"<< Objectives >>""Social Business is the way!"" was a Training Course (TC) aimed to gather in Salok (Poland), from 21- 30/06/ 2020 (7 working days+2 Travel Days), 35 youth workers from 7 countries (Poland,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Romania, Montenegro, Turkey, Bulgaria). The Training Course aim was to explore the concept of social entrepreneurship as an innovative way to solve social problems using entrepreneurial skills and youth voice. It was an attempted to give an appropriate answer to the problems that young people from disadvantaged throughout Europe are facing in the present: the high percentage of unemployment. For the reasons mentioned above, the objectives of the TC were: • to empower young people raising their self-esteem stimulating their creativity and sense of entrepreneurship; • to raise awareness in the participants on key competencies and develop different methods for using them in practice within social projects, developing and matching them with the new requirements of Erasmus with their organisations; • to develop the cooperation among different organisations coming from Slavic countries and Mediterranean; • to incentive young people to get involved in NGOs, youth activities, into local authorities, into international opportunities that arise. Also, for them to stay and/or return to their communities, be active citizens and contribute to the realisation of changes. We believe we contributed to this goal through non-formal ways, moving down-up. Regarding the issues we tackled in the project, we intended to include the following: • Youth Unemployment, through highlighting the educational and boundless opportunities that exist and promoting active and proactive responses to them. Through its contribution to the decrease of unemployment, the project also helped to revitalise disadvantaged areas; • Creativity and entrepreneurship, with the intention to practice empowerment of young people in order to make them aware of their own values and competencies stressing their creativity and the capacity to create new job opportunities for themselves; • Awareness about the nature of youth work through exploring the advantages, providing examples of youth work, trying to make the participants understand its purpose and meaning, as well as its impact on society, specifically on their communities and on their personal development; • Sharing of best practices in the sphere of youth work through putting an important accent to the sharing experiences throughout the project and collecting the benefits coming from these experiences.<< Implementation >>Activities : -Day 1 - Welcoming participants; Activating mini-games; Welcome Evening - Day 2 - Ice Breaking Games and Team Building; Presentation of the project. Rules of the TC. Fears&Expectations&Contributions.; Looking for ideal (Salto Youth Tool) ; Puzzle game: Social Business vs Social entrepreneurship ; Problem trees and problem solution ( Youth condition) ; Evaluation: Comfy Group; Welcome Party. -Day 3 -General overview of the Erasmus Plus (Youth Chapter) Programme; Leaders vs Managers: Silent Open Debate; The concept of Leaders ; Discover the city : Social Needs edition (Salto Youth Tool) ; Evaluation: Comfy Group; Intercultural Night. -Day 4 -Practising Communication and Teamwork; Clear up your mind : Excursion to th city; Evaluation: Comfy Group. -Day 5- The Role of NGO in the community; The importance of being partner: Networking Activity (NGO Fair); The impact of social entrepreneurship; You as a social entrepreneur ; Evaluation: Comfy Group. -Day 6- Empowerment : What are the steps to create a social Business ? Learn how to do you a business plan; Project management session; Excursion to the city centre; Evaluation: Comfy Group; Presentation of the videos created in “Discover the city “ -Day 7- Project management session; Projects presentations personal and groups actions planning: Proposal to cooperation in the future; Evaluation of TC and debate how to disseminate the project; Farewell party with Youthpass delivery. -Day 8- Departures Participants : The target group were youth workers that believes in the importance of social business and also that work directly or indirectly with disadvantages areas. The age of participants was 18+. We consider the age limitation appropriate because the main aim of this project was to increase work capacity and build up competences of youth workers and educators who already have experience in work with young people. The participants were 44 youth workers who work direct or indirectly with disadvantaged urban/rural young people. All partners were selected youth interested and motivated on the topic, able to use English as a working language, who are ready to play an active and open role in the workshop, preferably those who are able to develop and implement a local/regional/ national/ international project afterwards and be motivated to act as multipliers and youth workers. All of our participants were interested in the topic and have direct contact with rural areas and this theme as youth workers, trainers, teachers and so on. We built the concept of this TC respecting also different experiences of our participants in this field and their will to share with each other in order to build up a strong long term partnership among them and their interest in rising quality of their Erasmus+ projects.