The Rise and Reflect Co-Inquiry Group was created in May 2025. It is an advisory and support body to the EU Children’s Participation Platform made up of young people aged 18-21.
Who are we?
We are a motivated group of former Platform members. We all used to be part of different Platform groups: either the Advisory Board, the Children’s Panel or the Communication Co-creation Team.
We loved being part of those groups. So, we joined Rise and Reflect because we want to help the Platform grow, so that other children can benefit from it too.
We come from different member states of the European Union. We bring together diverse perspectives, experiences, and insights shaped by our time within the Platform.
Our work is supported and facilitated by researchers from the University of Lancashire Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation who always support our voices and vision.
I joined the Platform when I was 17 and went to a really important Advisory Board meeting and discussion with Commission Vice-President, Dubravka Šuica. I felt she appreciated our viewpoints, and I realised the Platform was important to help bridge the gap between children and policymakers. Now I’m in Rise and Reflect to help more children get a chance to have their say in what’s happening in the EU.
What do we do?
The Rise and Reflect Co-Inquiry Group meets regularly to:
- Analyse and evaluate past activities of the Platform
- Support current activities in-person/online
- Reflect on emerging ideas and future directions
- Contribute to the development of new initiatives and projects
This means we talk a lot about what the Platform has done and what it is doing. And we design ways of hearing from other people, so that we can understand their perspectives. We call this co-inquiry.
Having previously contributed as Platform members, we understand the inner workings of the Platform. So, we are uniquely positioned to support its evolution while staying connected to the needs of the current generation of young members.
What have we done so far?
We joined forces to support the activities of the Platform's 2025 General Assembly, and to research how to make the platform stronger. We are interested in promotion of the Platform, with a mission to spark interest in young people to join and contribute. We are developing ideas for new activities and how to improve existing ones to better suit the changing world.
We are excited to witness the future growth of the Group and see the results of our research project in the coming months.
Below is a timeline of our work and activities.
- January 2026 – February 2026Preparing to hear from childrenWe learned about research ethics and designed creative research activities to do with children. We are waiting for ethical approval – this is permission to send out our activities to everyone. We were preparing to go to the Advisory Board meeting in Brussels in March.
- November 2025 – December 2025Reaching out
We created promotional materials for the Group and discussed ways to attract more members to join and participate. James and Rita attended the Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators 5-7 December. We developed questions for a survey to send out to member organisations.
- September 2025 – October 2025Learning about interviews and planning for research
We decided to do research on everyone’s experience of the Platform. We did a mock interview with Marta – from the European Commission. This helped us to practice and understand some of the important issues. It also made us think about how to ask questions well, and what questions are important to find out more.
- July 2025 – August 2025Reflecting on experiences and hopes
We analysed our contribution to the Platform’s General Assembly of the Platform and created recommendations on how to adapt topics and activities in the future.
- June 2025General Assembly and Forum on the Rights of the Child
We supported and helped facilitate workshops during the 2nd General Assembly of the Platform, and joined discussions on children’s rights with policymakers, representing the Platform at the 15th European Forum on the Rights of the Child.
- May 2025Getting started - First meetings of Rise and Reflect
We got to know one another, decided what we wanted to achieve together, chose a name, and prepared for the General Assembly.