Co-Labs - YMCA WORLD COUNCIL 2022

Our collaborative space, Co-Lab sessions, will take you on a week-long journey in design thinking and collaborative problem-solving. Together we will explore and develop solutions to common challenges and best practice examples from around the world.

It's in these collaborative and co-creative sessions that the voices of future generations will be heard, and where we can act on the challenges that concern us most.

Want to be among the ones who shape how Vision 2030 will look like in practice? Join the World Council’s Co-Labs and make your mark! The Co-Labs are available both in-person and online.

Over the past three years, we have been on a YMCA journey as a global movement to express our collective vision, mission and purpose through YMCA Vision 2030. This will provide a broad strategic framework for all YMCAs in the world, bringing an opportunity to work together globally for the same larger goals, while observing national and local realities.

After 3 years of consultation, YMCA Vision 2030 is expected to be voted and adopted at World Council in Aarhus, Denmark, in July 2022. This will be a historic moment for our Movement, and we hope you will be together with us both to celebrate and reflect on our future shared strategic journey.

You can read the Vision 2030 version submitted to World Council for approval here.

World Council Co-Labs will be the first iteration of an innovation laboratory by which we will all work to achieve Vision 2030. As someone taking part in World Council, you will have the opportunity to engage in this innovation process to co-create ideas, programmes and solutions that you can implement in your own YMCA context.

Co-Labs will be an integral component of the World Council programme. They will be inter-generational and co-creative spaces, run in person and online. They will give you the opportunity to dive deep into a chosen Vision 2030 goal, working with others to co-create solutions to implement in your local, national or regional YMCA settings.

Beyond World Council, these ideas, programmes and solutions will contribute towards the global implementation plan for Vision 2030. To ensure that Co-Labs reach their full potential, we invite you to build from the breadth and depth of your passion, experience and perspective.

For all Co-Labs, innovative tools and methods will be used, integrating both design thinking and game theory elements.

You will have the chance to make your mark and shape the implementation of Vision 2030. You will reflect on what that specific pillar/goal means in practice, what can be done, how it can be measured, what is realistic, and what options can we look at together.
You will have an incredible opportunity to network with people all around the world from other YMCAs, making new friends along the way in a multicultural environment.
You will have a 'support group' that you meet every day, which can increase the sense and spirit of the community during the entire event.

For in-person delegates:

Co-Labs will take place on Wednesday 6, Thursday 7 and Friday 8 July, during the morning session. We invite you to register for a Co-Lab in a single topic: once allocated the topic, delegates are expected to remain in the group for the entirety of World Council in order to gain the full benefit of the Co-Lab process. Within your broad Co-Lab topic, you will primarily be working in small groups on an area or issue that is of interest to you.

If you attend the in-person event, you will have the opportunity to join a Co-Lab which will tackle one of the YMCA Vision 2030 strategic goals. There will be one Co-Lab for each of the 12 strategic goals of YMCA Vision 2030.

Each in-person Co-Lab will have a maximum of 30 participants and two facilitators. It will feature a broad and diverse group of participants. Discussions will be open and flexible: this is a ‘safe space’. Co-Labs participants will remain in the same Co-Lab for the duration of the whole event.

For online delegates:

There will be three 90-minute sessions in total for online participants, that will be run twice to allow every time zone to participate, Track 1 will be run on Tuesday, July 5, Wednesday, July 6 and Thursday, July 7 at 20:00 CEST/Aarhus time. These sessions will have translation provided.

Track 2 will be run on Wednesday 6, Thursday 7 and Friday 8 July at 09:00 CEST/ Aarhus time - these sessions will not have translation provided. Attendees pick which Track they would like to participate in according to their time zone, and then remain in that Track for all three sessions.

You had a very important choice, for which we prepared short descriptions for each Co-Lab. Remember, once you have been allocated to a Co-Lab you will be expected to remain in that group for the duration of the event.

The deadline for choosing your Co-Lab goal for the in-person Co-Labs was 25 May (extended from 20 May).

