Youth Work in Schools: Pathways to Sustainability, Well-Being and Democratic Communities

Abstract

This study investigates the integration of youth work into school environments as a response to contemporary educational challenges. Drawing on the implementation of selected best practices in four European countries—Greece, Finland, Estonia, and Portugal—within the framework of the Youth Work in Schools (YWIS) Erasmus+ project, this research explores the potential of youth work to enhance school communities, promote sustainability, support student well-being, and deepen democratic practices. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines case studies and survey data from educators and youth workers, the study examines the transformative impact of youth work in promoting inclusive, engaged, and resilient educational settings. Preliminary findings indicate that youth work contributes meaningfully to holistic youth development by creating collaborative school cultures, supporting emotional and social well-being, and encouraging active civic participation. Youth workers’ interventions—ranging from peer mentoring and participatory governance to sustainability initiatives—demonstrated the value of experiential, student-centred learning. However, the sustainable integration of youth work in education requires institutional openness, professional recognition, and systemic support. By analysing the reflections of practitioners across diverse national contexts, this paper offers critical insights for policymakers, educators, and practitioners aiming to bridge the gap between formal and non-formal education. It argues that embedding youth work in schools can serve as a catalyst for educational transformation, cultivating more democratic, sustainable, and supportive learning environments.

1. Introduction

In the rapidly evolving social, political, and environmental landscape of the 21st century, young people face a multitude of interconnected challenges that shape their experiences and futures (Pascoe et al., 2020). Declining democratic participation, a weakening sense of belonging, mental health struggles, and sustainability concerns have emerged as pressing issues (Furlong, 2013), affecting both individual well-being and social cohesion (Furlong & Cartmel, 2007). Addressing these complex challenges requires more than just formal education; it requires professional youth work that actively supports the development of young people.

School-based youth work may possibly play a crucial role in this effort, and bridge the gap between education and community engagement. By advancing meaningful participation, providing emotional and social support and equipping young people with the skills to navigate uncertainty, school-based youth work empowers them to become active, resilient, and socially responsible citizens.

As a social and educational practice, youth work promotes development, inclusion, and civic engagement through non-formal and informal learning, typically led by trained professionals or volunteers (European Commission, 2023). By building inclusive and safe environments, strengthening civic participation and promoting social-emotional learning, youth work empowers young people with the skills, confidence and agency to address complex social issues (Kiilakoski et al., 2025; Kiilakoski & Ord, 2025).

Despite its growing presence in schools, youth work remains under-researched—particularly regarding its systemic integration, pedagogical role, and transformative potential (Howard et al., 2024). Existing studies rarely explore its implementation within formal education or reflect the perspectives of youth workers themselves. While youth work is often open-ended and context-specific, this study focuses on selected, time-bound interventions to highlight how such practices are experienced and adapted in diverse educational settings. In doing so, the aim is to bridge structured models with the relational and evolving nature of youth work in schools.

This article investigates the following research question: How do youth workers perceive the impact of integrating youth work practices into schools in Estonia, Greece, Finland, and Portugal, and what challenges and opportunities arise in promoting inclusive and equitable educational environments?

This article explores how the work of youth in schools can serve as a transformative force, allowing young people to contribute meaningfully to their communities while building a resilient and sustainable future. By exploring youth workers’ reports on the implementation of selected best practices in the four European countries mentioned above in the framework of the Youth Work in Schools (YWIS) project (Erasmus+ Cooperation partnerships in youth KA220-YOU, (YWIS—Youth Work in Schools, https://ywis.saarenoored.ee/en/home/, accessed on 30 March 2025) it analyses the perspectives of youth workers and educators who applied these practices, offering insight into their experiences and the results of integrating youth work into educational settings. Ultimately, its goal is to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about creating more inclusive and equitable educational environments that support the development and well-being of young people.

The YWIS project aims to improve youth work in schools by collecting, mixing, testing, and sharing best practices that help youth workers, schools, and supporting institutions improve their effectiveness. The project’s main objective is to define the role and potential of youth work in schools, integrating non-formal education opportunities into formal education systems. It focuses on improving youth work through four key themes: sustainable development, education for democracy, student well-being, and strengthening the community. YWIS seeks to identify effective models, experiment with new approaches, and improve the dialogue on youth work in schools throughout Europe.

