News

Yourope Project’s Internal CLRA Workshops

16 January 2025

From 13th to 15th January, the Yourope project held its first internal workshop on Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA) methodology. Led by Dr. Naomi van Stapele (THUAS) and Dr. Luca Morini (Coventry University), the online sessions brought together project partners for an in-depth introduction to CLRA. Over three days, participants engaged in four-hour interactive workshops designed to familiarise them with the methodology and its implementation with students. Now equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills, they are ready to integrate CLRA into their research and educational activities across Europe.

What is CLRA?

Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA) is a participatory research model that places young people at the forefront of investigating and addressing societal challenges. Rooted in democratic principles, CLRA ensures that youth and their communities collaboratively research, analyse, and act upon issues that directly impact them. Within the Yourope project, this methodology serves as a tool to connect grassroots experiences with European policy discussions, fostering greater youth engagement in democracy.

CLRA follows a five-phase, iterative process inspired by Appreciative Inquiry, which prioritises strengths, aspirations, and co-created solutions rather than focusing solely on challenges. The methodology unfolds over a four-month research cycle and is implemented across multiple educational institutions.

The Five Phases of CLRA

1. Define – The research cycle begins with young people identifying key societal issues that matter to them and their communities. This phase involves exploratory discussions and establishing relationships with relevant stakeholders.

2. Discovery – Youth researchers conduct in-depth fieldwork, including interviews, research walks, and consultations with experts and community members. This phase helps them analyse how European policies shape local realities.

3. Dream – A creative and visionary stage where young people imagine alternative futures and consider how democracy could be more inclusive. Methods such as art, storytelling, and participatory theatre are often used to explore aspirations.

4. Design – Participants translate their insights into practical solutions, such as policy recommendations, awareness campaigns, and community-driven initiatives. This phase ensures that research findings lead to tangible outcomes.

5. Destiny – The final stage focuses on action and sustainability. Young people implement their initiatives, engage policymakers, and assess their impact, ensuring long-term democratic participation and meaningful change.

Why CLRA Matters

• Empowers young people by giving them an active role in democratic processes.

• Bridges local and European levels by connecting community issues with broader policy discussions.

• Uses creative engagement methods such as exhibitions, theatre, and storytelling to make democracy more accessible.

• Strengthens youth participation in decision-making, ensuring that underrepresented voices are heard.

This inaugural CLRA workshop marks a crucial milestone for the Yourope project, equipping its partners with the tools needed to implement a youth-led, research-driven approach to European democracy. With a shared understanding of the methodology, the project is now ready to support students in leading meaningful change within their communities.

Framework and Toolkit

Youth-informed theory and a practical EU Citizenship Toolkit
 
Where the road leads: a grassroots-informed theoretical framework on European citizenship and democracy, built from the ground up on youth perspectives, and a youth-centred EU Citizenship Toolkit that turns these insights into practical resources for educators, youth workers and young people themselves. Results are expected in 2027.
Coming Soon

Main Survey

Measuring what matters, in language grounded in youth voices
 
The findings of the exploratory survey feed directly into the design of the main survey: a larger instrument grounded in young people’s own language, experiences and priorities. Instead of asking young people to respond to researchers’ categories, the main survey measures what matters in terms young people themselves have shaped.
Coming Soon

Exploratory Youth Survey

Learning from young people in their own words
 
Rather than starting from predefined assumptions, YOUROPE wants to learn directly from young people in their own words. This exploratory survey invites young people across Europe to share their views and experiences on citizenship, democracy, participation, inclusion and digital life. It is anonymous, voluntary, available in nine languages, and takes 10–15 minutes: an important first step in a co-creation process that places youth voices at the centre of the research.
JISC Survey

Research Foundations

Policy analysis and systematic literature review

Every roadmap needs a starting point. WP3 began with two parallel strands of research: a policy analysis mapping how youth citizenship and democratic participation are addressed across Europe, and a systematic literature review of what existing research tells us about young people, democracy and participation. Together, these form the evidence base of WP3 and are published as part of the WP3 report.
WP3 report

Dialogue Map

Turning findings into conversations on the dimensions of democratic life 
 
Building on the research findings, the team in Augsburg developed the Dialogue Map: a tool that turns what we learned into conversations. It is organised around key dimensions of democratic life, from youth voice and European citizenship to participation, inclusion and digital citizenship, each with a key question and discussion prompts to open up dialogue with and among young people.
Dialogue Map

D6 · Dimension

Digital Citizenship

Digital environments as civic and political space

KEY QUESTION
What does it mean to be a citizen online?
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
  • What do you do online that could influence others or public issues — even in small ways?
  • Do you feel that what you see online is shaped by algorithms or platforms? Can you give an example?
  • Where online do you feel like an active citizen — and where do you feel like just a user?

D5 · Dimension

Inclusion and Justice

Structural inequalities and intersecting identities

KEY QUESTION

Do you think everyone has equal opportunities to participate in society?

DISCUSSION PROMPTS
  • Who is often excluded or overlooked in your community — and why do you think that is?
  • What rules, habits, or systems make participation harder for some people than others?
  • What would need to change for participation to be fairer and more inclusive?

D4 · Dimension

Participation and Power

Procedural vs. substantive participation

KEY QUESTION

When does participation actually make a difference in your life?

DISCUSSION PROMPTS
  • Describe a situation where you participated — in a council, survey, protest, vote — but it led to no change. What did that feel like?
  • Where do you feel you genuinely have influence? At school, at home, online, in your city?
  • What is the difference between being asked for your opinion and actually having a say?

D3 · Dimension

European Citizenship

Europe as lived democratic space

KEY QUESTION
What does ‘Europe’ mean to you in your everyday life?
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
  • What does 'European Citizenship' mean to you? Describe it in a few words — or say what it doesn't mean to you.
  • Do you feel connected to Europe? Why, or why not?
  • What would need to change for Europe to feel more real or relevant to you?

D2 · Dimension

Youth Voice & Knowledge

Young people as knowers, not just learners

KEY QUESTION

Do you feel that young people’s voices and experiences are taken seriously?

DISCUSSION PROMPTS
  • Are there things you know or experience that are not taken seriously in school or in society?
  • When do you feel your opinion is genuinely valued — and when is it ignored?
  • Think of a moment when you were heard. What made that possible? And a moment when you weren't — what got in the way?