<< Results >>The main purpose of this TC was to transmit concrete knowledge and methodologies for youth workers in marginalized areas; also, were transmiting values of cohesion and activism to promote cooperation between the promoters, so that they can act as ""multipliers"" in their countries of origin. The project was greatly contributed to the personal development of the project participants. Youngsters got the possibility to set socially approved goals (regarding sustainable development) and to obtain methods and contacts that will make possible the reach of these goals. They also became more assertive and with more Knowledge for their future activity in the area of social development. The project consisted out of an empowerment process where the young people gain the skills and experience which helped them to be more open-minded, to have a multilateral perspective, to make informed choices in the future and promote to their siblings, friends and colleagues the same principles. They were developinging skills that will be used in practical work after the end of the project. The team working while participating and/or organizing activities for the project was reinforcing better understanding of partners from different countries. We anticipated that this project will also further support our network between partner organizations so we can undertake more exchanges in the future. We also hope that the young people will, on their own initiative, visit each other in the future, share practices and help each other do a better job. The impact on the organizations was seen through capacity building obtained through the increase of knowledge, experience and appearance of new initiatives. The working days allowed the creation of new networks, through building strong relationships among us, as well as through finding new partners among the participants. In the same time, the impact was multiplied as there were activities open to participants who are not taking part in the rest of the project. Thus, the activities were including speakers from outside and the project participants organized follow up activities in their communities to spread the impact, even more, working in new Erasmus+ projects, presentations, conferences and other activities. Some of the lectures was opened to the general public. Of course, the multiplying effect was first of all achieved by the participants of the project spreading the ideas they have got from here and making follow-up activities in their own countries."

"<< Objectives >>Youth unemployment is characteristic of the entire Western Balkans region. Long-term economic dependence on parents who are themselves socially vulnerable is the most significant source of frustration and dissatisfaction. Poor starting positions in society prevent young people from acquiring social skills to support personal self-confidence and self-esteem. Formal education is not a factor that encourages employment, so it is very uncertain whether young people will go to further education or will look for employment in the local community or in one of the European countries. As they remain largely excluded from the decision-making process in local communities and wider society, young people feel insecure about the future, direction and impact on the world around them. Many young people in the region feel frustrated by the slow positive social, economic and political change. Particularly worrying are the trends of abuse and manipulation of young people to strengthen radicalism, extremism, and increased hate speech. The problems of the Balkans do not have easy solutions and are often shaped by political discourses influenced by nationalism, prejudice and discrimination. A special challenge is an unresolved legacy that stems from the history of violent conflicts in the region. Today's youth were born during and after the conflict in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. Young generations have grown up listening to unfounded stories and myths about the past, and many are still exposed to nationalist narratives, societies, and educational systems built on ethnic segregation. Marginalized groups of young people face the same problems, but with additional challenges of reduced opportunities, access to resources and lack of social support.It is essential to create safe and inclusive spaces in which girls and boys from different social groups will exchange experiences on how they experience the challenges they face, what they would like to do about them. In this direction, they want their societies to move in future and how that future can be built effectively. Direct exchange of young people from the Western Balkans is one of the most effective ways to develop communication skills, intercultural understanding, dialogue and other necessary competencies applicable to prevent discrimination, violence and promote cooperation, which belong to a wide range of transferable skills and lifelong learning competencies.The general goal of the exchange is to include, connect and strengthen groups of young people with fewer opportunities from Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia and Northern Macedonia through intercultural exchange and dialogue based on practical research of the cultural heritage of the Western Balkans in a way that actively involves the local community.After the realized exchange, and in accordance with the goals, the participants will be able to:- Recognize their own and others' identities and roles and develop tolerance towards the ""different.""