To support this goal, YWIS partners developed a comprehensive Handbook (Hellström et al., 2025) after extensive research and sharing of successful practices of youth work in schools and educational institutions. This resource brings together contributions from various professionals, including youth workers, teachers, volunteers, researchers, and project managers, all of whom believe in the transformative power of youth work. The Handbook presents a variety of best practices from the four countries of the project, organised around the key themes mentioned above, and offers practical insights for youth workers to adapt and test these approaches in their own educational contexts. These key themes, well-being, sustainability, and democratic school communities, not only shaped the Handbook, but also provided the conceptual framework for the interventions implemented and analysed in this study.

1.1. Well-Being

Promoting student well-being is central to youth work in educational settings, as it encompasses both emotional resilience and social connection (Cahill & Gowing, 2024; National Youth Agency, 2023). Youth work initiatives such as mindfulness exercises, peer mentoring, and creative activities cultivate emotional awareness and help young people manage stress and anxiety (Furlong & Cartmel, 2007). These practices create supportive environments that encourage student self-confidence and empathy, contributing to their holistic development. By integrating mental health support and social and emotional learning into school life, youth work empowers students to reflect on their experiences, build healthy relationships, and develop coping mechanisms essential for lifelong well-being (Pascoe et al., 2020).

Crucially, research shows that the presence of a supportive adult who is not in an evaluation role, someone who acts as a trusted guide or ‘critical friend’, can have a significant positive impact on young people’s mental health and development (Jagosh et al., 2024). These adults can engage in open conversations, recognise early signs of distress, and create preventive activities that build emotional literacy and resilience (Roffey, 2011). In this context, youth workers offer a unique presence in schools, forming meaningful relationships that strengthen the emotional security of students and their sense of belonging.

1.2. Sustainability

Youth work can play a significant role in sustainability education by engaging students in hands-on community-based environmental initiatives such as clothing swaps, biodiversity projects and recycling campaigns (Blanchet-Cohen & Brunson, 2014). These activities promote conscious consumption, encourage local action, and build essential skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving (Kiilakoski & Ord, 2025). Unlike traditional classroom teaching, youth work uses experiential participatory methods that empower young people to become active contributors to environmental change in their communities.

This approach helps address gaps in formal education, where many teachers report feeling unprepared to teach climate-related topics despite acknowledging their importance (UNESCO, 2021). Youth work complements school efforts by modelling values of justice, equity, and responsibility, while offering students opportunities to develop ‘green competencies’ needed for sustainable living (United Nations [UN], 2023). Through these practices, youth work supports a deeper connection to the environment and fosters youth agency in building a more sustainable future.

1.3. Democratic School Communities

Democratic school communities are strengthened not only when students actively participate in civic action and decision-making processes, but also when all school stakeholders—teachers, principals, and youth workers—engage in inclusive, dialogic relationships based on mutual respect and shared responsibility (Torsdottir et al., 2024). Youth work supports this broader democratic culture by facilitating practices such as student councils, participatory budgeting, and whole-school consultations, offering young people a real voice in shaping their learning environments (European Commission, 2023). These experiences cultivate a sense of ownership, accountability, and belonging, while enabling all members of the school community to internalise democratic values through lived practice. In this way, schools can become dynamic spaces where democracy is collectively enacted, not merely taught (Biesta, 2021; Pechtelidis, 2018; Pechtelidis et al., 2023).

Education for democracy goes beyond civic knowledge; it cultivates skills such as critical thinking, dialogue, and media literacy essential for active citizenship. Youth work enhances this process by promoting bottom-up, commons-based approaches that engage students in co-creating their educational experiences (Moysiadou & Pantazidis, 2024; Pantazidis, 2024; Pechtelidis & Kioupkiolis, 2020). By mentoring students and organising interactive civic initiatives, youth workers help transform inclusive and participatory school cultures that empower students to become informed, engaged and socially responsible citizens.

By intertwining sustainability, well-being, and democracy, school communities prepare young people to address contemporary challenges collaboratively. This holistic approach ensures that students gain the ability to advocate for environmental justice, support their peers, and strengthen equitable decision-making structures. Still, these subjects are often not deeply embedded in formal curricula, leaving gaps in how schools address them through traditional educational models. The YWIS project underscores that empowering youth through collaborative, sustainable, and wellness-centred practices transforms schools into hubs of innovation and community engagement, setting the stage for lifelong learning and active citizenship.

The integration of youth work in schools varies throughout Europe, shaped by historical, political, and institutional contexts. In Finland and Estonia, youth work is structured, professionalised, and embedded within formal education, supported by state funding and intersectoral collaboration (Taru & Krzaklewska, 2020). In contrast, in Greece and Portugal, youth work remains largely informal, often delivered by NGOs and community organisations, with limited professional recognition and fragmented institutional support.

