Youth Self-Expression Center – VAJE

Youth Self-Expression Centre – VAJE is the first youth centre established in Vilnius District Municipality, providing professional youth work services in urban, rural, remote, and socially sensitive areas. The organisation focuses on supporting young people’s personal development, strengthening awareness and independence, and encouraging active participation in community life. The centre aims to create a safe, open, and youth-friendly environment that responds to the real needs of young people, with a particular focus on young people with fewer opportunities, inactive youth, and young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). We believe that conscious, responsible, and empowered young people contribute to building a sustainable and resilient society. Since 2023, Youth Self-Expression Centre – VAJE has been accredited by the National Youth Affairs Agency under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour as a hosting organisation for youth volunteers. Since 2024, the organisation has also been officially identified as a provider of mobile youth work services in Vilnius District. Currently, the youth centre operates through several branches located in different areas, ensuring accessibility of youth services for young people living outside urban centres. The organisation implements various forms of youth work, including open youth work, mobile youth work, youth work in schools, and practical skills development activities based on non-formal education principles. The organisation actively cooperates with local authorities and contributes to the development and strengthening of youth policy at the regional level by representing youth interests and sharing practical experience in youth work. The youth centre is a member of the national association of youth centres and participates in discussions related to youth policy development at the national level. A key element of the organisation’s work is strengthening youth participation: the youth council operating within the centre is actively involved in planning activities and decision-making processes, ensuring that services reflect the real needs and interests of young people. Youth Self-Expression Centre – VAJE actively participates in international youth programmes, particularly Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. The organisation has experience in empowering young people to create and implement their own initiatives, organising community-based activities, and sharing good practices in youth work with partners from different European countries. The team has developed practical expertise in working with young people in rural and remote areas, especially in the fields of youth empowerment, inclusion, and non-formal learning methodologies. Currently, the organisation is interested in developing international partnerships within projects focusing on rural youth, as well as on the development and testing of youth work methods, particularly in school environments based on non-formal education principles. The youth centre seeks cooperation with organisations experienced in working with young people from rural or remote areas and with young people with fewer opportunities, aiming to jointly develop practical solutions applicable in different European contexts. The organisation strives to be a reliable, active, and long-term partner contributing to the development of high-quality and innovative youth work across Europe.