Welcome to YPL:
We are a Berlin-based think- & do-tank working globally on youth policies.
You’ll spot us at the junctions of research, policy, and practice; at the grassroots level as well as where decisions are made.
What we do:
We research and publish, facilitate and speak, design and implement. In some cases we put our logo on the front page, and sometimes we do the work behind the scenes. But no matter what, our hearts beat for non-formal youth work, evidence-based policies and research for, with and by young people. We provide open data and develop open educational resources as part of our projects because we care about making knowledge accessible to everyone.
This is where the fun begins
Find out more about our main fields of work:
Research & Advocacy
Youth Policy Labs is home to a multi-disciplinary research team. Designing and implementing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research is what we are passionate about. We believe that academic rigor and the pragmatism of applied research do not have to be mutually exclusive. When it comes to youth-led research, we also train young people to implement their own scientific inquiries.
Non- Formal Education
Youth work and non-formal education have proven to be crucial tools to bring about positive change for and by young people around the globe. We deeply cherish the spirit of non-formality, empowerment, and emancipation that vibes in good youth work projects. That’s why we are thrilled to keep creating meaningful learning experiences for young people and youth workers.
Journalism & Media Production
At Youth Policy Labs, we take facts just as seriously as design. That’s why we have a journalistic and design-driven approach for all of our projects: We are as much in love with details when working on policy briefings as when drafting open education resources for youth workers. For us, communication is not merely an add-on. That’s why we have a team of communicators and designers in-house.
Founded in 2010 and generously supported by the Open Society Foundations, our work started at youthpolicy.org – building a hub for knowledge and expertise on youth, youth policies, and youth issues. Today, we are an independent, not-for-profit think tank and research agency actively collaborating with civil society organizations, agencies, and governments.
We are currently working on:
Youthpolicy.org is a hub for knowledge and expertise on youth, youth policies, and youth issues. We amplify existing research and take a critical look at the international youth sector.
We compile fact sheets for every country worldwide, offering a snapshot of youth policies, rights, and participation. Behind each fact sheet lies meticulous research and analysis.
RAY is an open and self-governed European research network focusing on the European youth programmes. Youth Policy Labs is home to the RAY transnational research team.
With our project “Digitale Jugendarbeit” we developed the most extensive, open-access curriculum on digital competence for youth workers based on the principles of non-formal education.
We lend our knowledge and experience to guide, train and empower youth to conduct their own research, for young people to contribute to improved understanding of community issues.
This is a project of our sister organization Torten & Trompeten and is run in close collaboration with YPL. The project works to increase the number of women’s biographies on Wikipedia.
Who is behind it?
We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers, communicators, content creators, and practitioners with a wide range of backgrounds.
As a team it’s clear to us that YPL is unlike any other workplace we know of – While the work we do is often complex, working together feels easy because the atmosphere is welcoming and supportive, playful, and kind.