These four countries were selected as case examples in the YWIS project to reflect contrasting policy environments—two where youth work is institutionally embedded and two where it operates more peripherally. This comparative design enables an exploration of how differing systemic conditions shape the implementation and perceived impact of youth work in schools. The regional differences stem from distinct historical trajectories: Northern Europe institutionalised youth work through municipal autonomy and state investment, while Southern Europe developed youth initiatives more organically through grassroots and charitable activities (Giannaki et al., 2014; Kivijärvi et al., 2019). Despite these differences, all four contexts share a common interest in strengthening young people’s participation in education and public life (European Commission, 2023).

2. Materials and Methods

In this study, we present selected best practices from the YWIS Handbook (Hellström et al., 2025) and analyse educational intervention questionnaires. These cases were not chosen arbitrarily; rather, they represent practices that were collaboratively identified by project partners during the YWIS design phase based on a set of agreed-upon criteria. These included alignment with the project’s four thematic pillars (well-being, sustainability, democracy, and community), adaptability across different national contexts, and feasibility for implementation within real school environments. The selected cases reflect both the diversity of youth work models in Europe and the aim to examine practices that are contextually grounded, relevant to school settings, and transferable. This analysis captures the reflections and statements of youth workers and educators who participated in the pilot process. By examining their field-based experiences, we explore their perspectives on youth work within the educational sector. The following two subsections provide a detailed account of data collection and analysis. Through this investigation, our objective was to understand how these interventions were experienced and how their insights can contribute valuable information to our research question.

2.1. Procedure

The study’s youth workers carried out activities in nonformal and formal educational settings primarily in secondary education, engaging students aged 13–18, with some interventions also taking place in the final grades of primary school. All interventions were based on the YWIS Handbook and aligned with at least one of its core pillars. A total of 20 different interventions were implemented in four countries: Finland (5), Estonia (7), Greece (4) and Portugal (4), between 1 April and 22 November 2024. The number of participants varied significantly, from small groups of 4–12 students to whole-school activities that involved both students and teachers, with participation ranging from 92 to 234 people. Most of the activities lasted 3–4 h. In particular, in 12 of the 21 interventions, youth work was integrated into the school week; all of these took place in northern countries, Finland and Estonia, where youth work is more established within formal education settings. Furthermore, most of the youth workers were already employed in schools, which facilitated easy access to the field and a smoother implementation of the activities.

In Greece, a planned case study within secondary education was not carried out due to institutional barriers, highlighting the challenges associated with access to formal school settings. The feasibility of such interventions is largely dependent on the discretion of individual school principals, some of whom are open to external collaboration, while others remain hesitant or resistant. In contrast, the NGO ARSIS, which maintains established partnerships with schools, was able to successfully implement activities within nonformal education spaces. This juxtaposition illustrates the limited openness of formal educational institutions to external interventions, an openness that tends to improve when access is facilitated by a recognised and trusted organisation.

2.2. Data Collection

For the YWIS project, the four partners used educational interventions as powerful tools to explore and promote democratic citizenship, well-being, sustainability, and community strengthening in schools. This approach involved youth workers and educators to identify challenges such as limited civic participation, mental health concerns, and low sustainability awareness. Working collaboratively with teachers, students, and local stakeholders, they developed initiatives such as student-led democracy projects, peer mentoring for well-being, sustainability programmes, and community engagement activities to encourage active participation and social responsibility. Through participatory observations and reflective discussions, pilots (youth workers and educators) collected data to evaluate the impact of these interventions.

As part of educational interventions that examine how youth work can support democratic citizenship, well-being, sustainable development, and community strengthening in schools, a comprehensive questionnaire was developed and administered to educators and youth workers. Created using the Webropol platform, this 36-question survey gathered in-depth information on the implementation, effectiveness, and broader impact of interventions.

The questionnaire captures key details about the implementation, including when the educational interventions were conducted, the school or community setting where they were conducted, and the people involved, such as students, educators, youth workers, and other stakeholders. By documenting these aspects, the survey provides a structured account of how youth work initiatives were integrated into the school environment and their impact on student participation, well-being and learning outcomes.

A significant portion of the questionnaire is dedicated to evaluating the research process. Educators and youth workers are asked to reflect on the effectiveness of the interventions, the challenges encountered, and the successes achieved. Open-ended questions allow respondents to share qualitative insights, offering a nuanced perspective on the strategies used to cultivate democratic participation, improve student wellness, promote sustainability, and strengthen school-community connections.

