Slovak Youth Institute - short introduction

The Slovak Youth Institute is a state organization, directly managing by the Ministry of  Education, Science, Research and Sport  of SR. Its area of interest  is work with youth outside the school and the family and youth policy in Slovakia and outside as well. The aim of the activities is the implementation of the state policy towards young people and children.

Target groups of the Slovak Youth Institute activities:

• volunteers and professional youth workers from associations, youth organizations and school institutions;
• youth activists, youth group leaders, etc.;
  
• teachers from schools and school facilities;
• primary and secondary school students;
• workers from Regional school authorities and organizers of the lower rounds of competitions;
  
• workers from the different institutions in its decisions affecting the life and mission of Youth;
  
• researchers and PhD students working in the field of youth research. 

Slovak Youth Institute Activities:

• educational: participation of the young people at  the school, willage and region life, youth volunteers activities, backing up of applicants into grant programmes, human rights education, training activities in the area of work with talented young people etc.;
  
• conceptual:  preparation of state policy materials, act basic documents influencing life and status of the young people or entities working with youth (Civil associations, Free-time centres, etc.);
• informational: information network for young people and youth workers, basic documents for European portal EKCYP, Youth Portal, etc.;
• research: creation and filling up youth research data, seminars with topic- research , information network, participation in research projects, direct support of researchers, etc.;
  
• support activities for children and youth work development:, e.g. grant programmes administration;
• support activities in the area of work with talented young people – organization of nation-wide round competitions, winner´s meetings, committee meetings;
• international activities: mainly educational and informational.

The main areas of the Slovak Youth Institute activities comes out from the priority themes of youth policy:

• youth participation on  the life of  village, school, region;
• youth volunteering development;
• human rights education;
• non-formal education in the field of youth work;
• inclusion of young people with lack of opportunities into society.

There are currently 70 employees working in the Slovak Youth Institute (there of 40 are professionals). Other staff is involved in the management and operations of the organization and take care of the properties entrusted in the responsibility of IUVENTA (entity at Karloveska street, facility at Budkova street).