ESC: YOUTH INFORMATION, YOUTH PARTICIPATION, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

The National Youth Card Association (NYC) is a non-governmental organization established in 2015. The mission of the organization is to encourage and support youth mobility and active participation in civic life. The main goals of the organization are to engage young people to act as active and responsible citizens of Bulgaria and the European Union; to provide them with opportunities to participate in various forms of mobility and intercultural encounters; and to increase their understanding of human diversity and human rights. Additionally we focus on the involvement young people and youth workers in community service and volunteering, in order to support the development of competencies that will improve their social inclusion, employability, participation, well-being, tolerance, etc. Following its mission and goals, the NYC organizes events and activities that support: - mobility of young people at national and European level, access to quality youth information, dissemination of information, better opportunities for youth mobility and youth participation, and the implementation of the recommendations to the strategy of The EU for youth; - the development of the European Youth Card Association' s network for youth discounts; - youth initiatives in Bulgaria; - providing funds for small youth projects; - organizing various seminars, conferences, trainings, etc. Another objectives of the NYC's activities are: - development of youth “human" (soft) skills and improvement of the capacity of young people to join the labor market - activities in support of the recognition and validation of educational competencies acquired through self-learning; - promoting volunteering among young people - advocacy and lobbying for youth interests before Bulgarian and European institutions. The NYC has a steering committee of three members : one of them is fully involved in the management of the organization's projects. NYC works part-time with an accountant, an IT specialist and a marketing manager. NYC also works part-time with various other professionals depending on the needs of its various projects, events, activities. The NYC engages young people in its initiatives on a voluntary basis. NYC is a member organization of the European Association of Youth Cards in Bulgaria.