(DBYN – Heverlee) – “Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw”, the European network of Salesian youth organisations, in partnership with Bosco Base, the Salesian Youth organisation in Flanders (BEN) is launching AnimaKit, their new app for Games and Tools for animators.
After more than 2 years of brainstorming and hard work, AnimaKit is now available on both the AppStore (iOS) and the PlayStore (Android). Thought as a toolkit for Salesian animators, it can be used by youth workers and educators in schools, youth centres and parishes.
The app is a collection of games and activities that can be used for different age groups, different spaces, different situations and different group sizes. The app also includes a dice roller and a randomiser where you are given 3 prompts to create your own activities.
The app has been built to accommodate future growth as well. It is for now available in English and in Dutch but could have more languages in the future as well as other categories such as Good Nights ideas which will be implemented in the near future and information about the different youth organisations.
So, feel free to download it and check it out!
📥 App Store: https://apps.apple.com/be/app/animakit/id1110663829?l=nl
📥 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.donboscoyouth.animakit

Heverlee/Vienna – May 2021.​ We are very happy to announce the launch of the workbook “Act Now” dedicated to assisting young people and educators in project management of sustainability projects and more.
It was created and written by our member organisation, Salesianische Jugendbewegung Österreich (SYM Austria), building on their expertise and management of sustainability projects. The workbook presents very practical steps to follow when creating a project. Starting with the inception of a project to its evaluation “Act Now” gives its readers tools, tips, exercises and methods both on an individual level and for group settings. Additionally, it provides inspiration through the words of Don Bosco, quotations, prayers and the Encyclical Laudato Si.
This workbook is written by young people for young people to create their own project but also to support educators to help young people take full ownership of their project.
First written in German, the English version is an augmented translation with additional content, which is available both for self-printing and digital use. We hope that this workbook will be made available for as many people and organisations as possible, to guide young people in the creation of their own (sustainability) projects.

• The English version of the handbook can be found below.
• The original German version can be found here.
• Website of DBYN: donboscoyouth.net
• Website of SYM Austria: donbosco4youth.at

Heverlee (Belgium), 02 March 2020: Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw, the European network of Salesian youth organisations, participated in the writing of the joint Position Paper: Inclusive Youth and Education Programmes. The document, subscribed by a large number of European and national civil society organisations, is an urgent appeal to political decision makers to take measures regarding more inclusive EU youth and education programmes.
 
Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw, connecting 18 organisations in 16 countries dedicated to youth and to young people with fewer opportunities, sees inclusive youth work as an essential part of their daily work. As implementers of inclusive youth work projects, DBYN strongly believes that truly inclusive education programmes at European level should be accessible for every young person.
​
This position paper presents 9 recommendations and concrete practical suggestions for an inclusive implementation of the European youth and education programmes Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. These recommendations are based on the gathered experience of implementing the programmes in the areas of youth work, adult education, vocational training as well as school education and voluntary services. DBYN hopes that these recommendations will improve the new generation of programmes in order to facilitate the participation of ALL young Europeans.


--- end press release ---
 
 
Further information:
 
Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw
Naamsesteenweg 37, B-3001 Heverlee · +32 (0)16 48 78 90
[email protected]
www.donboscoyouth.net
 
Deutscher Caritasverband e.V., EU Office
Lisa Schüler
EU Funding Officer
Rue de Pascale 4-6, 1040 Brussels · +32 2 230 45 00
[email protected]
www.caritas.de/

Our former general secretary Rein Meus contributed to the new publication of the EU-CoE youth partnership: "The history of youth work in Europe, volume 7".
In Chapter 4, he discusses the creation of DBYN and the origins and reasons of our particular working style.
We thank him again for this huge work and all the work he has done during his fourteen years at the DBYN office.
We wish you all a good reading!
​

Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw has released a games App for Smartphone and tablet. The App consists of a unique collection of over 240 games to inspire group activities. The game App is a fun and interactive tool to be used by animators and youth workers on youth exchanges, summer camps or training courses, as well as an inspiration for playing group games in youth clubs, schools and oratorios. You can download the Games App from our Games App portal page, or directly from ITunes or Google Play.

This is a document developed by DBYN's international secretariat, aiming to give our member organisations a resource for diversifying their financial source. The document brings together information which can be found all over the internet on financial resources, and combines that with an analysis how to use which resource.

You may wonder; what is the purpose of VALUE and what do I gain from it? This workbook has been created to be an easy and fun to use reflection toolon the competences developed during an intercultural experience. This booklet also gives you, as an international volunteer, general support before, during and after your intercultural experience.

The main goal of VALUE is to motivate international volunteers to reflect on their own position as an international volunteer and the competences gained from the experience abroad. Other than that the Salesian values of Don Bosco have been integrated in the methodologies used in this booklet. Even though VALUE is based on Christian values it is intended for every international volunteer, regardless of their religious background. VALUE is partly based on a Belgian Booklet called “het groeiboekje”.

​“Het groeiboekje”, literally translates as “growth book”, is a reflection tool on the competence development of animators/instructors in local Don Bosco youth organisations. By making VALUE we wanted to create a similar reflection tool but in an international volunteer context. For that reason VALUE discusses subjects such as expectations, stereotyping, culture shock, and reverse culture shock. To make sure this booklet is an easy and fun to use tool, the content has been structured in a logical, chronological way (before, during and after the intercultural experience) and text has been minimized. ​You can find more information about the resources used to create VALUE onder the section "Resources".

DIGNITY is a publication for youth workers on the subject of safeguarding.  The subject deals with the issue of protecting children and young people against various forms of abuse. The aim of the publication is to raise awareness on safeguarding within youth work settings, through providing a theoretical framework and sharing good practices existing within Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw.  This publication was co-funded by the European Youth Foundation.

HUJAMBO is an informative game which enables you to discuss with young people on values in their lives, and use this discussion as a method to work on intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The game aims at young people from 15 years of age upwards. It can be used in a youth movement, in a youth club, at international youth meetings, during youth retreats, in schools etc. It was producted with the financial support of the European Youth Foundation.