The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) took a decision at their 73rd meeting, held on 21 October, to award the Quality Label for Youth Centres to the European Youth Education Centre Magdeburg (EJBM) for an initial period of 3 years (2025-2027).
As of 2025, EJBM will join a growing network of 15 youth centres whose aim is to share best practice and knowledge among youth centres across Europe. The Quality Label for Youth Centres programme also promotes the European Youth Centre as standard-setting instrument and example of good practice for youth policy.
A formal request to acquire the Quality Label was submitted by the centre in May 2023 as the second German centre aspiring to join the network. Between 11-13 September, a formal evaluation visit was conducted in Magdeburg by a team of five experts to gain better insight into the mission, educational philosophy and strategic priorities of EJBM. The centre impressed the expert group as a key player in international and European youth work in Eastern Germany, underlined by the various institutional partners, including authorities from the city of Magdeburg and the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
In response to the CDEJ’s decision to award the label to EBJM, the Permanent Representative of Germany to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Heike Thiele said:
“Very recently, the Europäische Jugendbildungsstätte Magdeburg (EJBM) was awarded with the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres. My warmest congratulations for its outstanding efforts and extraordinary work which qualified the Centre for this award! Germany is fully committed to the Council of Europe’s Youth Sector and the Quality Label for Youth Centres programme. Therefore, it is a great joy, that Germany now has two Quality Labelled Youth Centres: the wannseeFORUM in Berlin and the Europäische Jugendbildungsstätte Magdeburg (EJBM). This emphasises the importance of European and International Youth Work in Germany. I am convinced that Magdeburg will contribute to it with many new and creative ideas and enthusiasm.
I wish the staff of Magdeburg’s Youth Centre a great success and to all its guests a wonderful stay and discoveries at the river Elbe.”
As of the 1 January 2025, the European Youth Education Centre Magdeburg (EJBM) will join the Quality Label for Youth Centres programme as the second German centre to be awarded the label.
Learn more about the Quality Label for Youth Centres programme on the dedicated page
photo: Exploratory visit of Magdeburg Youth Centre, September 2024
