If you have spent time in the youth work sector, the term ‘non-formal education’ is probably familiar. But for parents, community members, policymakers and others who encounter it from the outside, it can sound vague – a category defined more by what it is not (formal, institutional, credential-based) than by what it actually is.

Non-formal education, at its core, is learning that happens outside of formal educational institutions, is structured and intentional, and places the learner – their experience, their interests, their participation – at the centre. It happens in youth clubs, on football pitches, in community centres, on hiking trails and in countless other spaces where people come together around a shared activity or purpose.

What makes it particularly relevant for inclusion is precisely its flexibility. Formal education systems, for all their strengths, are built around standardised curricula, fixed timelines and structured assessment. These structures can create significant barriers for young people with disabilities, whose learning needs, paces and styles may not fit neatly into the standard framework.

Non-formal education, by contrast, can be adapted. Activities can be modified. Timelines can flex. Learning can happen through doing, through movement, through conversation, through creative and physical engagement – not just through reading and writing. The competences developed – teamwork, communication, self-awareness, problem-solving – are recognised and valued without requiring formal certification.

This adaptability is not just a practical convenience. It reflects a deeper pedagogical truth: that people learn in different ways, and that an approach which works well for most people will not work for everyone. Designing learning experiences that are genuinely inclusive from the start – rather than adapting a standard approach as an afterthought – produces better outcomes for everyone, not just for those who might otherwise be excluded.

CB4leisureYwD applies non-formal education principles throughout its work. The workshops, training activities and resources developed through the project are all grounded in experiential learning, active participation and the recognition that every participant brings something valuable to the process. This is not just a methodology. It is a statement of values.