Candidate centres and public authorities that wish to develop a youth centre can use the acquisition of the quality label as a guide to establish their centre in line with Council of Europe standards. As support, the Council of Europe can provide the candidate centre with expert input in relation to the conceptual and practical development of youth policy and youth work, and specific advice on the development of the infrastructural, managerial, administrative and educational quality of youth centres whose main mission is value education with young people.

In line with this, the Quality Label for Youth Centres Programme offers targeted coaching for youth centres to support the improvement of their pedagogical offer.

Candidate centres can count on some specific support measures. For example, they have the opportunity to participate in the annual meeting of the European Platform of Youth Centres, their staff can participate in Youth Department (YD) training activities, they have access to the educational materials of the YD for internal use and dissemination, and they have access to copyright for translations of such materials that are provided.

On the one hand, centres will have access to participation in relevant international activities for exchange and knowledge sharing, particularly the European Platform of Youth Centres. On the other, they will be supported in making connections with other structures that have successfully acquired the label that can advise them. In addition, candidate centres will have access to the Youth Department's extensive European network of experts in training, youth policy, youth research and youth work.

The acquisition of the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres provides centres with international, institutional recognition and legitimation for their work, given the Council of Europe's institutional relationships, its history of standard setting, and the moral authority of its philosophy of youth work and policy. This can help centres to access recognition at home and abroad, and may help them to access support and resources to fulfil their mission.

The Council of Europe strives to amplify the voices of the quality labelled youth centres, through providing a platform for discussion and promoting its consequent outcomes. The Marienthal Statement, adopted at the 16^th European Platform for Youth Centres, has been the most recent demonstration of this commitment.

Main theme(s):

• Destelheide: Art education, creative and artistic workshops and academies, training sessions, Human Rights education
• Hanenbos: Nature and adventure, outdoor and art education, Human Rights education, team building exercises

Infrastructure

The infrastructure of the youth centre is specifically designed to meet the needs of the two buildings. Destelheide is equipped for creation, artistic and educational sessions, and (international) conferences and seminars. Hanenbos is equipped with forest experience trials, ropes courses, a climbing wall, in addition to meeting and seminar rooms.

Link to a public authority:

• The youth centre is managed by the non-profit organisation ADJ (General Service for Youth Tourism) by order of the Government of Flanders.

Hosting capacity

• Destelheide: 240 beds
• Hanenbos: 110 beds

Staff

• 35 part and full time staff (equivalent to 28 full time employees) of which 2 are educational staff members

Website

• www.destelheide.be and www.hanenbos.be

Contact

Guy Uyttebroeck - Director Destelheide-Hanenbos
Address: Destelheide (Destelheidestraat 66) & Hanenbos (Lotsesteenweg 103), 1653,  Dworp,
Tel: +32 23803915; 
Mobile: +32 475441040
E-mail: [email protected]

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2016-2028

Main theme(s):

• Our focus is on outdoor education. We offer adventurous workshops that use non-formal learning methods to create meaningful experiences in nature. We want children and youngsters to fully experience the green environment of the domain.

Themes of our workshops are working together, nature, experiencing culture and human rights.

Link to a public authority:

• The domain of de Hoge Rielen is owned by the Government of Flanders. It is managed by the non-profit association ADJ (General Service for Youth Tourism) of which the board members are all approved by the Government of Flanders.

Hosting capacity

• We have 17 lodge buildings with a number of beds between 15 and 84. The total number of beds is 870.
• In addition there is a Hostel (room for 76 people in 20 rooms).
• Spread over 17 camping grounds, there is room for another 2.300 people.

Additional info

• De Hoge Rielen has undergone a strong evolution since its establishment. Since 1983, the educational service has been focusing on nature education and adventurous discovery, organizing different types of activities and projects for and with young people.

Staff

• 48 permanent staff of which 5 are educational staff members
• 10-12 seasonal staff members
• 40 volunteers

Website

• https://www.dehogerielen.be

Contact

Bert Mellebeek
De Hoge Rielen
Address: Molenstraat 62, 2460 Kasterlee
Tel: +32 14 55 84 10;
E-mail: [email protected]

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2020-2028

Main theme(s):

• improvement the access of the young people to high quality services and programmes; 
• supporting the international and intercultural dialogue; 
• work toward personal and sociocultural development of the young poeplе, living in small towns and villages in Plovdiv region; 
• promotion of the healthy lifestyle; 
• development of the creativity and the artistic skills of the young people; 

Link to a public authority

• The centre is a Municipal Enterprise, part of Plovdiv Municipality.

