3 September 2026 On 4 September 2026

Amplifying School Students’ Voices in Europe and Beyond – Summer 2026

The summer holidays are (unfortunately) over, and the OBESSU team is back with its batteries (mostly) recharged and its calendars (already) filling up! As September kicks off a new chapter, the whole office is getting back into the rhythm, catching up, planning ahead and getting ready for everything the autumn has in store.

Informal Breakfast with Commissioner Micallef: On June 29, the European Youth Forum organised an informal breakfast between Commissioner Glenn Micallef and the new leadership of the European Youth Forum, together with representatives from their membership (like OBESSU). The event was a good opportunity to be updated on the new developments in the youth field (such as the Erasmus+ programme and the EU Youth Strategy) and to informally discuss them.

LLLP General Assembly 2026: On 29-30 June, the Lifelong Learning Platform held its annual General Assembly in Brussels, bringing together its full membership, including OBESSU. Discussions during the two days covered AI in education, alongside the approval of reports, new Steering Committee elections, and the welcoming of three new member organisations.

“Reimagining Youth Participation at the Local Level: Reflections for the EU Youth Strategy” BIC Roundtable Discussion: With the aim of exploring the distinctive nature of youth participation at the local level and generating insights for the new EU Youth Strategy, the Brussels Office of the Baha’i International Community brought together, on June 30, local administrators, young people, youth organizations, and other European institutional actors. The discussion provided an informal, participatory, and collaborative space for collective exploration of the thematic area of conversation.

CEDEFOP Webinar “Quality of apprenticeships in the EU”: On July 1, OBESSU participated as a speaker at this CEDEFOP webinar, bringing the VET learners’ perspective to the table of the discussion on Quality Apprenticeships. The event presented Cedefop’s comparative analysis based on the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships, followed by a panel with representatives from governments, employers, trade unions, providers and apprentices on which practices actually improve apprenticeships’ quality.

Webinar “AI Literacy in Education: System-Level Perspectives and Priorities”: Following the launch of the AILit Framework, this webinar explored how it can support system-level perspectives and priorities for AI literacy in education. It focused on how the Framework can support shared language, policy and strategy discussions, system support, and planning across education systems where relevant; participants then considered how the Framework can help stakeholders align priorities, support educators and learners, and advance high-quality, inclusive digital education.

“Blue Book traineeships for VET graduates” EAfA information session: Held on July 23, this EAfA webinar provided a clear overview of the new opportunity for VET graduates to apply to a Blue Book Traineeship and offer practical guidance for potential applicants, as well as for VET organisations and networks wishing to share the opportunity with their learners. The session also included a dedicated Q&A segment, giving participants the opportunity to raise practical questions.

EDEH Webinar “Beyond the classroom: How edu-influencers shape student learning”: As students turn more and more to social media for study advice and learning, the European Digital Education Hub hosted OBESSU Board Member Kacper Bogalecki on the 2nd of September to discuss the emerging phenomenon of “edu-influencers” together with Swedish influencer Emanuel Behi Åkesson and Associate Sociology Professor Gabriella Taddeo. Why are young people increasingly turning to edu-influencers? How evidence-based is the advice they share? What role should educators, schools, and policymakers play in this evolving digital learning landscape? Discover the students’ perspectives on these issues here!

Updates from the European Institutions:

Mark your calendar

September 8^th, OECD, Launch of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (online)
September 10^th, YMCA Europe, Community Forum “From Emergency Response to Sustainable Integration: Scaling Community-Based Solutions for Refugee Inclusion in Europe” (Brussels)
September 17^th, European Climate Pact, Webinar “Greening your job – Making a career in sustainability” (online)
September 22^nd/23^rd, European Commission, Launch of the European Literacy Coalition (Brussels)
September 29^th, European Student Network, Diversity and Inclusion in Erasmus+ Conference (Brussels)
September 29^th/30^th, European Commission’s Coal Regions in Transition (CRiT) initiative, Event “Beyond Coal: Youth Perspectives for Thriving Regions” (Germany)