- recognize and use cultural differences and tradition as a resource for learning, personal development and community impact- understand the reasons and ways of stereotypes and prejudices, recognize the mechanisms of their action on behaviour and the consequences they lead to- recognize discrimination, feelings and consequences that discrimination leads to- develop empathy through ""entering other people's shoes"" of members of marginalized groups (migrant, Roma, poor, etc.) and adopt inclusion- recognize their creative capacities and use them to act in the community.Involving young people in social processes is crucial for the future of the EU. Our young participants will make important decisions for communities in the future. They will face questions for which there are no simple answers. In addition to knowledge and information, they will need practical skills. Through the implementation of activities during all phases of exchange, through observation and analysis of their own and others' traditions, contemporary trends and problems of discrimination in local communities, they will be able to respond more successfully to new roles, taking into account the needs of different groups in their environment. They will develop tools for self-reflection and self-confidence, communication skills, take responsibility for decisions made, acquire digital skills, tools for planning learning/actions, develop critical thinking. A special benefit of the exchange of young people from the Western Balkans is the support of the reconciliation process and conflict prevention in the region, the creation of trust among members of different nations and religions and the increase of social capital.<< Implementation >>The total number of participants in the exchange is 28 (organizations from Northern Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia) aged between 18 and 25. Participants belong to vulnerable social categories on several grounds: some come from single-parent families, some live in families where parents do not work, or only one parent is employed, come from families of refugees or displaced persons, belong to different ethnic groups/nations (Muslims, Macedonians, Croats, Vlachs, Roma, Serbs), a number live in settlements outside the city, some young people belong to the LGBT population. During ten days of living and working on the camp, under tents, far from the urban environment, they will through intensive workshops, practical training in making handicrafts (knitting, crocheting, painting on canvas) and research of the cultural heritage of the area in which they are, intensively go through an inclusive and intercultural process. Peer education, creative techniques of making a ""textile identity map"", exchange with the local population and the experience of camping in nature aim to equip young people with: - knowledge of key theoretical concepts related to intercultural dialogue;- values ​​and attitudes based on respect for diversity, inclusion and human rights;- tools and techniques for analysis, response and prevention of discrimination based on prejudice;- creative skills that support the active engagement of young people in local communities enable the expression of opinions and practical action.The exchange is conceived as an interactive meeting that includes:- peer education on the topics of interculturality and inclusion (personal and group identity, culture, cultural heritage of the Balkans, deconstruction of gender and ethnic stereotypes and prejudices, empathy, marginal groups). Introduction to theoretical concepts strengthens the participants' language skills and critical thinking, giving them material for an argumentative dialogue on the exchange itself in the future.- Acquisition of practical skills in making home textiles (introduction to wool processing techniques, knitting, opening to a special method of two-yarn knitting, basic crochet techniques, embroidery, use of colours for fabrics). Practical work with small tools such as knitting needles, crochet and embroidery, scissors, spindle, tow develop fine motor skills, attention and concentration. The skill of making thread or knitwear participants can creatively use recycled textiles and certain types of plastic in the future.- Active exchange with the local environment and acquaintance with diverse cultural heritage. The camp is located near the cell - the chapel dedicated to St. George, in Kalavat. ""Covenant prayer"" is a local rite that is performed here every May 6th. The ""Covenant Prayer"" contains elements of pagan heritage and is on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of Serbia. Participants will learn handicraft skills from women from the village of Vrtovac, who will introduce them to another tradition from the list of the cultural heritage of Serbia - two-strand knitting socks, characteristic of this area. Participants will visit the Homeland Museum in Knjaževac to see the exhibited collection of these socks, the largest in Serbia. In the preparatory activities, they will present the traditions of their communities, and at the exchange itself, they will be able to notice and discuss similarities and differences.- Experiential research of marginalized groups and communities (visit to the nearby town of Klana, conversation with residents, workshops on migrants, putting in ""other people's shoes"", the experience of starting positions). The experiential knowledge awakens empathy and strengthens solidarity.