Submissions Guidance

Preparing your submission for YMCA World Council 2026

To help you complete your submission smoothly, we've created a simple checklist. Depending on what you're submitting — a session proposal, a speaker nomination, a case study - you'll need different information ready.

We recommend preparing your answers in advance, especially for longer text fields.

Quick checklist

For all submissions:

✅ Your full name and contact details

✅ Your organisation, YMCA affiliation, and country

✅ Which Vision 2030 Pillars your idea relates to (tick all that apply)

✅ Whether you're submitting on your own behalf or nominating someone else

If you're proposing a Breakout Session

When submitting your session, you’ll need to choose one of the following themes. These "Solutions Studios" shape the content journey of World Council — and your session will contribute to one of them. Not sure which one fits?

Pick the one your idea best supports — it doesn’t have to be a perfect match. You’ll be able to explain your reasoning in the submission.

The Shift:
Framing Disruption

Explore how global disruption — from climate to conflict, AI to polarisation — is reshaping young people’s lives.

Your session might help participants:

·       Understand deep, systemic causes (not just surface symptoms)
·       Reflect on the YMCA’s role in a changing world
·       Share strategies for resilience, adaptation or advocacy

The Vision 2030
Journey

Reflect on where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and where we go next on the road to Vision 2030.

Your session might help participants:

·      Track and reflect on real-world progress
·      Explore what’s working (or not) across different contexts
·      Spark honest dialogue around gaps and priorities

The Response:
Amplifying Impact

Which solutions are already delivering impact, and how can young people, YMCAs, and partners be inspired to build on them locally?

Your session might help participants:

·       Share replicable models or tools from their YMCA
·       Explore how internal choices (policy, culture, practice) shape long-term impact
·       Co-create ideas for courageous, future-facing change

You will also need to submit:

·      A clear session title (max 80 characters)

·      A short summary for the programme (150 words max)

·      A full session description, including structure/flow (200–400 words)

·      2–3 learning objectives or intended outcomes

·      Session format and preferred room layout

·      AV/technical or accessibility requirements

·      Target audience

·      Relevance to Vision 2030 and one of the four programme themes above.

·      Speaker bio(s) and contact info

·      Optional: links that support your proposal (slides, videos, etc.)

If you're nominating an inspiring young speaker

We’re looking for young speakers aged 18–30 who can speak to one of these three plenary themes — not with a presentation, but with their story. Something specific, and rooted in lived experience, community action, or systems change.

The ideal nomination would feature someone rooted in their community but thinking globally. They may not always the loudest voice — but theirs is a voice worth hearing.

We’re not looking for polished TED Talks. We’re looking for honesty, insight, and real leadership. Here are some examples to help you think about who to nominate.

1. The Shift: Framing Disruption

How disruption is reshaping lives and communities — and what that means for the YMCA’s, community’s and young people’s futures. Such as:

·      A young person who navigated a disrupted education or job markets during COVID.
·      A migrant or refugee confronting civic exclusion — and challenging it through mobilizing young people
·      Someone from a conflict-affected area speaking about political polarisation, war, or cultural identity
·      Experiences of working on their mental health, and working with others to reshape community responses

These stories don’t always need to offer solutions — they need to tell the truth about the impact of disruption on real lives, and why it matters.

2. The Response: Scaling What Works

Stories that show what’s already working — and how young people are leading, scaling or adapting proven solutions in local or global contexts. Such as:

·      A young leader who adapted a mental health programme to reach rural communities — and is now mentoring others to do the same
·      A team scaling a youth-led sustainability initiative from one site to national level
·      Someone who took part in a digital skills course and then co-designed a new version for other young people
·      A young changemaker working across generations to influence policy or shift public narratives

These stories show action and growth — how something small became something significant, or how courage and creativity turned into impact.

Transformation: Strengthening Our People

Recognise that transformation starts inside — with the people who power the Movement.

Your session might help participants:

·      Build staff, volunteer or youth leadership capacity
·      Share training or workforce development strategies, including retention strategies.
·      Explore how people development fuels community impact

3. Transformation: Powered by People

Stories that reflect how investing in people — especially young people — leads to community transformation and a stronger YMCA. Such as:

·      A young staff member who came through YMCA leadership training and is now leading community programmes
·      A youth board member who challenged how decisions are made and helped shift internal culture
·      Someone who turned what is often seen as a personal barrier (e.g. disability, discrimination, economic disadvantage) into a pathway for wider inclusion in their YMCA
·      A volunteer creating opportunities for others to access meaningful work, training or mentoring through the YMCA

These stories highlight how people grow, and how they help others grow. They’re about transformation from the inside out — of individuals, teams, and organisations.

We’ll also need their:

·      Name, age (must be 18–30), and contact details

·      A short biography

·      Their connection to your YMCA or programme

·      The Solutions Studio theme they would best speak to:

o   The Shift

o   The Response

o   Transformation

·      A description of their story or lived experience, and why it deserves a global platform (200–400 words)

·      Languages they speak or could present in

·      Whether they're aware of the nomination and able to attend in person