EU4Youth: Pathways Youth Academy in Armenia fosters civic empowerment and community action for displaced youth

The Pathways Youth Academy grant project concluded in April 2025 with a closing event in Yerevan, celebrating the youth’s achievements and launching a new volunteering platform to sustain engagement and foster a growing network of young civic leaders.

The Pathways Youth Academy grant project was launched in early 2025 by Hub Artsakh Social Economic Development NGO to address the civic exclusion and psychosocial challenges faced by displaced youth from Nagorno-Karabakh. Many of these young people struggled with limited access to civic education, mental health support and leadership opportunities, leaving them isolated and unable to engage meaningfully in their new communities.

The Academy aimed to change this by equipping 60 displaced youth from Goris, Gyumri, and Yerevan with essential knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active civic actors and changemakers. The project combined capacity-building workshops in civic education, leadership, social entrepreneurship, and mental health support with community-driven projects, culminating in a public event to showcase their achievements.

Through targeted outreach efforts and partnerships across the regions, the Academy successfully recruited a diverse cohort of participants, who engaged in interactive workshops and mental health sessions, achieving measurable improvements in knowledge and wellbeing. In spring 2025, the project started the development and implementation of youth-led community initiatives, where various teams launched grassroots projects addressing local needs in their regions. These initiatives ranged from career orientation sessions and youth clubs to cultural events and hiking clubs, reflecting the creativity and commitment of the participants.

Looking ahead, Hub Artsakh remains committed to sustaining the impact of the Pathways Youth Academy by maintaining strong connections with alumni through mentorship, expert networks, and an emerging alumni community. Many participants have already taken ownership of long-term projects and have been organising follow-up activities in May-July 2025 after the conclusion of core activities, demonstrating a lasting commitment to civic engagement and community development.

This grant project is implemented by Hub Artsakh Social Economic Development NGO with the financial support of the German Government and European Union within the framework of the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ project, implemented by GIZ as part of the Strengthening Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership countries project.