Beyond evaluation, the questionnaire also serves as a platform to shape educational policy. Some questions invite respondents to provide recommendations on how youth work can be better integrated into schools, emphasising the role of youth workers in supporting student personal and social development. These responses contribute valuable data that can inform policy discussions on the importance of youth work in education, advocating institutional support, resources, and formalised collaborations between schools and youth work organisations.

The insights gathered through this Webropol survey are instrumental in refining educational intervention practices, strengthening the role of youth workers in educational settings, and influencing policy decisions that recognise the importance of student-centred learning approaches. By systematically analysing the data, researchers and practitioners can make evidence-based recommendations to improve future youth work interventions and promote a more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable school culture.

2.3. Data Analysis

This study applied a thematic analysis following the Braun and Clarke (2006) six-step framework to systematically explore how youth workers and educators experienced interventions. The process began with data familiarisation through repeated readings of the responses, allowing the research team to identify recurring ideas and key concepts. The open coding was then applied inductively to ensure that the themes emerged directly from the data without theoretical bias. A total of 234 codes were generated and grouped into broader categories based on their conceptual similarities. This process involved ongoing comparison and refinement, as many responses overlapped or touched on multiple areas, making categorisation a nuanced task. The development of themes required a careful balance between specificity and inclusivity, with the aim of preserving the richness of the data without creating an overly fragmented structure.

To enhance analytical rigour, researchers carefully documented each step of the analysis, independently coded the data before reaching consensus, and maintained reflexive journals to minimise potential bias. Peer debriefing sessions further strengthened the credibility of the interpretations. The analysis resulted in two overarching themes: Individual and Collective Development, which included the subthemes of Community and Well-being and Social Transformation, encompassing sustainability and democracy. This categorisation provided a clearer lens through which to understand the impact of youth work on both student personal growth and broader educational and social change. However, some responses remained complex and multilayered, requiring iterative refinements to ensure that the themes accurately captured the data and aligned meaningfully with the study’s research objectives.

3. Results

In the results section, the analysis draws directly from the YWIS Handbook, utilising specific best practices referenced by their titles and the corresponding page numbers (

Table 1. Final Themes & Activities from the YWIS Handbook.

Key Topics	Relevance	YWIS Activities (Handbook Reference)
Community in Schools	Peer mentoring, group bonding, school-community links	Get acquainted, Be present, Listen Supporting Group Dynamics, Artistic Renewal of Public Spaces
Enhancing Well-Being	Mental health reflection, outdoor activities	Hands of Mental Health Outdoor Classroom and Class
Sustainability	Sustainable Futures, Circular Economy Practices	Vision for a Sustainable Future Environmental Sustainability in Fashion
Democracy	Youth elections, Participatory governance	Youth Elections Student Council Initiatives

). These activities, implemented in the four participating countries, serve as concrete examples of how youth work can improve community building, sustainability, well-being and democracy in schools. By examining the representations of youth workers and fieldwork educators, this section discusses the impact of these practices, the challenges encountered, and the broader implications for integrating youth work into educational settings.

3.1. Individual and Collective Development

The theme of Individual and Collective Development highlights how youth work enables both personal empowerment and stronger school communities, as reflected in the experiences of youth workers in the YWIS project. Through non-formal, student-centred approaches, youth workers created inclusive environments that allowed students to express themselves, connect meaningfully with others, and grow emotionally and socially. This theme includes two key dimensions: Community in Schools, which focuses on cultivating collaborative and caring school cultures; and Enhancing Well-Being, which emphasises the development of resilience, self-awareness, and mental health. Together, these dimensions show how youth work not only supports individual growth but also builds a shared sense of belonging and responsibility, an essential foundation for inclusive and thriving learning environments.

3.1.1. Community in Schools: Creating Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environments

The interventions revealed that youth work plays a significant role in nurturing a sense of belonging and building stronger community ties within school settings. By creating opportunities for students to participate in shared experiences and collaborative activities, youth workers reported that they became more comfortable expressing themselves and connecting with peers. They described how carefully designed sessions, such as storytelling, group discussions, and team building exercises, helped break social barriers. As one facilitator from Estonia explained:

‘Students who rarely interacted in class found common ground through group activities, helping them build stronger connections with their peers’.

