Both nationally and internationally recent years have depicted an alarming picture of declining well-being among children and youth. In the Danish context, two recent reports indicate that the development over the past 10 years in the well-being of children and youth is negative on almost every parameter. In short, many children report positively on their well-being, but a large share of children are facing problems with low life satisfaction, loneliness, low sense of self-esteem and a lack of belief in their own competences. Building on the strengths of volunteer sector organisations, the overall aim of this project is to promote active citizenship among young people in Northern Europe through capacity building of youth leaders and youth workers working directly with children and young people. As a two-day seminar organised for youth leaders and youth workers from volunteer organisations in Northern Europe Youth Lab will create a learning laboratory for discussion and exchange of knowledge and inspiration on youth recruitment and youth involvement, in particular in relation to vulnerable groups of children and young people who are experiencing loneliness, marginalization and feelings of inadequacy. The specific objectives of Youth Lab are to: Objective 1: Establish a common knowledge base on the current state of well-being and youth culture among children and youth in Northern Europe Objective 2: Share good practice from recent initiatives and campaigns on recruitment and involvement of children and youth, especially vulnerable groups that are experiencing loneliness, marginalization and inadequacy Objective 3: Exchange ideas and inspiration for the take-up of initiatives in this field Objective 4: Create a European network among the participants to facilitate their continued exchange of ideas and experiences related to the inclusion of vulnerable groups of children and youth. Youth Lab will take place in Copenhagen on 25-26 September 2015 and will engage 34 participants including facilitators from six different countries in Europe: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Estonia, Iceland and Norway. The participants are youth leaders and youth workers who are actively engaged in youth organisations in the partner organisations and their network organisations. During the seminar a wide variety of working methods will be used including: Ice breakers and energizers for team-building purposes and for keeping the energy level high - Presentations and panel debates with presenters - A study visit - Various methods for small group discussion - Spaces for individual and group reflections - Speed dating - Brainstorming - Network cafe As a result of the seminar participants will gain a solid knowledge base on the current state of the well-being of children and youth and knowledge about good practices for recruitment and engagement of children and young people, especially in relation to vulnerable groups who are struggling with loneliness, marginalization and feelings of inadequacy. Equipped with ideas and suggestions for the practical take-up of the good practice elements participants will be in a good position to make important changes in their own organisations within this field. Through the network established during and after the seminar, participants will be able to follow and support each other in their efforts to take up the ideas and inspiration from the seminar in their own organisations. The seminar will also result in a Prezi presentation summing up the content and results of the seminar which will strengthen the participants’ retention of the learning. Through their participation in the seminar partners will gain a “window” and direct access to good practices in the field of youth recruitment and involvement in general and in relation to vulnerable groups in particular which in turn can serve to develop and improve their own youth work in important ways. Working together in a close partnership at the European level will also allow the partners to develop greater openness towards new approaches to youth work and international inspiration. In this way, the seminar will help partners to increase the international dimension of their youth work and enhance their own organisational development. Exchanging good practices of youth work and strengthening of partnerships and networks between youth organisations in different countries in Europe are important elements in the capacity building of youth organisations and will enable then to develop relevant, attractive and effective youth activities in Europe in the future. In the longer term, it is also the ambition of this project to make important contributions to the overall agenda of inclusion of vulnerable groups and the fight against loneliness among children and youth in Europe.