- Rethinking creative expressions for taking action in local communities (making a ""textile identity map"", designing activities, performance, online activism).As the project envisages the inclusion of marginalized groups (socially and materially vulnerable groups, LGBT), youth exchange is an opportunity to create long-standing friendships of support. Exchanging young people in a similar situation and recognizing that there are the same/similar problems with others is important for overcoming feelings of isolation and rejection. Young LGBT people need to be able to share their experiences in a safe environment. The way of life on the exchange is entirely different from the usual one and requires the participants to be flexible, but also responsible, to respect the needs of others, sometimes limiting personal desires. Participants will gain a completely new experience of independence and responsibility. All acquired skills and knowledge are transferable, and participants can apply them in various activities in the future.<< Results >>During the implementation of the project, the participants will undergo cognitive, value and activist changes, which can contribute to the prevention of conflict at all levels and among any actors and affect the reconciliation processes in the region. Cognitive changes refer to the personal increase of information and competence on topics dealt with by exchange ( interculturality, inclusion, forms of discrimination, identity, belonging to group and tradition) and their connection with position, discrimination and consequences of the exclusion of various marginal groups from social processes (women, ethnic groups, migrants, etc.). Cognitive changes include information about one's own and other people's cultural heritage, the importance of handicrafts in the life of local communities and their connection with the cultural context (handicraft terminology, meaning of visual symbols, meaning of customs and symbols of intangible heritage, myths, oral traditions). Value changes and awareness-raising on the importance of solidarity, the sensitive balance of different groups, the possibilities of personal/group/organised influence on community changes, and tolerance and interculturalism. We achieve intensive contact among participants during the exchange, communication with the local population, and organise life in the camp. ""We enter other people's shoes"" through experiential activities of participation, observation, practical work, analysing, comparing, recording impressions and opinions, exchanging with others. As participants come from 4 countries with different cultural, social, economic characteristics, religious customs and personal habits, they will ""practice"" tolerance and develop a sense of life and cooperation in accordance with differences. Staying in nature, contact with residents, participation in the practical organisation of living and working in the camp, tasting healthy food, respecting environmental rules, will contribute to adopting the principles of healthy lifestyles, developing environmental awareness, and recognising opportunities to change consumer habits. The expected activist change is the empowerment of groups of young people to engage in civic initiatives and apply the acquired knowledge in the future (school, local community, workplace, institutions, civil society organisations). Articulation of knowledge about intercultural dialogue will help to argue the demands in everyday life better. Responsibility towards oneself and others will be developed, recognising current needs, alternatives and consequences in the future. At the exchange, they acquire practical skills by painting on textiles, making symbols, and connecting canvas. I can use these skills in future actions. Activist changes and impact on organisations: all partners get educated young people, motivated to react, to initiate activities, with competencies to articulate ideas and demands in real action, communicate and present the action to the public media. Participants will transfer the knowledge gained through youth exchange to other young people in the organisation and initiate new ideas and actions. Organisations will expand their capacities with new volunteers, energy and knowledge, and team leaders will acquire new methods and exchange examples of good practice. Participating in the exchange creates a network that can be the basis and support for future work.The presence of young people from different countries in the rural communities of Vrtovac and Kalna, active engagement of some of their residents in informing participants about local cultural heritage and in the process of learning basic handicraft techniques, provides local associates with confirmation of the importance of their culture and transfer skills to young people. All of our ""handicraft mentors"" are women who belong to the older category of the population; recognising the value of their skills will increase self-esteem and positively affect their mental well-being. Getting to know the specifics of cultural heritage through conversations with residents will contribute to intergenerational understanding. By maintaining exchanges in rural and economically devastated areas, engaging local associates and buying food from local producers, we support the sustainability of small communities. The project will enable young people to get acquainted with the promoted values ​​of the European Union and get a clearer insight into the requirements that are set as a criterion for joining the Union. The project promotes a dialogue of cultural diversity and inclusion, contributes to the growth of the social well-being of small rural communities, the preservation of the environment in a way that includes marginalised groups."