These observations suggest that youth work initiatives foster open dialogue and mutual respect, thereby contributing to a school climate where interpersonal differences become resources for learning rather than barriers. Literature supports these findings: students’ sense of belonging—feeling accepted, supported, and included—has been consistently linked to improved academic and emotional outcomes (see Korpershoek et al., 2020). In our case, youth work served as a mechanism to embed belonging into everyday school life, offering students not only emotional safety but also a social identity anchored in collective engagement.

A key strategy repeatedly mentioned by youth workers was the development of peer support networks. Through mentorship, buddy systems, and cooperative learning structures, students were encouraged to take on leadership roles and support one another academically and emotionally. One youth worker in Finland emphasised,

‘We’re not just helping students—we’re showing them how to help each other’.

Several youth workers noted that pairing older and younger students in peer mentoring programmes fostered confidence, intergenerational relationships, and a culture of responsibility. One youth worker in Portugal recounted a student’s comment:

‘Having an older student as a mentor made me feel more confident and supported’.

This aligns with studies showing that peer mentoring can significantly boost students’ sense of connection, self-esteem, and leadership skills, benefiting both mentees and mentors (Javier et al., 2021). The student-led aspect of these programmes was critical: rather than being directed top-down, youth workers facilitated environments in which students could co-create relationships of care and accountability.

In addition to strengthening internal school relationships, youth workers described how their efforts expanded students’ engagement with the broader community. Involving families and local organisations in events such as volunteer projects, collaborative art installations, and neighbourhood clean-up campaigns gave students the opportunity to view their school as part of a larger civic ecosystem. A youth worker in Greece shared,

‘Students who participated in community projects became more invested in their school and surroundings, taking pride in their contributions’.

These experiences were not merely extracurricular; rather, they transformed the curriculum from within, expanding students’ civic identities and reimagining school as a community space—not just a site of instruction. Research has shown that school-community partnerships enhance students’ sense of purpose and increase family–school trust, especially when engagement is sustained and inclusive (Stefanski et al., 2016).

Notably, youth workers themselves often acted as bridge-builders, linking the school with families, local groups, and underrepresented voices. By occupying a hybrid role—neither formal teacher nor external visitor—they were well-positioned to mediate relationships across institutional and cultural divides. As one facilitator put it,

‘We’re connectors—between students, between students and teachers, between schools and families’.

Ultimately, youth workers involved in the YWIS project saw youth work as a catalyst for inclusive, cooperative, and resilient school communities. Their structured, student-centred interventions emphasised not only academic outcomes but also relational, emotional, and civic dimensions of learning. As a youth worker powerfully stated,

‘By providing spaces where students feel heard and valued, youth work has strengthened school communities, promoting social cohesion and collective action’.

These insights underscore the transformative potential of youth work in shaping school culture. By bolstering inclusive participation, cultivating empathy, and grounded school life in shared responsibility, youth work prepares students not only for academic success but for active, engaged citizenship. In this sense, youth work functions not as a supplement or an extra, but as a relational infrastructure that sustains the daily fabric of Community in Schools.

3.1.2. Enhancing the Well-Being of Young People: Supporting Mental Health and Building Social Connections

By cultivating spaces grounded in safety, creativity, and dialogue, youth work was found to support students’ emotional and social development in meaningful ways. This was particularly evident in activities such as Outdoor Classroom and Class (Handbook, p. 91) and Hand of Mental Health (Handbook, p. 83), where young people were encouraged to explore multiple dimensions of their well-being—rest, nutrition, emotions, relationships, and physical activity. As one youth worker mentioned:

‘Participants became more aware of how daily choices affect their mental health and identified specific areas that need attention’.

This simple yet effective self-assessment method allowed students to visualise their inner states and take ownership of their emotional health. In this way, the activity not only fostered self-awareness but also helped students develop a sense of agency—an essential element of emotional resilience (Cahill & Gowing, 2024).

Youth workers also highlighted the importance of experiential and embodied practices in supporting young people’s ability to manage stress and anxiety. Nature-based sessions, such as canoeing, paddleboarding, and outdoor group games, were frequently described as moments of ‘joy’ and ‘connection’, especially for students unfamiliar with outdoor education. One facilitator from Greece explained:

‘Group members loved the activities, which offered them something they had never experienced before in their schools’.

Beyond their recreational value, these experiences contributed to lowering stress levels, enhancing peer interaction, and building emotional trust within the group. This is consistent with research showing that outdoor and experiential learning environments can reduce anxiety and support emotional regulation (Pascoe et al., 2020).

