Members Area
Members Area

Alliance team

General Assembly

The Board

Appeals and Compliance Committee

General Assembly photo

General Assembly

The General Assembly of the Alliance of Youth Workers Associations is elected for a three-year term and is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the organization’s strategic goals. It comprises five regular members and three alternates, elected by the General Assembly of the association’s members. The Board includes the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, and a Council Member, and it meets regularly once a month.

The Board

The Board of the Alliance of Youth Workers Associations is the executive body elected for a three-year term. It is tasked with implementing the organization’s policies and strategies. The Board consists of five regular members and three alternates, including the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, and a Council Member, holding monthly meetings.

Dragan Atanasov

President

North Macedonia
president@aywa.pro

Bio Note

Olga Kyriakidou

Vice-President
policy & Advocacy

Greece
info@aywa.pro

Bio Note

Federica Demicheli

Vice-President
Training & Capacity Building

Italy
aywa@aywa.pro

Bio Note

Edgar Schlümmer

Treasurer

Estonia
finances@aywa.pro

Bio Note

Jelena Stojanović

Responsible for Membership involvement and coordination

Serbia
members@aywa.pro

Bio Note

Appeals and Compliance Committee

The Appeals and Compliance Committee of the Alliance of Youth Workers Associations ensures transparency and adherence to ethical standards. It resolves disputes and monitors the compliance of the organisation’s actions with its regulations and mission. The committee is elected by the General Assembly and works in collaboration with the Board to uphold integrity.

Karolina Panuskova

panuskova@streetwork.cz

Czech Republic

AntOnio HilArio de Matos

direcao@appjuventude.pt

Portugal

Bianca Boender

biancaboender@you-ng.nl

Nederlands

Dragan Atanasov

president@aywa.pro

President

Dragan Atanasov is a trainer, researcher, evaluator, and author specialising in youth work recognition, youth policy, and community development. He has more than 15 years of experience in designing and delivering non-formal education programmes, conducting research and evaluations, developing policy documents, and monitoring and assessing youth-related initiatives.
Dragan is a former Board Member and Secretary General of the Union for Youth Work in North Macedonia. His professional contributions are grounded in a commitment to quality youth work and evidence-based youth policy, with a strong focus on the recognition and development of the youth work profession at national and European levels.
North Macedonia

Olga Kyriakidou

info@aywa.pro

Vice-President
Policy & Advocacy

Olga Kyriakidou is a youth worker, experienced trainer in non-formal education, and youth consultant based in Thessaloniki, Greece. She co-founded the Hellenic Youth Workers Association (HYWA) in 2017 with the aim of strengthening and promoting the recognition of youth work in Greece. Since 2021, she has served as President of HYWA, leading advocacy efforts for the professionalisation of youth work.

Olga’s involvement in European youth policy and training strategies is extensive. In 2021, she was an ad-hoc member of the Sub-Group on Youth Work under DG-EAC. In 2022, she participated in the Hellenic Steering Committee for the European Year of Youth and has been a member of the ETS Advisory Group since February 2022, supporting the implementation of the European Training Strategy.

Passionate about youth work as a recognised profession, Olga combines policy advocacy with hands-on practice, working to develop innovative training methods that meet the evolving needs of young people and contribute to a structured, professional framework for youth workers.

Federica Demicheli

aywa@aywa.pro

Vice-President

Federica Demicheli has been working in youth work and youth policy for years, always looking for ways to support both young people and those who work with them. With a strong background in international cooperation—especially in the Euro-Mediterranean area—she has been involved in creating, running, and evaluating training programs and projects focused on participation, democracy, and intercultural learning.

She’s currently the President of NINFEA, the National Association of Youth Workers in Italy, where she works to strengthen the recognition and professionalization of youth work. She’s also Vice President of AYWA, an organization focused on youth participation, and a Board Member of Vedogiovane Società Cooperativa, a key player in youth services and community projects in Italy.

Beyond these roles, Federica is also a trainer and researcher, always exploring new ways to make youth work more effective and impactful. Whether developing strategies, creating tools, or connecting organizations, she’s passionate about making sure youth work and policies truly support the needs of young people.

Edgar Schlümmer

finances@aywa.pro

Treasurer

Edgar Schlümmer is an internationally recognised expert in youth policy and youth work, with over 20 years of experience shaping the field in Estonia and across Europe. From 2007 to 2020, he served as Director of Estonia’s National Competence Centre for Youth Policy and Work, where he led the strategic development and implementation of national youth policies.

He holds a Master’s degree in Public Governance, a diploma in youth work, and an EQF Level 7 youth worker licence. Edgar has also taught as a visiting lecturer at Tallinn University and the University of Tartu (Narva College), focusing on topics such as strategic planning, value-based management, evidence-based policy development, youth participation, and quality development in youth work.

Throughout his career, Edgar has collaborated with numerous international and national institutions, including UNFPA, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, as well as various ministries, municipalities, youth organisations, and private sector partners. His work has included capacity building, professional development, and fostering cooperation with EU Member States, candidate countries, and beyond.

He has also contributed actively to EU-level policy and programme development. Edgar serves in leadership roles within the (European) Alliance of Youth Workers Associations and the Estonian Association of Youth Workers, working to strengthen youth work on both national and European levels.

Jelena Stojanović

members@aywa.pro

Responsible for Membership Involvement and Coordination

Jelena Stojanović is a long-standing advocate for the professionalisation and recognition of youth work in Europe. As the Executive Director of NAPOR – the National Association of Youth Workers in Serbia – since 2015, she has played a leading role in developing national quality standards, professional education pathways, and evidence-based research frameworks that strengthen the youth work field.

Deeply rooted in the youth work movement from its earliest days, Jelena holds NAPOR’s institutional memory, having been part of its establishment and continuous evolution into a key national actor shaping youth work policy and practice. Her work bridges the worlds of research, policy, and practice, with a consistent focus on ensuring that youth work is recognised as a profession that empowers young people and builds resilient communities.

At the European level, Jelena has contributed to numerous regional and EU-wide initiatives and procesess aimed at advancing quality, innovation, and recognition in youth work. She collaborates closely with networks, researchers, and policymakers to promote stronger connections across the European youth work community, sharing Serbia’s pioneering experiences and supporting others in building sustainable national structures for youth work.

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