Abut the Project:The project proposed for Erasmus-Plus by Al Sharq Forum(Al Sharq Association) is three days’ Europe focused workshop in March 2021, bringing together 37 youth activists in a program that combines training, collaborative solution development in the forms of policy recommendations and projects under specific themes that address the interconnected challenges facing European youth. The three-days workshop would be focused first on training participants on systems thinking and design thinking tools for civil society, innovation management, and ideation of solutions to the root-cause problem of the highest priority while working collaboratively in group settings, then in the last day the solutions would be refined and presented to policymakers and prominent activists who would provide direct feedback to the groups.Youth civic engagement and participation in decision making processes while informing policies that are relevant to issues that concern them is crucial to have a more inclusive governance system. More importantly, such a system would enable creative and relevant solutions for challenges of importance to youth. We believe that the holistic approach for the workshop and its robust plan and delivery would ensure that the objectives stated, at the network and individual level.About the activities:Day 1-March 15, 2021Orientation & networkingWorkshop on policy, change management, and civic engagementWorkshop on strategic communication tools and techniquesWorkshop on systems and design thinking & innovation management for civil society Day 2-March 16, 2021Workshop on Innovation management continued: Ideation and development of solutions based on the regional priorities for civil society and youth in Europe Facilitated team collaboration to formalize and prepare the presentations and proposals (for ideas and projects)Internal review and feedback sessions for improvement and iterationsDay 3-March 17, 2021Presentations of projects and policy concepts to policymakers and general participantsFeedback review session and critical examination of ways forwardDialogue with the policymakers & decision-makers and conclusion of the ceremonyAbout the methodology:The expectation of the participants and post-test is to compare the expectations and results. The project evaluations will be constituted on result-based management principles which is an important approach to aim maximizing achievements by continuously learning from success as well as failure and making adaptations based on the lessons learned. This approach is based on constantly asking questions such as “What do we want to achieve?”, “What have we achieved?” and “What can we do differently to increase the chances of achieving our objectives?”.Result-based management which is an analytical approach enables monitoring and reporting on results. At the end o the project; to evaluate the project management, organizer team, stakeholders contribution, and analysis outcomes of the project, the tests will be composed of customized questions for each participant but will base on the following questions:About long-term envisaged Impact of the project:The primary purpose of this project that will host 37 international participants, is to increase the capacities of young change-agents concerned with regional challenges to become effective catalysts leading social change within their society, with a global outlook, a balanced identity, and a systematic approach to problem-solving. The young participants;-will learn to write projects in collaboration and project management dynamics;-have the opportunity to get specific knowledge given by trainers;-discuss their projects with decision-makers which may create an impact on certain policies-will gain competencies in the fields of teamwork, collaboration culture, communication skills;-will have an international environment since there will be youth from different parts of the world including Turkey as well.

"<< Objectives >>In July 2015, the French National Assembly formally adopted a new landmark in climate legislation: the Energy Transition for Green Growth law (ETL). The headline targets alone are striking. By 2050, the law states that carbon emissions are to fall by 75%, while total energy use in France must be cut in half – by far the most aggressive efficiency target in the world. Tough new goals are also laid out on reducing fossil fuel consumption, phasing out nuclear, and boosting renewables. The law aims to transform the lives of ordinary people, too. Unemployment in France has crept up in recent years, but the ETL is expected to add 100,000 new jobs in clean energy and recycling by 2019, helping move the country into a new paradigm of green, inclusive growth. France’s poor recycling rate for plastics is dragging down the European average, according to industry figures. EURACTIV’s partner le Journal de l’Environnement reports.The recycling rate for plastics in Europe has seen a slight increase of 1.4% in 2016-2018, according to figures published by industry association PlasticsEurope.In total, the recycling rate for plastics reached 32.5% in 2018 across the EU, a slight increase compared to 2016.But France has been dragging down the EU average, with a 24.2% recycling rate in 2018, industry figures show.And despite the slight EU-wide increase, the overall recycling rate remains far off the energy recovery rate, which stands at 42.6% of plastics waste (up 0.9% over the period). This project will be organized among EU, Western Balkan and EECA countries because of the cultural diversity and European dimension of our project.With the financial crisis created by current factors of uncertainty in the job market because of COVID19, unemployment among young people in the European Union is the