Sustainable Solutions for Transformational Action by Innovative Networks of Youth Workers

Özet, Erasmus+ Project Results platformunda yayımlanan İngilizce metindir.

Amaç

In the project "Zero Plate" organized by SUFI, one team consisting of group leaders from Austria, France, Turkey, and Germany came together to explore common challenges they faced in their youth work and discuss potential solutions through international learning opportunities. During the discussions, they expressed a shared desire to improve their ecology skills and adopt new strategies and good practices that could make their work with young people more environmentally friendly.

For example, the participant from the Turkish organization shared that there was a growing need to integrate environmental sustainability into youth work, particularly focusing on raising awareness about climate change and the ecological impact of daily activities. The French participant highlighted that many young people in their target group were engaged in environmental issues but lacked the practical knowledge to take action on a larger scale. The Austrian leader emphasized the need for sustainable practices in youth programs and stressed that their organization sought to promote energy efficiency, waste management, and eco-friendly practices among young people. Lastly, the German leader noted that there was a strong desire to make their youth work more sustainable and expand their network internationally, as environmental challenges were not limited by national borders and working together could lead to greater impact.

These group leaders recognized that climate change was a global issue that required collective action. Research emphasized that empowering youth through education on environmental sustainability could significantly contribute to reducing ecological risks and fostering sustainable development (UN Environment Programme, 2020; World Economic Forum, 2021). By sharing their experiences, learning from one another, and implementing sustainable practices in their youth work, these organizations aimed to create a more resilient, environmentally conscious society. Their shared goal was to align their efforts with Europe’s plan to become the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, making a lasting impact on both local communities and global sustainability efforts.

After the initial project development phase, to better represent Europe in this field, the group leaders expanded their network by including organizations from Latvia and Romania, which also shared the same needs. The Latvian organization highlighted the need for practical workshops on waste management and energy conservation, while the Romanian organization emphasized the importance of providing guidance on creating impactful environmental projects.

To create an effective training course, the learner analysis conducted with youth workers from these six organizations helped identify their specific needs and set goals tailored to the training course. The objectives were as follows:

Strengthen the competencies of youth workers in integrating sustainability into youth programs, focusing on energy conservation, waste reduction, water preservation, responsible sourcing, eco-friendly transportation, and implementing sustainable solutions to overcome challenges.
Develop youth workers’ environmental competencies and integrate sustainable, eco-friendly approaches into their organizations' daily operations.
Equip youth workers with the ability to design and implement engaging, sustainable, and high-impact initiatives, such as workshops, campaigns, and community projects, while refining facilitation and evaluation techniques.
Enhance youth workers' cross-cutting skills, including communication, interpersonal relations, creativity, critical thinking, and intercultural awareness, enabling them to collaborate effectively in diverse settings.
Strengthen youth workers' understanding of Erasmus+ Key Actions and Youthpass while improving their networking capabilities to support the development of both local and international projects.

By achieving these goals, youth workers could become better equipped to promote environmental sustainability, engage young people effectively, and create inclusive and impactful youth work experiences that addressed the challenges of climate change.

Uygulama

The project implemented a 9-day international training course on environmental sustainability in youth work, bringing together 22 youth workers and 3 staff members (1 trainer, 1 facilitator/trainer and 1 support person) from six countries: Austria, France, Germany, Latvia, Romania and Türkiye.

The educational programme was based on non-formal education methods and included workshops, simulations, group work, role plays, debates, practical exercises, reflection groups, intercultural learning activities and collaborative project development. The main activities focused on environmental sustainability and youth work, including climate change awareness, sustainable consumption, waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly transport, environmental project design, Erasmus+ opportunities, Youthpass, and the development of local environmental initiatives. Participants also worked in international teams to design six new educational activities, which were compiled into a Digital Interactive Toolkit. In addition, each national team developed and later implemented a social media awareness campaign on environmental sustainability.

The participant group consisted of 22 youth workers aged between 20 and 31. They were selected from a pool of 75 youth workers who had participated in a learner needs analysis conducted before the project. Participants represented NGOs and youth organisations working with young people at local and international levels and shared a strong interest in environmental sustainability, non-formal education and international cooperation.

The group reflected a balanced geographical and gender representation. Romania was represented by 4 female participants; France by 2 female and 2 male participants; Austria by 1 female and 3 male participants; Germany by 1 female and 2 male participants; Türkiye by 2 female and 1 male participant; and Latvia by 2 female and 2 male participants.

Particular attention was given to inclusion. Twelve participants were young people with fewer opportunities. Five participants faced discrimination-related barriers, five participants experienced economic barriers, and two participants faced geographical barriers. Their needs were supported through tailored preparation, inclusive group-building activities, dietary accommodations, continuous mentoring, and additional support from trainers, group leaders and the safeguarding person throughout the mobility.

Beyond the mobility itself, participants took part in online preparation meetings, dissemination activities, local follow-up events organised by each partner organisation, social media campaigns, and the promotion of the Digital Interactive Toolkit developed during the project. These activities ensured that the learning outcomes reached a wider audience and continued to generate impact after the end of the mobility.

Sonuçlar

The project achieved significant results at participant, organisational, and community levels, fully in line with the objectives defined at the application stage.

For participants, the training course strengthened environmental sustainability competences and increased their capacity to integrate sustainable practices into youth work. Pre- and post-test assessments showed substantial improvements in key areas. Knowledge of climate change, sustainable resource management, and environmental education methodologies increased from an average of 42% in the pre-test to 89% in the post-test. Understanding of energy efficiency and sustainable consumption increased from 45% to 91%, while competences related to waste management and circular economy practices increased from 39% to 87%. Knowledge of Erasmus+ opportunities, Youthpass, and international project development improved from 48% to 92%.

The project also had a strong impact on participants’ practical skills. More than 86% reported improved abilities to design environmental workshops and awareness campaigns, 95% improved their organisational, leadership, and facilitation skills, and 100% reported learning new good practices from partner countries. Participants developed six new educational activities that were compiled into a Digital Interactive Toolkit and can be reused by youth workers and organisations across Europe.

The impact continued after the mobility. A three-month follow-up evaluation showed that 82% of participants were actively applying sustainable practices in their organisations, 77% had integrated at least one new environmental activity into their youth work, and 73% had organised awareness-raising activities or workshops related to sustainability. In addition, 68% reported being involved in the preparation of new Erasmus+ projects or international partnerships following the training course.

The project also strengthened partner organisations. All six organisations reported increased capacity to implement environmentally sustainable practices in their daily operations and youth activities. Within four months after the project, partner organisations organised six local dissemination events reaching approximately 70 young people and youth workers. The organisations also integrated the six educational activities developed during the training into their local programmes and continued using the Digital Interactive Toolkit as a learning resource.

At the wider community level, the project contributed to raising awareness about environmental sustainability through social media campaigns, local workshops, dissemination events, testimonials, and the publication of project results. Participants produced 22 testimonial posts, 5 project-related social media posts, and 6 environmental awareness campaigns—one implemented by each national team. These activities reached several thousand people online and promoted sustainable behaviours, climate awareness, and Erasmus+ opportunities.

The project also strengthened international cooperation among partner organisations. New project ideas were developed, existing partnerships were reinforced, and participants expanded their professional networks. As a result, the project created a sustainable basis for future European cooperation in the field of environmental sustainability and youth work.

Overall, the project successfully enhanced environmental competences, strengthened youth workers’ professional capacities, promoted sustainable practices within organisations and local communities, and generated lasting European cooperation and learning outcomes that continue beyond the project lifetime.