Hosting capacity

• 41 beds, 17 rooms

Additional info

• Youth Center Plovdiv was built under the project: BG06 - 103 "Establishing of a Youth Center in Plovdiv", Component 1 "Care for young people at risk", Program "Children and Youth at Risk, financed through the financial mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 - 2014.  The youth centre is built near the Regatta Venue Park in the city of Plovdiv. It is a three-story building with different functional areas: an accommodation area, offices and administrative part, study rooms, computer rooms, library conferenece hall.The work of the centre is geared towards supporting and improving the life and well-being of the young people, aged 15-29, through developing and implementing non-formal educational activities. The services and programmes offered at the youth centre are accessible to all people, including such coming from low-income families, social institutions, ethnic minorities as well as young people, living in remote villages around Plovdiv. 

Staff

• The educational staff of the centre includes 4 youth workers ( one of which is also an educational adviosor), 1 Roma mediator, 1 mediator. The total numberof the employees is 20.

Website

•  http://youthcentre.plovdiv.bg/en

Contact

Velichka Lazarova
Director Municipal Enetrprise ''Youth Centre Plovdiv"
Telephone number: +359 888 900 676;
E -mail: [email protected]
Address: 18 Yasna Polyana Street, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2018-2025

Main theme(s)

• To promote Human rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law values among young people.
• To provide prerequisites for overcoming the isolation of youth at risk, with focus on NEET, ethnic minorities and refugees youth, as well as to decrease the probability of antisocial behaviour and to support their inclusion into  the society.
• To provide opportunities for developing skills and competences, necessary for professional orientation and career development of young people.
• To establish international partnerships for organising multinational youth initiatives, youth exchange visits, job shadowing and intercultural dialogue

Link to a public authority

• The IYC – STZ was reconstructed and is managed by the Municipal Authority of Stara Zagora.

Hosting capacity

• 36 beds in 10 rooms

Additional info

• The International Youth Centre for Children and Youth at Risk – Stara Zagora (IYC – STZ) was established by a project of Stara Zagora Municipality, under BG06 Children and Youth at Risk Programme, component 1 - Care for Youth at Risk, funded by the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009‐2014. The Programme Operator in the Republic of Bulgaria is the Ministry of Education and Science - Structural Funds and International Educational Programmes Directorate General. The Programme promoter is the Centre for Educational Integration of Children and Students from Ethnic Minorities (CEICSEM). The Council of Europe is the Donor Programme Partner.

Staff

• There are four youth workers. There is an educational mediator and one Roma mediator. Three full time people work at the reception. Two cleaning staff and one maintenance person.

Website

• https://iyc.starazagora.bg/en/

Contact

E-mail: [email protected]
19 Knyaz Alexander Batenberg blvd., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2017-2027

Main theme(s)

• International youth work
• Social youth work
• Development and coordination of regional youth work
• Environmental education & Sustainable development
• Adventure education

Link to a public authority

• Youth Centre Villa Elba is one of the eight national youth centres is Finland mandated and supervised by the Ministry of Education and Culture. 
• The youth centre is owned by the City of Kokkola.

Hosting capacity

• 74 beds

Staff

• Permanent staff: 17
• Pedagogical staff: 6

Additional info

Youth Centre Villa Elba is located by the sea about 4 km from Kokkola city center. Beside the youth center, Villa Elba is a popular venue for school camps, camps, meetings, seminars, trainings and celebrations. We offer interesting programs for companies, meetings and parties and good food all year around.

Website

• www.villaelba.fi

Contact

Catarina SILVANDER
Youth Centre Villa Elba
Address: Sannanrannantie 60, 67100 Kokkola, Finland
Tel: +358505206362
E-mail: [email protected]

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2014-2026

Main theme(s)

• Organising youth work activities, developing quality of youth work and supporting youth participation in the region
• The centre develops and implements youth work methodology, such as social youth work, adventure pedagogics, school cooperation etc.
• Promoting international orientation and intercultural learning of young people
• Environmental education & sustainable development
• 25 years of experience in youth work (hyphen on website)

Link to a public authority

• Youth Centre Marttinen is one of the national youth centres in Finland mandated and supervised by the Ministry of Education and Culture, specialised in implementing the Finnish Youth Act and Policy at the regional level. Their strategy on youth work connects strongly with the Finnish values, principles of the Finnish Youth Act (1285/2016), Finnish National Youth Policy (211/2017), and the one of Finnish Youth Centres Association (Strategy 2020).