immediate result of the challenges appearing today. Youth unemployment is a continuous struggle and in order to respond to the ongoing problem, European countries need to develop modern employment practices responding to the economic reality, as in for example, following the European Green Deal’s action plan (https://ec.europa.eu/info/node/123797) and promoting green youth work and employment procedures as “eco-innovation” in a green economy. Green Economy and Green Youth work are notions that refer to the pursuit of youth organisations implementing innovative ways to address the problem of environmental destruction and solving it. Green jobs are essential to achieving development that remains sustainable and responding to global challenges of environmental protection, economic protection, and social inclusion. More than 3 million people work for eco-industries in the EU.The current situation in Europe can be assessed through a needs analysis built on related studies and reports together with a strong SWOT analysis and the weaknesses and need for skilled green youth workers. Therefore, our project will prepare youth workers to develop and apply green skills in their professional pursuits and by having in mind the EU's Green New Deal and the 10th Youth Goal “Sustainable Green Europe”. The project has as objectives to train youth workers to become green youth workers, sharing their knowledge with their young people, and applying green approaches in their youth work and personal and professional activities, safeguarding green youth work and youth lives with this method.Within this context, the project has the overall aim to train youth workers and youth leaders on using plastic free tools and methods within youth work and their lives as role models for young people they work with in daily basis. To share and invent youth work tools and methods on sustainable development based on the Youth Goal “Sustainable Green Europe” of European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people”. Being able to motivate young people becoming environmentally friendly European citizens. Objectives of the project are:-To raise awareness of 44 participants on environmental protection and sustainable development against plastic based on the Youth Goal “Sustainable Green Europe” of European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people”.;-To make assessment of 44 participants on environmentally friendly, sustainable and plastic free youth work tools and methods in general and self – assessment in personal and professional level in particular;-To improve competences of 44 staff and volunteer members of 11 partner as usage of plastic free and sustainable tools in youth work and youth life for environmentally friendly living and working context; -To be able to prepare, implement and evaluate sustainable 30 youth work tools and methods on environmental protection; -To produce an E-Booklet on plastic free and environmentally friendly youth work methods against climate change with suggestions for adaption to different local realities.<< Implementation >>We apply for one activity entitled “Green Europe” – Training course on sharing and inventing youth work tools and methods on sustainable development based on the Youth Goal “Sustainable Green Europe” of European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people” at 15 -21 March 2023 in France, Les Ulis. The training course will be based on non-formal education. Experienced trainers’ team will facilitate the learning process of participants. Its methodology will be learner – centred. It will consist of theoretical elements about Erasmus+, European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people”, Youth Goal 10 “Sustainable Green Europe”, practical elements of equipping youth workers in plastic free and eco-friendly youth work methods and empower them, elements of experience and practice-sharing, elements aiming at reflection on gained competences, developing new environmentally friendly methodologies to work with disadvantaged youth from rural and urban areas. Participants will practice the plastic free and eco-friendly youth work methodology of each other and the local youth organisations of the host town. Methodology of the project is based on an intercultural approach and non-formal education. We have foreseen a dedicated workshop (theory and practice) on environmental protection as non-formal educational method to make them understand how this tool can be used and applied in their youth work reality. General methodology will reflect different learning styles/needs. Methodology that we will use will lead to equal and active participation of all participants. We will aim to create a safe environment for learning and the flow and counter flow from the individual needs to the group needs to the topic to the individual and so on. To increase active participation of participants during the planned activities will use different exercises combination of individual and team work, learner-centred ways, theoretical inputs and exercises.Participants will be actively involved in learning at each stage of the project. All participants will be asked to present the cultural realities in their countries and present during one of the workshops by using plastic free and eco-friendly non-formal learning method. The theoretical background of the programme:-the European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people” with special focus on Youth Goal 10 Sustainable Green Europe.-Plastic Statistics by Ocean Crusaders. -Global Citizen Movement for changing the world.