European Youth Week from 24 April to 1 May 2026: Austria’s young people are committed to solidarity and fairness
From 24 April to 1 May 2026, the whole of Europe will be celebrating young people. European Youth Week brings together young people, organisations and institutions to highlight engagement, participation and active citizenship. Under the theme ‘Solidarity and Fairness’, the week of activities also marks 30 years of European voluntary service.
In Austria, European Youth Week is coordinated by the OeAD, the national agency responsible for implementing Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. Numerous organisations, youth initiatives and educational institutions across Austria are taking part in European Youth Week with events, workshops and creative projects. They demonstrate the diversity of young people’s engagement and the role that volunteering plays in social cohesion.
Connected across Europe, visible in Austria
The official launch of European Youth Week will take place on 24 April 2026 at the European Parliament in Brussels. More than 1,000 young people from across Europe will gather there to exchange ideas and discuss current social issues.
In Austria, too, the Youth Week will be visible across all federal provinces: the European Youth Week activity map already lists numerous events, ranging from workshops and discussion panels to creative initiatives. These demonstrate how young people are taking responsibility and contributing their ideas for a Europe based on solidarity.
Young people in Austria are particularly committed
Volunteering among teenagers and young adults in Austria is high: 50.4 per cent of 15- to 29-year-olds – around 740,000 young people – are involved in voluntary work, as shown by the 2026 Volunteering Report from Statistics Austria.
“Austria’s young people get stuck in, put ideas into practice and make a difference. They take responsibility and help shape our country. Almost one in two young people volunteer, thereby holding our country together. Getting stuck in and making a commitment – that is deeply Austrian and also radiates out across Europe. European Youth Week makes this commitment visible,” explains Claudia Bauer, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family.
EU programmes promote engagement and participation
The EU supports voluntary engagement among young people through programmes such as the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), which facilitates volunteering and solidarity projects both at home and abroad. The Erasmus+ programme also strengthens youth participation.
“We are seeing a steadily growing interest among young people in volunteering. This is also reflected in rising application numbers for Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. Organisations, associations, initiatives and educational institutions are now warmly invited to showcase their events on the activity map,” says Jakob Calice, managing director of the OeAD.
Makbule Temel, ESC Ambassador 2025, has experienced first-hand how volunteering brings people together: “During my voluntary work – whether supporting a person with a disability, mentoring young volunteers or creating art with children in my solidarity project – I have seen how solidarity changes lives in small but powerful ways. Volunteering enables people to grow, to be courageous and to discover what they are capable of. It strengthens communities, fosters empathy and reminds us that we all have something meaningful to offer.”
Makbule Temel completed a voluntary service placement in Spain with an organisation that supports blind people. After returning to Austria, she mentored young volunteers and eventually launched her own solidarity project, ‘Pottery on Wheels – Clay Connects’. With a mobile pottery studio, she reached almost 300 children, young people and adults with disabilities or traumatic experiences.
Background
European Youth Week takes place every two years and is organised by the European Commission. The aim is to raise the profile of youth engagement, participation and active citizenship in Europe.
Further information, official logos, educational materials and activity map:
