02/07/2026
Merci pour tous ces échanges constructifs 🔻
🔻This week, our Organisational Development Director Alina Pop with our Advocacy Lead Dragos Tarta, had the pleasure of visiting YMCA Alsace and meeting with its dedicated Board members and leadership team.
The discussions gave us a valuable opportunity to learn more about the inspiring work taking place across the movement in Alsace, from their youth development programmes and the six summer camps they are running this year, to the active involvement of young leaders in governance, decision-making, and camp management. It is encouraging to see young people not only participating in programmes, but also shaping the future of the organisation.
One message became particularly clear throughout our conversations: camp is the heart of Ymca-Ucjg Alsace's work. It is much more than a holiday activity, it is a safe space where children and young people build confidence, develop life skills, create lasting friendships, and discover their potential, becoming actively engaged in the YMCA and their communities.
We are excited to welcome YMCA Alsace into the growing European YMCA Camp Network. Their experience will enrich this community of practice while opening new opportunities for partnerships, exchanges, and shared learning between camps across Europe.
We also explored ideas around strengthening young people's civic engagement. Together with our Advocacy Lead and the YMCA Alsace team, we started shaping several promising initiatives that we hope to develop further this autumn, alongside the exciting activities planned in their Gaming Hub.
A heartfelt thank you to the leadership and Board of YMCA Alsace for your invitation, warm hospitality, openness, and inspiring conversations. Spending the afternoon together reminded us once again that the strength of our movement lies in its local communities, where the YMCA mission comes to life every day through dedicated volunteers, staff, and young leaders.
✨Together, we continue to strengthen the movement, one partnership, one community, and one young person at a time.