-Researches and activities made by GreenPeace. -Researches and activities made by Plastic Ocean Foundation. -Researches and activities made by Surfers Against Sewage. Professional learning needs of our fellow youth workers, youth leaders were identified in the last 3 months through needs’ analyses online and offline such as filling online questionnaires and having focus groups zoom meetings. Its outcomes briefly: We need to raise our awareness on the objectives of the European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people” and explore how it can be adapted to our daily youth work activities with special focus on the 10th Youth Goal “Sustainable Green Europe”.We need to assess own surrounding as homes and explore how we can swap plastic tools for environmentally friendly ones.We need to explore and practice how to travel more eco-friendly in international youth projects as one of the priorities of the new Erasmus+ programme. We need to explore the opportunities how to make our youth work offices and spaces more sustainable and environmentally friendly as showing good examples for our young people from rural and urban areas we work with in daily basis. We need to explore and practice plastic free and environmentally friendly Do It Yourself tools and methods and adapt it to the needs of our unemployed young people from rural and urban areas. We need to explore different ways of active participation of our young people as peers in plastic free and environmentally friendly youth work methods, tools and techniques against climate change.We need to exchange methods how young people can become greener citizens through youth work activities and how they can motivate others becoming more plastic free and environmentally friendly.We need to make proposals for local and European youth projects in order to improve plastic free and environmentally friendly lives of our young people based on their interests and needs. We need to make solid partnerships for youth projects with eco-friendly youth organisations according to the proposals of Erasmus + programme.<< Results >>Participants: the project will improve the participants' skills when it comes to plastic free and eco-friendly methodologies of working with unemployed young people from rural and urban areas. They will learn the basics of environmentally friendly youth work such as theories and practise, in order to pass this knowledge to the youth they work with. They will get to know the methodology of green youth work addressing home, travelling and youth work places. The participating youth workers will become more apt in addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged regarding environmental protection (rural youth, urban youth, young people with economic obstacles). The project also will improve foreign language competences of participants - they will become more confident in using English and collaborate with others in English. They become more used to working in an international, multicultural setting. Thanks to their newly-gained skills, they will be able to offer a better quality of their green work and activities in favour of sustainable youth work and lifestyle. Moreover, they will gain/improve the skills regarding dissemination of project results. They will learn how to fill out a Youthpass certificate. Last but not least, they will get a skill of attractive transfer of knowledge/skills to other youth workers from different countries and they will learn how to exchange best practices within the international context. On the other hand, they also learn to discuss their problems which they have in their work and talk about the challenges they face.They will equip their skills and knowledge about the plastic free and eco-friendly youth work tools and methods. Partner organisations: Partners will increase/gain their capacities to operate at international level. They undoubtfully improve their management skills because of the logistical and legal side of the project. They learn and exchange practices when it comes to quality in the preparation, implementation, follow up and monitoring of the EU projects. They become more opened to organize Erasmus+ project involving people from rural and urban areas especially having economic difficulties. They will gain more knowledgeable and skilful youth workers who will be equipped in improved green youth work methods and practices involving people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Furthermore, our partnership will be more capable of attracting more youth to their organizations and offer them sustainable youth work tools and methods. They will be more effective and attractive in organizing events for environmental protection in their local communities. Partners will implement 30 sustainable local youth work activities based on the needs of our target groups through plastic free and eco-friendly youth work methods and tools in order to raise awareness environmental protection among young people with economical obstacles from rural and urban areas in the following 2 years.They will implement together at least 16 international youth exchanges, youth participatory projects and youth workers’ mobility projects in order to support the environmentally friendly actions of young people and promote eco-friendly and plastic free approach by for and with young people from rural and urban areas in the following 2 years. They will start partnership building among 8 local youth organisations of the host partner and the other 11 partners of our consortium in order to sustain the outcomes of our project within future green cooperation. Target groups:Thanks to the training, our youth will benefit from new green youth work methodologies. They will become more aware of environmental protection especially the plastic free and eco-friendly lifestyle, because the youth workers participating in the training have been a kind of a ""role-model"" for them in this respect."