Hosting capacity

• 200 beds

Staff

• Pedagogical team of 6 youth work professionals, total staff 27.

Additional info

• Marttinen is one of the centres supported and overseen by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. The centre’s setting is in a beautiful natural location in Virrat, central Finland. It is located 100 km from both Tampere and Seinäjoki, 115 km from Jyväskylä and 270 km from Helsinki. The Marttinen Youth Centre offers quality youth work activities in a pleasant and safe environment for a wide range of groups, courses, training events and other activities all year around.

Website

• https://www.marttinen.fi/

Contact

Managing Director
Sanna Jarvensivu
Tel.: +358 (0)3 485 1922
[email protected]

Coordinator of international youth work
Antti Korhonen
Tel.: +358 (0)44 715 1917
[email protected]
 

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2019-2026

© Stiftung wannseeFORUM

Main theme(s)

• Political and civic education, cultural and arts education and media youth education
• Education for democratic citizenship
• Education projects targeting young people with migration background
• Youth participation projects
• International youth exchanges
• Main target group: young people and multipliers from the youth sector, age 12 to 27, from the City and Federal State of Berlin

Link to a public authority

• The wannseeFORUM Foundation is the oldest of Berlin's seven youth education centres. The institution receives its state funding from the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family, administered by the coordination centre of the Berlin State Youth Council. This is also where the Berlin Youth Education Centre Working Group is based, of which wannseeFORUM is a permanent member alongside the directors of the other facilities and a representative of the Senate Administration.
• In addition to the state of Berlin, the foundation is funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education and Erasmus+. As a member of the Association of German Educational Organizations, a civic youth educator is based at the centre. This program is financed by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The foundation is regularly inspected by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family.

Admission capacity

• 96 beds

Staff

• The highest body of the institution is the Board of Trustees, which elects the Executive Board, which is made up of five members. It is accountable to the Board of Trustees and appoints a dual leadership consisting of the head of the education department and the head of administration.
• The wannseeFORUM Foundation employs 28 full-time and part-time staff and is supported by more than 70 freelancers, most of whom are artists who work with young people to implement the centre's educational programmes.
   

Further information

• The wannseeFORUM foundation upholds fundamental democratic values. It is not affiliated with any party, religion or interest group. The centre stands for openness to the world, diversity and equal rights for all, regardless of gender, religion, social or cultural background. Universal human rights form the core of the centre's philosophy. It has a unique profile to strengthen political and cultural education.

Website

• https://wannseeforum.de/en

Contact

Dr. rer.pol. Roman Fröhlich
Educational management
Mail: froehlich(at)wannseeforum.de
Tel.: .: +49 (0)30 – 806 80 17

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2019-2026

Main theme(s)

• European political education, including European values, understanding structures and processes within Europe
• Human Rights education
• International and intercultural youth work
• Democracy education and social skills
• Cultural youth work and media education
• Historical education

Links to public authority

The European Youth Education Centre in Magdeburg (EJBM) maintains strong links with public authorities at the local, regional and federal levels.

Locally, the city of Magdeburg provides significant support, notably by granting the use of the “Villa Böckelmann” as a residential youth centre. Regionally, the EJBM is one of four youth centres supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs of Saxony-Anhalt, including financial backing. The State Chancellery also backs the EJBM in promoting youth mobility, while the Ministry of Education collaborates closely on workshops and projects, especially with the "Europe-Schools" network. The youth centre also receives support from the German Red Cross Saxony-Anhalt Regional Association.

Hosting capacity

35 rooms (140 beds) with modern amenities, including wheelchair-accessible facilities.

Staff

25 full-time equivalent positions: administration team (5), pedagogical team (6), kitchen team (6), service (5), housekeeping, caretaking, and reception (3), plus several local and international volunteers and honorary experts

Additional info

The EJBM is located in the Villa Böckelmann, a historic neo-renaissance building in the district of Ottersleben, in the very south of the state capital Magdeburg. Surrounded by an English landscape park and featuring a spacious garden, this unique location provides our guests with an ideal setting for exchange, educational work and collaborative learning.

We are particularly proud of our in-house international kitchen team. With fresh ideas and high-quality ingredients, they provide our guests with dishes to suit every taste each day. Healthy vegetarian, vegan and pork-free options are a standard part of our menu.