We prepared short descriptions for each Co-Lab. Remember, once you have been allocated to a Co-Lab you will be expected to remain in that group for the duration of the event. to choose your first and second choice from the following 12 Co-Lab topics:

Pillar 1: Community Wellbeing

The Community Wellbeing Co-Labs will focus on how the YMCA can become future-ready, to be able to co-create, provide and advocate for high-quality, relevant and sustainable health and wellbeing solutions for young people and communities worldwide.

You can choose from the following topics to explore in this Pillar:

Co-Lab 1. Building a culture of wellbeing in the YMCA

This Co-Lab will examine how we can develop policies and practices that ensure staff and volunteers at all levels work in a YMCA culture where individual, organisational and community wellbeing is a fundamental priority.

Co-Lab 2. Creating safe and inclusive spaces in our communities

This Co-Lab will consider how we design safe, inclusive spaces and programmes, empowering every person we serve to care for their physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing. The broader wellbeing and resilience of families and communities will also be discussed.

Co-Lab 3. Becoming safeguarding champions at a local, national and global level

This Co-Lab will look at how YMCA can effectively champion and improve policies and practices to keep children and young people safe from harm, abuse and neglect at local, national and global levels.

Pillar 2: Meaningful Work

The Meaningful Work Co-Labs will focus on how the YMCA can commit to creating, expanding and advocating meaningful, just and equitable education, training, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in the transition to the new economies.

You can choose from the following topics to explore in this Pillar:

Co-Lab 4. Building a YMCA employee value proposition

This Co-Lab will consider solutions that enable YMCAs to ensure that all employees benefit from fair, meaningful, dignified and equitable work, as well as lifelong learning opportunities.

Co-Lab 5. Creating sustainable education, upskilling and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people

This Co-Lab will consider how we deliver our Vision 2030 aspiration to create, strengthen and scale sustainable education, upskilling, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people and communities worldwide, with a focus on increasing their readiness for the Future of Work.

Co-Lab 6. Amplifying the voices of young people on equitable access to employment

This Co-Lab will consider solutions that enable YMCAs to amplify the voice and experience of young people, advocating for fair, flexible, meaningful and equitable access to employment, entrepreneurship and training opportunities.

Pillar 3: A Sustainable Planet

The Sustainable Planet Co-Labs will focus on how the YMCA can commit to becoming a Greener Movement, an active youth voice on climate justice, and a champion of youth-led sustainability solutions.

You can choose from the following topics to explore in this Pillar:

Co-Lab 7. Building a climate-neutral YMCA

This Co-Lab will enable participants to consider the steps that can be taken towards YMCAs becoming climate-neutral, including measurable and meaningful progress in relation to policies and practices.

Co-Lab 8. Creating a Movement that inspires members, staff, volunteers and communities to champion environmental responsibility

This Co-Lab will consider how YMCAs can champion environmental responsibility and integrate climate education programmes for young people and communities.

Co-Lab 9. Championing global solutions to support a just transition to a Green Economy

This Co-Lab will look at how YMCAs can make sure that no one is left behind, whilst working towards the regeneration and protection of the Planet.

Pillar 4: A Just World

The Just World Co-Labs will focus on how the YMCA can become a global voice in the fight against systemic discrimination, inequity, injustice and racism in all its forms, amplifying the voices of young people and communities where it is active to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.

You can choose from the following topics to explore in this Pillar:

Co-Lab 10. Building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive YMCA

This Co-Lab will consider policy, practice and programme developments that enable the YMCA to become a truly equitable, diverse and inclusive Movement in the fight against all types of discrimination.

Co-Lab 11. Creating the next peacebuilders, activists, leaders and advocates for social change

This Co-Lab will look at ideas and solutions that enable YMCAs to empower young people to become transformative activists, leaders and advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion and social change.

Co-Lab 12. Becoming advocates for a world where everyone is treated with dignity

This Co-Lab will consider solutions that enable YMCAs to amplify the voice and experience of young people and communities, to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and that their voice is heard and acted upon.