Investing in Youth Leadership in Antwerp

Belgium | Antwerp

The City of Antwerp’s Youth Department identified marginalised young peoples’ need for targeted leadership and resilience training, alongside a space for social connection.

The City of Antwerp used its City Grant to organise a leadership weekend retreat in Ardennes, Belgium for 20 young people, including six participants from Young Cities. The initiative received positive feedback from the youth and local partners on the diversity of participants gathered and the fruitfulness of the discussions and trainings. The weekend provided a safe space and learning opportunity to delve deeper into the topics of effective leadership, managing mental health and complex self-identities in a diverse city.

Expanding More Inclusive Youth-Facing Initiatives

There was strong interest among the youth to continue receiving such opportunities facilitated by the city, including among Young Cities participants who had originally faced barriers in working with the city. Given the demographic of the participants, this activity provided a pathway for city officials to sustain their engagement with a more diverse subset of young people in Antwerp.