Ladder to Inclusion - Create Safer International Mobilities for Highly Vulnerable Young People

How can international youth mobility become truly safe, inclusive, and empowering for Highly Vulnerable Young People? This self-paced online course supports youth workers and facilitators with practical tools, trauma-informed approaches, and safeguarding competencies to create responsible and transformative mobility experiences.

A course for youth workers, facilitators, and organisations to learn how to create safer, more inclusive, and trauma-informed international mobility experiences for Highly Vulnerable Young People (HVYP).

This is a self-paced, interactive, and practice-oriented online course for professionals working in youth mobility and non-formal education. The course supports participants in developing the competencies needed to responsibly include and support young people facing multiple and intersecting barriers in international programmes.

You are going to learn about:

• safer and more inclusive mobility environments,

• safeguarding and risk management in practice,

• trauma-informed and solution-focused approaches,

• recognising and preventing harm and exclusion,

• supporting HVYP before, during, and after mobility experiences,

• professional boundaries, crisis response, and self-care in youth work.

About this course

International youth mobility projects can create powerful opportunities for learning, participation, connection, and personal growth. At the same time, for highly vulnerable young people, unfamiliar international environments may also involve increased vulnerability and risk.

This course was developed within the LADDER project to support youth workers and organisations in creating mobility experiences that are not only accessible, but genuinely safe, supportive, and empowering.

Through practical examples, case studies, reflection exercises, and field-tested approaches, participants will strengthen their capacity to:

• create safer and more inclusive mobility projects,

• anticipate and prevent risks,

• respond responsibly to challenging situations,

• and support young people facing multiple barriers.

Participants profile

The course was designed for youth workers, facilitators, trainers, teachers, mentors, group leaders, and organisations working with young people in Erasmus+, ESC, youth exchanges, volunteering projects, and other international non-formal learning contexts.

We hope this course will support you in creating mobility experiences where young people not only participate — but truly feel safe, respected, included, and empowered.

Disclaimer: The creation of this course was funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.