ERYF started as a student exchange project between a school in Northumberland, England and a school in Brittany, France. The Forum got its present form in 2006, where countries such as Sweden and Serbia joined. After this organisational, kick-off Forum, the first substantial summer school took place in Novi Sad, Serbia, in 2007. Since then our organisation has expanded and still continues to grow, bringing youth groups together from new member countries across Europe and beyond.

For many students, especially from Central-Eastern and Southern Europe, ERYF has been the first experience in an international environment, allowing them to travel to various countries of Europe and meet young people from their age group, enriching the life of their local communities with fresh ideas for projects upon returning home.
 
ERYF serves as a preparation ground for anyone planning to work in an international setting: with its focus on youth empowerment, open discussion and encouragement of action, the hands-on presentations and workshops familiarise participants with different challenges of Europe on the level where these problems are most felt. This provides an invaluable perspective for identifying opportunities and developing local solutions.
ERYF has taken an active role in tackling some of the issues that repeatedly came up as an obstacle to the rural youth, such as involvement in lobbying for visa liberalisation for Serbia in the EU, which happened in 2009.

Source: ERYF