When it comes to our education programmes, we believe that the best way to do quality youth work is to listen to those who are affected by it: young people. That's why we let our Youth Advisory Board have a say in how we plan, project and communicate. They enrich and support our work in a wide variety of ways, especially in our work with schools and at youth events.

Website

www.ejbm.de

Contact

EJBM - European Youth Education Centre Magdeburg

Lütten-Ottersleben 18a

39116 Magdeburg – GERMANY

Phone: +49 (0)391 636 01 80

E-mail: [email protected]

Main theme(s)

Within the frame of missions stated, the Märjendall youth centre has two different thematic programme pillars:

• Experience the team, with a focus on team building activities and a project that aims to prevent violence in secondary schools, basic schools and halfway houses by encouraging young people to carry out their own preventive actions and activities to raise awareness among their peers.
   
• Experience the media, with a focus on media creation and media criticism. Beside the inhouse activities they organize a national video competition with 3 categories, a child reporter and a late-night show project.

• Furthermore, the center is engaged in activities in the area of education in for sustainable development (pedagogical farm) and youth leader trainings.

Link to a public authority

• The center is run by the National Youth Service (SNJ) in Luxembourg. The youth service itself is a public body and depends on the Ministry of Education, childhood and youth.

Hosting capacity

• Accommodation for 96 people in 18 rooms.
• Campsite for 80 people
• In addition to that the center has an apartment with 5 single rooms for people staying for longer periods, as for example volunteers.
• 14 meeting rooms in different sizes

Additional info

• The center’s equipment for educational activities includes: a pedagogical farm, a media house with a green screen studio and 3 media labs; a high ropes course, a team building park, an archery area with targets, tandem mountain bikes.

Staff

• 8 educational workers
• 5 administrative workers
• 4 technical staff

Website:

• www.erliewen.snj.lu

Contact

Jugendzenter Märjendall

Rue de Keispelt

L-7411 Marienthal

Max Wagner
Email: [email protected]
Tel. +352 247-76409

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2018-2025

Main theme(s):

• Sports and youth:
• Citizenship and participation
• Associations
• Volunteering and free time
• Training and non-formal education
• Innovation, employment and entrepreneurship: social, cultural and economic
• Health and healthy lifestyles
• Social inclusion and gender equality

Link to a public authority

• Lisbon/Expo Youth Centre is one of the 18 Youth Information Centres existing in Portugal under the direct responsibility of IPDJ (PORTUGUESE SPORTS AND YOUTH INSTITUTE), the governmental body for the implementation of youth and sports policies

Hosting capacity

• 11 double rooms (10 with private WCs);18 multiple rooms (4 beds). Total of 92 beds.

Additional info

• LISBON/EXPO YOUTH CENTRE – Parque das Nações is located in a residential area, ten minutes’ drive from Lisbon airport and ten minutes’ walk from the main train and metro station of the city (Oriente).

Website

• https://cjl.ipdj.gov.pt/en/home

Contact

Lisbon Youth Centre

Rua de Moscavide, Lote 4.71.01 - Parque das Nações

1998-011 Lisboa - Portugal

Phone: +351 21 892 0827

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: https://cjl.ipdj.gov.pt

facebook.com/CentroJuventudeLisboa

instagram.com/centrojuventudelisboa

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2015-2027

Main theme(s):

• Human Rights Educa9on
• Non-Formal Educa9on
• Development of Crea9vity, Entrepreneurship, Ci9zenship and Youth projects.
• Environmental Educa9on and Sustainable Development

Link to a public authority

Braga Youth Centre was born Centre was a result of a protocol between Movijovem, the Municipality of Braga, InvestBraga, and the Portuguese Ins9tute for Sports and Youth (IPDJ).
Investbraga, to which Braga Youth Centre belongs and who is responsible for the management of BYC, is a municipal company with 100% of municipal capital. Because of this, the Mayor of Braga is also the president of Investbraga.

Hosting capaciy

• 26 bedrooms – up to 105 people
• 4 training rooms – from 10 to 40 people
• 1 auditorium – with 226 seats

Staff 

• 11 members of staff, 3/4 educational staff

Additional info

• The adaptability of the bedrooms allows to host from 52 people in double rooms up to 105 people in mul9ple rooms.
• The training rooms are equipped with projec9on, white-boards and flipcharts and theirconfigura9on can be easily changed to fit mul9ple purposes and receive different group sizes.
• The auditorium with 226 seats, 2 of them for people with reduced mobility can host conferences,reunions or cultural events.
• There is also available a restaurant, a laundry service, a common kitchen, a living room and aterrace with garden.
• All the building is easily accessible for people with reduced mobility, including one adaptedbedroom.

