Youth Work!

❔What about Youth Work?
- Think of Youth Work as a "third space." It’s not home, and it’s not school. It is a place where young people go voluntarily to find their voice, build confidence, and learn life skills like leadership and teamwork.
👉🏻 In youth work, there are no grades or exams. Instead, there are supportive adults (youth workers) who listen, mentor, and help young people turn their ideas into reality.

🎡 What about Playground youth work?
Playgrounds weren't always just plastic slides! They started over 150 years ago as "breathing spaces" to keep children safe from the busy, industrial streets. In the mid-20th century, a movement of "Adventure Playgrounds" began. These weren't pre-built sets; they were open spaces with wood, tires, and tools where youth could build their own worlds. This spirit of adventure and "managed risk" is what still inspires playground work today - the idea that a little bit of dirt and a lot of imagination are the best teachers.

🥾 Playground youth work moves youth work outdoors. It uses the local playground or park as a "living classroom." It’s a special approach where play is the priority. By meeting young people where they already hang out - in the fresh air and open spaces - it makes support accessible to everyone.

💁🏻‍♂️ Without the strict rules of a classroom, children learn how to negotiate, solve conflicts, and make friends with people from all different backgrounds.
It turns a local public space or park into a neighbourhood "hub," making children feel more connected to the place they live.

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🛝 The project Playground Youth Work (PYW) aims to promote outdoor youth work by integrating innovative & digital approaches to regular grassroots youth work.

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the European Union within the scope of the Erasmus+ program. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or 🇲🇹 EUPA Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

10/01/2026

🛝 PlayGround Youth Work!

🎉 The First Transnational Partners Meeting (TPM) of Playground Youth Work (PYW) was held successfully.

🌿 From 30 November to 1 December, partners gathered in 🇲🇹 Malta for a kick-off meeting. As a result of two working days, the work plan was finalised, and the next steps of the project were planned.

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🛝 The project Playground Youth Work (PYW) aims to promote outdoor youth work by integrating innovative & digital approaches to regular grassroots youth work.

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EUPA Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

06/01/2026

🇪🇺 New Erasmus+ project launched!

🎉 We are excited to introduce Playground Youth Work (PYW) - the project aimed at promoting outdoor youth work by integrating innovative & digital approaches to regular grassroots youth work.

Throughout the project, we’ll co-create:
🎬 16 video tutorials
📘A Playground Learning Curriculum
🛝 Pilot activities with youth
🌍 International training & a European conference

🤝 The project partners:
🇲🇹 Friends of Don Bosco
🇬🇪 Umbrella • ამბრელა
🇮🇹 Fucina Salentina
🇧🇪 EPTO | European Peer Training Organisation
Supported by 🇲🇹 EUPA Malta - Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps

✨ Together, we’re making youth work more active, digital, and playful. Stay tuned for the journey ahead! 💛

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EUPA Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them

24/03/2025

❤️

17/03/2025

Firms with greater gender diversity reduced their CO2 emissions by about 5% more than firms with male managers, a study by Altunbas, Gambacorta, Reghezza, Velliscig (2021) finds.

12/03/2025

24/12/2024

We wish you a world without prejudice in 2025!