Another recurring theme in the data was the value of peer connection in promoting social and emotional well-being. Activities that encouraged dialogue, collaboration, and storytelling created opportunities for students to relate to one another beyond academic hierarchies. Youth workers described how intentionally designed group sessions helped break social barriers and foster a sense of shared belonging. A facilitator from Estonia noted:

‘Students who rarely interacted in class found common ground through group activities and built stronger connections with their peers’.

This aligns with evidence that social connection is a critical protective factor in adolescent well-being (Howard et al., 2024). When young people feel part of a peer group, they are more likely to develop prosocial behaviours and emotional resilience (Keles et al., 2020).

Importantly, the findings also highlight the role of supportive adults—particularly youth workers—as non-evaluative, trusted figures in students’ lives. Youth workers consistently described their relationships with students as central to the success of the interventions. Unlike teachers, they occupied a more flexible and empathetic role, often described by participants as a ‘critical friend’ or ‘safe person to talk to’. One youth worker explained:

‘The combination of reflection, creativity, and connection encouraged students to approach their well-being in a more proactive and holistic way’.

This relational dynamic reflects the ‘One Good Adult’ concept, which shows that having a trusted adult is strongly associated with adolescent mental health, life satisfaction, and emotional stability (Roffey, 2011; Jagosh et al., 2024). Through regular, informal interactions and emotional attunement, youth workers contributed to creating emotionally secure environments within schools.

Overall, the interventions illustrated how youth work can create spaces for emotional literacy, self-regulation, and belonging—key building blocks of well-being and resilience. By facilitating reflective, peer-oriented, and nature-based activities, and by cultivating authentic, caring relationships, youth workers helped establish the conditions necessary for students to thrive both emotionally and socially. These insights affirm the belief among practitioners that youth work is not merely a supplementary service but a central mechanism for fostering mentally healthier and more relationally connected school communities (Howard et al., 2024).

3.2. Social Transformation

The theme of Social Transformation captures how youth workers described their efforts to promote sustainability and democracy through school-based interventions. Their reflections revealed that students became more engaged in environmental responsibility and civic participation when given hands-on opportunities to act and reflect. These activities, ranging from eco-projects to student elections, helped students connect global issues with everyday school life, fostering agency, collaboration, and critical thinking. According to youth workers, these experiences empowered young people to see themselves as active contributors to larger social change.

3.2.1. Contribution to a Sustainable Future Engaging Students in Environmental Responsibility

Youth workers who implemented the YWIS interventions highlighted the important role youth work can play in fostering sustainability awareness and supporting responsible environmental behaviours among students. Through participatory, reflective, and hands-on approaches, youth work offered students meaningful opportunities to connect with environmental issues both intellectually and emotionally, helping to move sustainability from abstract discourse into lived school experience.

One particularly impactful activity cited was the ‘Vision for a Sustainable Future’ (Handbook, p. 43), which invited students to reflect critically on environmental degradation and creatively imagine alternative futures. Using comparisons of past and present landscapes, youth workers facilitated discussions that supported students in analysing the human impact on ecosystems while envisioning transformative solutions such as renewable energy, green buildings, and low-emission mobility systems. As one facilitator shared:

‘Students creatively imagined future changes, such as futuristic transportation and green buildings’.

This activity not only encouraged critical reflection but also helped students see themselves as future-oriented agents of change. From a pedagogical perspective, it resonates with concepts of action competence and futures literacy (see Mangnus et al., 2021) in sustainability education, as it invites students to explore both systemic critique and hopeful envisioning (Mochizuki & Bryan, 2015).

In addition to reflective exercises, youth workers emphasised the importance of experiential and collaborative learning through hands-on initiatives. A notable example was the student-led clothing exchange market at the ‘Green School’, which merged environmental awareness with peer learning and civic responsibility. Youth workers supported students in designing a system for clothing swaps, encouraging sustainable consumption and reducing textile waste. As one youth worker observed:

‘Students actively engaged in logistics, ensuring smooth transactions and discussing the impact of fast fashion’.

This example illustrates how practical engagement with the circular economy became an opportunity for students to get in touch with sustainability principles through embodied experience. Rather than simply hearing about environmental issues, they applied knowledge in real-world contexts—demonstrating the pedagogical value of ‘learning by doing’ (Skulmowski, 2024).

According to youth workers, these interventions not only raised environmental awareness but also supported students in translating knowledge into everyday action. Activities like zero-waste lunches, school garden initiatives, and student-led energy audits prompted behavioural change and, in some cases, led to tangible shifts in school policy or infrastructure. Youth workers reported increased student motivation to reduce personal waste, advocate for greener practices, and initiate discussions with school leadership. As noted in several responses:

‘In my opinion, the projects we did showed that even small actions within schools can inspire broader cultural changes and longer-term commitments to sustainability’.

