Welcome to our exciting initiative, ‘Measuring Impact: with, for and by youth organisations.’ Our mission is simple yet impactful: We’re bridging the gap between policy-making, academic research, and practical applications in the youth sector. How? By elevating the standard of evidence that showcases the impact of youth organisations! At the heart of our project is a commitment to enhance the educational offers provided by youth organisations, particularly for young people in less privileged communities. We believe in empowering the youth, and this project is a step in that direction.

But we’re not stopping there. We’re determined to extend our reach well beyond our immediate network. Our goal is to be a pivotal player in the successful rollout of the EU Youth Strategy. By amplifying the evidence of societal impact and the effectiveness of youth empowerment activities, we’re setting a new standard in youth engagement. The project’s final output, the impact assessment toolkit, is currently being tested in six member organisations and will be made publicly accessible, allowing over 300 youth organisations belonging to WOSM and YMCA networks and beyond to access, test, and study the methodology, research guidelines, and materials. Youth organisations will have full access to the data collection and analysis tools and be better equipped to evaluate and improve their educational offer. Through a strong dissemination dimension, MIYO partners aim to build synergies between policymakers, youth associations, and the research community, linking participatory and inclusive research to evidence-based decision-making.

The project primarily focuses on these four key goals:

• Explore, enhance, and disseminate best practices for measuring impact both within the project consortium and beyond by establishing a network of research institutions and youth organisations;
• Strengthen the digital capacity of youth organisations to employ impact measurement methodology, primarily data collection and analysis tools, through the guidance of trained consultants;
• Measure the impact of non-formal education on the growth of young members in terms of skills, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours, by establishing a robust research methodology that can be applied throughout the network of youth organisations;
• Enhance the educational opportunities, particularly for youth from underserved communities and understand the strengths by collecting comparable and standardised data from several European countries and diverse youth organisations.

Youth organisations play a pivotal role in the fabric of society. By creating spaces for personal development, we enable young people to flourish by fostering connection, solidarity, and effective interpersonal communication. Each of these skills forms a cornerstone for an individual′s successful navigation through life, fostering self-confidence, resilience, empathy, and respect.