“Climbing the Ladder: fostering a culture of Youth Engagement (CL-YE)” Training for the Pool of Youth Facilitators for Democracy Activity Within the “Climbing the Ladder – Fostering a Culture of Youth Engagement (CL-YE)” project, DYPALL Network hosted the first training course for the Pool of Youth Facilitators for Democracy. The training took place from 7th to 12th April in Portimão, Portugal, bringing together 16 young leaders from 11 different countries, all of whom are actively engaged in the youth sector within their local communities. The primary objective of this training was to equip young people aged 18 to 25 with the necessary tools, knowledge, and skills to support organisations in implementing or enhancing mechanisms for youth engagement. Using non-formal education methodologies and guided by experienced trainers, participants were immersed in a dynamic learning environment where they could share experiences, develop competencies, and build networks with peers from across Europe. Key sessions of the training included:▪ Exploring skills and competencies of a Youth Facilitator▪ Parallel workshops on EU funding and research in the youth sector▪ Introduction to the CL-YE publication “Guidelines on Models and Mechanisms of Youth Engagement”▪ Development of the “Toolbox for Youth Facilitators” This initial training is an important step in the CL-YE initiative. The pool of facilitators will meet again for a strategic meeting in Italy, organised in cooperation with Europiamo ETS, to continue capacity building and further develop the project outcomes. The CL-YE project is coordinated by DYPALL Network in partnership with Europiamo ETS (Italy), YEPP EUROPE (Germany), Nordland fylkeskommune (Norway), EDYN (Slovakia), Assembly of European Regions – AER (France), and SQLearn (Greece), and is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.