The 2025 YouthxYouth Learning Festival is set to engage youth activists and adult allies from around the globe in a transformative dialogue focused on reimagining education in the face of the world’s complex challenges. One of the key elements of this festival is the Café Experience – a series of intergenerational, small group conversations designed to foster collaboration and create actionable solutions for education transformation. This year, the theme centers around “Education for the End of the World as We Know It,” exploring how education systems can evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.
The YouthxYouth Café Experience invites experienced youth activists and adult allies to join forces and discuss what it means to reshape education in response to shifting global realities. Over the course of three days, participants will explore critical questions, build meaningful relationships, and engage in collaborative actions that address education’s role in creating a more resilient and inclusive future.
What is the YouthxYouth Café Experience?
The YouthxYouth Café Experience offers a unique opportunity for youth and adult allies to come together in small groups of 10-15 participants (typically 8-10 youth activists and 3-5 adult allies). Over the course of three days, each Café will be guided by deep conversations aimed at exploring education’s potential to contribute to societal transformation. Participants will engage with one another to co-create tangible actions and discuss how to move forward in response to complex challenges in education.
The Café experience will unfold around the central theme of “Education for the End of the World as We Know It”. This theme calls for a profound reflection on the ways in which existing educational systems are often inadequate in addressing the pressing global crises—such as climate change, inequality, and political instability—that threaten the future of our planet.
Through this experience, participants will address how to build an education system that is more inclusive, resilient, and relevant to the needs of future generations.
Key Learning Themes
The conversations in the Café will unfold through three key questions, which will guide discussions over the three days of the festival. Each day of the Café will tackle one of the following guiding themes:
- DAY 1 – WHAT IS: FACING (What do we need to open our eyes to?)
The first day of the Café will focus on acknowledging the present and examining the challenges that lie ahead. Participants will explore the current state of education and the outdated paradigms that no longer serve the needs of the people or the planet. This day encourages participants to confront uncomfortable truths about what is at stake, what has been lost, and what must change to create a more sustainable future. The focus will be on awareness and recognizing the gaps in the existing educational frameworks.
- DAY 2 – WHAT IF: GROWING UP (Who do we need to become?)
The second day shifts focus to the future: What might an education system look like if we were to transform it to meet the needs of the world’s most pressing challenges? In this session, participants will explore the personal and collective transformation required to foster an education system that empowers young people to confront these challenges. Discussions will center on the kind of leaders, thinkers, and community members we need to become to shift paradigms in education and society at large.
- DAY 3 – WHAT NOW: SHOWING UP (How do we start/continue to show up in these times?)
The final day will focus on action. How do we begin or continue to act in service of education transformation? In this session, participants will explore how to take what they’ve learned and turn it into tangible steps for transformation. This could involve grassroots activism, policy changes, advocacy, or community-building initiatives. The goal of this day is to generate concrete actions that can lead to systemic change in education and beyond.
Who Should Apply for the YouthxYouth Café Experience?
The YouthxYouth Café Experience is open to anyone who is passionate about education transformation and who has the experience, commitment, and drive to engage in deep, meaningful discussions. However, the program specifically targets:
– Experienced youth activists: Young leaders who have been involved in activism and are already taking action in their communities or countries to address education-related issues.
– Adult allies: Those who are working alongside youth leaders or who have experience in education reform, policy-making, or community-based initiatives that intersect with youth-led activism.
Participants are expected to be active, experienced contributors who are prepared to engage in both reflective and solution-oriented conversations.
The YouthxYouth Learning Festival Café Experience is open to applicants from all around the world, with the aim of fostering intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogue. This is an exciting opportunity for youth and adults alike to connect, build relationships, and co-create actionable steps to shape the future of education.
What Does the Café Experience Entail?
The YouthxYouth Café Experience is a blend of structured dialogue, collaborative co-creation, and dynamic group interaction. The small group settings (with a mix of youth activists and adult allies) are designed to foster intimacy, allowing participants to build trust and engage in deep conversations. Some key components of the experience include:
- Intergenerational Dialogue:
The Cafés bring together youth and adult allies to engage in dialogue, emphasizing the value of learning from each other’s experiences and perspectives. By working side-by-side, both groups have the opportunity to bridge generational divides and co-create solutions that reflect both the wisdom of experience and the energy of youth.
- Co-Creation of Actionable Outcomes:
In addition to discussions, the Café groups will co-create tangible actions aimed at addressing education transformation. This might include developing a new project idea, drafting a proposal for policy change, or collaborating on a strategy to advocate for new educational frameworks.
- Reflection and Healing:
The Café experience provides space to reflect on losses and grieve outdated systems that no longer serve us. Through conversations, participants will explore how to process grief, embrace healing, and renew a shared hope for a better, more resilient world.
4.Global Networking:
Participants will have the opportunity to network with like-minded change makers from around the world. These connections are essential for future collaborations and ongoing learning. The festival offers a platform for creating a global network of youth and allies committed to transforming education and addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.
Eligibility Criteria
To participate in the YouthxYouth Café Experience, applicants must meet the following criteria:
– Experience: You should have a proven background in youth activism, education reform, or other related fields.
– Commitment: You must demonstrate a strong commitment to social change, particularly in education transformation.
– Intergenerational Collaboration: The program emphasizes collaboration between youth and adult allies. Therefore, applicants should be open to working across generations.
– Global Representation: The festival is open to applicants from anywhere in the world, with the intention of creating a diverse and global space for dialogue.
Application Process
To apply for the YouthxYouth Café Experience, interested individuals must complete an application form. The process typically includes the following:
- Personal Information: Basic details including your background, professional experience, and motivation for applying.
- Statement of Interest: A brief essay or statement that outlines your commitment to education transformation and the specific actions or projects you have worked on or are currently working on.
- References: Some applications may require references from individuals who can speak to your activism or leadership.
Join the YouthxYouth Café Experience
The YouthxYouth Café Experience 2025 offers an extraordinary opportunity to engage in deep, intergenerational dialogue with a global network of youth leaders and adult allies committed to reshaping education for the challenges of the future. Over three days, participants will explore the most pressing questions surrounding education, envision new possibilities for the future, and collaborate on tangible actions to transform education systems worldwide.
If you are passionate about addressing the challenges in education, eager to learn from diverse perspectives, and ready to take action, the YouthxYouth Learning Festival Café Experience could be the transformative space you’ve been seeking.
Apply today and become part of a global movement dedicated to building a world where all life belongs through transformative education.
Apply via the link below:
https://www.youthxyouth.com/applications/2025-learning-festival