These findings are consistent with the idea that sustainability education should cultivate student agency, not merely awareness. By engaging students as contributors to collective transformation, youth work aligned with core principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and whole-school approaches (UNESCO, 2021; Kiilakoski & Ord, 2025). One youth worker from Estonia noted that such projects often had ripple effects:

‘After the clothing swap, students started talking to their families about consumption. It didn’t stop at the school gates’.

The interventions also helped frame sustainability not only as an environmental issue but as a social and ethical concern. In some activities, students explored questions of fairness, accessibility, and global responsibility, linking ecological practices to broader reflections on justice. As one facilitator shared:

‘It was interesting that students didn’t just want to learn about recycling—they wanted to understand why so many people can’t afford eco-friendly products. The issue seemed deeper.’

By introducing these dimensions, youth workers moved sustainability beyond behaviour change into the realm of critical ecological literacy (Koyama & Watanabe, 2023). This expansion reflects a deeper pedagogical commitment to empowering students to question, connect, and imagine alternatives—not only to act more responsibly but to think more justly.

Throughout the data, youth workers consistently emphasised their role not as content deliverers but as facilitators and co-learners, supporting students in planning, problem-solving, and reflection. In doing so, they helped embed sustainability into the rhythm of school life—not as a one-off project but as part of the school’s evolving culture. As one practitioner reflected:

‘The real change happened when students saw that sustainability could be part of how the school lives, not just something to learn about in one lesson’.

By linking visionary thinking with tangible engagement, youth work bridged the gap between environmental education and meaningful, context-specific action. These insights affirm the belief among practitioners that youth work interventions can cultivate sustainable lifelong habits, foster student agency, and reimagine schools as spaces for ecological and democratic transformation.

3.2.2. Deepening Democracy in Schools: Empowering Students Through Participation

According to the youth workers who implemented the activities, youth work played an important role in fostering democratic participation among students by offering them hands-on, inclusive opportunities to engage in civic life. These activities moved beyond theoretical instruction to lived democratic practice, helping students understand democracy not only as a governance structure but as an everyday relational and ethical experience (Biesta, 2021).

One of the most impactful initiatives reported was the organisation of youth elections, where students engaged in every step of the democratic process—from nominating candidates and preparing campaign materials to facilitating debates and casting votes. These student-led elections mirrored real electoral systems and were described by youth workers as highly engaging. A facilitator from Greece observed:

‘Students became interested in politics and elections’.

Through these immersive exercises, students began to see themselves as civic actors capable of influencing their school environment. Several youth workers noted that participation in such events encouraged students to ask deeper questions about representation, inclusion, and leadership—marking a shift from passive observation to active contribution (Torsdottir et al., 2024).

In parallel, youth workers facilitated student council elections, classroom forums, and participatory budgeting, all of which provided platforms for democratic engagement in everyday school life. One youth worker shared:

‘We explained the importance of being part of the decision making for the school and its future’,

emphasising the importance of building voice, accountability, and ownership as democratic dispositions. These practices align with contemporary models of participatory democracy, where schools act as microcosms for inclusive civic learning (Pechtelidis & Kioupkiolis, 2020).

A notable example of participatory governance came through school-based participatory budgeting projects, where students debated and voted on how to allocate funds for improvements. In one case, students chose between creating a quiet zone and greening a school courtyard, learning to justify proposals, deliberate with peers, and reach consensus.

‘They didn’t just vote—they had to justify, convince, and sometimes compromise’, said a youth worker from Portugal. These findings are supported by wider research, which identifies participatory budgeting as a powerful tool for youth democratic learning and agency (Bartlett & Schugurensky, 2024).

Youth workers also implemented youth-led consultations and student research projects, such as school climate audits or peer-led interviews on well-being and inclusion. These initiatives positioned students as knowledge producers, not just participants—empowering them to present findings and recommendations to school leaders. This kind of engagement closely reflects democratic education principles that promote student voice and partnership (see National Youth Agency, 2023).

Another key contribution of youth work was its capacity to bridge gaps in formal civic education. Youth workers and educators alike noted that classroom-based civics often focus on abstract or institutional knowledge, offering limited opportunities for authentic engagement. As one youth worker reflected:

‘They might learn what democracy is in social studies, but here, they got to live it’.

