Finally, a physical meeting again! From 23-25 March 2022, StartNet Europe partners were able to meet face to face for the first time in over two years. The 6th StartNet Europe Network Meeting was hosted by the Goethe-Institut Zagreb, which welcomed partners from Austria (Jugendnetzwerk Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich), Belgium (Tracé Brussels), France (Apprentis d'Auteuil), Italy (Alfa Liguria), Germany (Stadt Mannheim), Croatia (Stiftung Wissen am Werk / Znanje na Djelu), Lithuania (Viko/LIBA), Northern Macedonia (ARNO & STAYnet), and Spain (Fundación Santa María la Real).
The networking meeting gave old and new StartNet Europe partners the opportunity to get to know each other better and to explore possibilities for new project cooperation. The programme kicked off with a project gallery session, which enabled all organisation to introduce themselves and their most representative projects and initiatives. Next day, a dedicated session offered the space for the participating organisations to present their new project ideas and to seek potential new partners.
Another highlight was the presentation of the local partner, the Croatian foundation Wissen am Werk / Znanje na Djelu and the initiative THE CIVICS Innovation Hub, where deeper insights into their work on internships and mentorship, digital orientation programmes as well as civic education were given. Using the World Café method the other partners shared their experiences on these topics, so everyone benefited from the deep exchange.
For the first time since its launch in 2020, STAYnet, StartNet's sister project in South-East Europe, also took part in a European network meeting. Falk Schleicher from the Goethe-Institut Skopje was particularly pleased to "take part in a meeting in Croatia, as there are many similar challenges here and we could now personally get to know other partners and their work. This exchange is very valuable to us".