Website

https://centrojuventudebraga.pt/
 

Braga Youth Centre / Centro de Juventude de Braga

• Director: Pedro Couto Soares

• Braga Youth Centre 
  R. de Santa Margarida nº6 
  710-306 Braga

• (+351) 253 148 682 [national mobile call]
  (+123) 966 754 534 [call to the national fixed network]
  Mob: +351 966 754 534
• Email: [email protected]

Application for the Label

• Labelled Youth Centre for the Years 2024-2027

Main theme(s)

• Programmes and activities implemented by FITT range from social programmes for disadvantaged young people to cultural programmes, active citizenship and policy development (local and national). A rather new development is the field of entrepreneurship consisting of cooperation with local and national authorities to empower youth to access special programmes and facilities for young entrepreneurs (project “INCUBOXX”)

Link to a public authority

• FITT is the only youth NGO recognized as a «public utility» by Timisoara municipality. This recognition shows the importance given by the municipality to FITT and makes FITT eligible for direct financial support by public authorities.

Hosting capacity

• 40 persons in 15 rooms

Staff

• 2 educational workers and 14 technical or administrative support

Additional info

• The centre comprise:

• several meeting and training rooms of various sizes
• (6 rooms);
• theatre
• exhibition hall
• choreography rooms (3 different rooms of various sizes)

Website

• www.fitt.ro

Contact

Timis County Youth Foundation
Str. Aries nr. 19, Timişoara, 300 579, Romania
Phone: +40-0256-491170; 0356/456091

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2016-2028

Main theme(s)

• Environmental protection;
• Breaking prejudices, raising awareness of tolerance, solidarity and peace;
• Personal and group development by organizing and promoting voluntary work;
• Children and youth education and their active involvement in sustainable development.

Link to a public authority

• The Centre is owned by the regional NGO “Vojvodina Environmental Movement”. And it is supported by the local, regional and national authorities, in strategic and programme areas.

Hosting capacity

• 22 beds in a hostel-type rooms with shared bathrooms, and 24 beds in six four-bed rooms with bathroom. 2 conference rooms, 2 offices, spacious back yard, open classroom

Staff

• 1 full time and 2 part-time staff members

Additional info

• As a new wing we are constructing the building which will use renewable energy resources and it will be energetically efficient. Systems and technology applied in the construction would be an example to different target groups, willing to learn something more about this type of contemporary “green” architecture.
• The idea is to build the transparent space with demonstrative character, constructed on the principals of universal design, which means it will be available for everyone, in order to raise quality of life and work.

Website

• http://www.ekoloskicentar.org/

Contact

Nikola Blagojevic
Adress: Mitropolita Statimirovića 5
21205 Sremski Karlovci, SERBIA
Tel/Fax: +381 21 881027, GSM: +381 63 422920
E-mail: [email protected]

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2015-2027

Main theme(s)

• Youth information;
• International cooperation;
• Non-formal education;
• Children & youth programme;
• Culture & art;
• Youth mobility & tourism;
• Social entrepreneurship

Link to a public authority

• Brežice Youth Centre was founded by the municipality of Brežice and 40% of its budget is financed by the municipality on a yearly basis.

Hosting capacity

• 75 beds in 17 rooms
• 7 meeting rooms
• Exhibition hall; Sports hall; Studio, multimedia and video editing room

Staff

• 13 full-time employees and other (7)- student work, part-time work, employment programmes, etc.
• Educational staff working at the centre: 5
• Additional external educational staff: up to 50 ppl per annum (trainers, experts, consultants)

Additional info

• Youth centre operates since 1999 and is very active in Slovenia reaching out beyond the local area. We work for and with young people in order to facilitate their active participation in strengthening European civil society and upholding human rights, cultural diversity and social cohesion, to empower young people with fewer opportunities (social, economic, health challenges), to combat prejudice and exclusion, to increase employability of local youth and prepare them for labour market.

Website

• https://www.mc-brezice.si/

Contact

Zavod za podjetništvo, turizem in mladino
Gubčeva 10a p.p. 29
8250 Brežice
Slovenia

Katja Canzar, director
+386 (0) 590 837 92

Application for the label

• Labelled youth centre for the years 2013-2025