This aligns with critiques in the literature that point to a ‘practice gap’ in civic education—one that youth work addresses by providing real democratic roles and active experiences (Pantazidis, 2024).

Importantly, youth workers also prioritised inclusion. Several intentionally recruited students who were typically left out of leadership roles—such as quiet students, newcomers, or students with disabilities—and supported them in taking part in councils or class deliberations. These practices reflect a deeper commitment to equity, ensuring that democratic participation is not confined to an elite few (Pantazidis & Pechtelidis, 2025). As one facilitator from Greece commented, ‘After the youth-led forums began, it wasn’t just the same kids speaking—students who had never raised their hand were leading discussions. This is the value of role-play’.

Finally, youth workers helped students connect civic action to broader community and social justice concerns. In some schools, students conducted community surveys or hosted dialogues on issues such as school safety, gender equity, or climate action—extending democratic learning beyond the classroom and into the public sphere (National Youth Agency, 2023).

In summary, youth work helped embed democratic values—participation, deliberation, inclusion, and shared responsibility—into the framework of school life. Students gained not only procedural knowledge of democracy but also a sense of agency, efficacy, and belonging. As one reflection summarised:

‘To my mind, these experiences showed students that their voices matter’.

This sense of being heard and having impact is central to cultivating schools as democratic communities and young people as engaged, socially responsible citizens.

4. Discussion

As highlighted in the introduction of our study, we anticipated significant national variations in the integration of youth work within school settings, stemming from differing institutional contexts and policy frameworks across the YWIS partner countries. In Finland and Estonia, youth work interventions were predominantly embedded into the formal school schedule, often implemented during school hours and on school premises. Youth workers in these contexts were frequently school employees or closely affiliated professionals, facilitating smoother access to students and closer collaboration with school staff. Conversely, in Greece and Portugal, youth work is not formally recognised within the school system and is therefore rarely implemented during school hours. In Greece in particular, youth work has not been officially recognised as a distinct professional category, limiting its institutional legitimacy and access to public funding. As a result, interventions more commonly take place in non-formal or after-school settings, often coordinated by NGOs. These national contrasts underscore both the importance of institutional support and the adaptability of youth work to diverse educational ecologies (Sahlberg, 2011; Ord, 2016).

The interventions implemented were typically carried out during the school day, with varying levels of voluntariness. Youth workers reported that while activities were integrated into the school schedule, student involvement was encouraged rather than mandated. This approach aimed to promote intrinsic motivation and genuine engagement among students. For instance, in peer mentoring programmes, students opted into roles as mentors or mentees based on interest, promoting a sense of ownership and commitment to the process.

Peer mentoring programmes promoted intergenerational bonds and cultivated a culture of mutual support. Environmental initiatives connected abstract knowledge with tangible practices like clothing exchanges and school audits, promoting sustainability through action. Democratic interventions—such as youth-led elections and participatory budgeting—offered authentic platforms for student voice and agency. These practices filled curricular gaps, addressed student needs, and made school spaces more inclusive (Kiilakoski et al., 2025).

Despite their success, interventions faced barriers: time constraints, limited space, inconsistent recognition, and challenges in scaling participation. These were most pronounced in contexts where youth work was not yet institutionally embedded. Nonetheless, youth workers adapted creatively, often using peer networks and informal mentorship to build trust and extend impact. Strategies such as leveraging social networks and organising larger school campaigns were proposed to increase visibility and inclusivity (Howard et al., 2024).

Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on democratic and inclusive education by showing how youth work supports participatory school cultures, civic learning, and emotional well-being. Practically, it demonstrates that youth work can act as a bridge between formal education and the broader community, offering flexible, student-centred learning models. These insights are especially relevant in times of growing social fragmentation, environmental crisis, and mental health challenges among youth.

This study also has limitations. It draws primarily on the perspectives of youth workers and lacks a sustained longitudinal lens or systematic inclusion of student and teacher narratives across all sites. Future research should deepen this comparative lens and explore long-term impacts of youth work integration on educational ecosystems.

Future research should also examine how youth work practices evolve over time when embedded in school cultures, especially in under-resourced or marginalised communities. Comparative ethnographic studies across different educational systems could offer deeper insight into the contextual conditions that enable or hinder meaningful youth participation.

In conclusion, the YWIS project shows that youth work can meaningfully transform schools into inclusive, participatory, and caring communities. Its effectiveness lies in its relational depth, adaptability, and commitment to young people’s agency. For youth work to realise its full potential in education, it must be structurally supported, professionally legitimised, and pedagogically embedded—always with youth as co-creators at the centre.