<< Objectives >>Eco Path is a project based on young people’s needs. It is a result of online youth exchanges that have been made since June 2020 and have shown positive results. The main aim of Eco Path is:-Raising awareness among young people of the importance of changing everyday habits into a more sustainable and ecofriendly way,-Empowering young people to take initiative and become proactive towards raising awareness about the importance of eco-lifestyle in their local communities will boost their self-esteem, -To develop competencies of young participants on personal and professional that will put them on the higher level of the labor market,-To bring this pilot projects mentioned above in an offline mode and on the regional level which will bring the development of the WB6 region and strengthen regional cooperation.More specifically, objectives are: -Developing social, individual, and civic competence among young people. Young people should develop and improve their sense of social responsibility in order to become active citizens at the local, national, and regional levels.-Developing cultural awareness and tolerance. To increase awareness of own cultural context and the cultural context of others and prevent racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance amongst youth.This project will create an opportunity to gather 6 group leaders, 24 young persons, and a facilitator from WB6 countries to exchange experiences and knowledge on the topic of how to live more sustainably in everyday life and to empower each other to take small steps towards active citizenship and eco-activism.<< Implementation >>“Eco Path” is mobility for young people project that will gather 24 participants plus 6 group leaders plus 1 facilitator coming from 6 organizations from 6 Western Balkan countries (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia ). The profile of the participant will be the following:• Facing disadvantaged backgrounds and fewer opportunities such as economic obstacles (low income or facing unemployment), educational difficulties (learning difficulties, poor school performance, early school- leavers), geographical obstacles (people from remote or rural areas), social obstacles (young people at risk of radicalization) and therefore at risk of marginalization, cultural obstacles.• Lacking competencies and knowledge to actively engage in the societyThe project is open to all those interested in joining regardless of their gender, race, religion, ability, political views, etc. as long as they demonstrate the necessary motivation and will commit to participate in the full cycle of the project. Participants should be motivated to learn from others and share their own experiences. Participants will be actively involved in each phase of the project, from its preparation to the evaluation and follow-up. The “Eco Path” Youth Exchange will be realized in Djuriselo, Serbia from 1st to 8th of April 2023 (travel days excluded). The planned activities and working methods have been selected with the support of the facilitator Sanja Kamberovic from Serbia, according to the principles of non formal learning. Therefore they are highly participative, cooperative and rather self-reflective. Each of the activities foreseen in the project will be divided into 3 stages: preparation, implementation and evaluation. Partners will have an active role through all stages of the mobility by supporting their participants, arranging the practical aspects with the coordination team and keeping informed about the process and the learning outcomes of the sessions.<< Results >>Blogs/vlogs/pictures/videos about the project will be considered as tangible results. Besides that, we expect to have dissemination activities such as events where participants will raise awareness about the necessity of changing everyday habits in a more sustainable way in their local communities and to have them as well. During the Youth Exchange coordination team will take everyday photos/videos and share them on social media of Vega and partners will be tagged as well and invited to share the posts. In the promoting and dissemination materials (videos and photos) we will include the logo of Erasmus+ for dissemination, logos of partners, and the Vega YC logo. New gained competencies of the participants and group leaders will be considered as intangible results. These results will create more active youngsters motivated to get involved in the activities of the organization, volunteering, taking initiative, and raising awareness about the need of changing everyday habits in a more sustainable way will be intangible results for the partners.Expected impact of participantsThe project would benefit the young participants on a personal and professional level. -They would learn how to achieve the goals they set for themselves -Become more motivated to take initiative towards the goals they set for themselves-They would boost their self-esteem-Become more aware of the climate change effects, necessity, and importance of changing everyday habits in a more sustainable way-They would learn different ways of living in a more ecofriendly way.-They would develop skills that could put them on a higher level in the labor marketThe expected impact of the participating organizations:1.Organisations would expand the network of reliable partners which are focused on the topics of entrepreneurship, environment protection, and youth 2.This project would provide the opportunity for creating a WB6 network of organisations that are working with youth and fighting climate change and protecting the environment 3.Group leaders of the organisations would expand their competencies through the exchange of good practices which would benefit organisations to have more competent group leaders/youth workers4.Organisations would expand their activities through supporting participants of the project to create and implement dissemination events in the local community5.They would expand the network of young people interested in Erasmus+ projects and environment protection6.They would gain more experience related to creating and developing an entrepreneurial mindset that they can use in their work7.They could expand the number of people interested in volunteering and activismOur project aims to create an impact on a local, national and regional levels through the participants, group leaders, partner organizations, and follow-up activities.