"In Portugal, 2016 was declared National Year Against Food Waste. Europe's 2020 roadmap challenges all nations to reduce the quantity of edible food thrown away by half. The task, itself complex, is hardened by health and safety concerns. Only by fomenting an open dialogue policy to discuss methods and priorities and thorough training and education can this goal be achieved. Thus, the ten-day Youth Exchange ""Re|Thinking Food Waste - Strategies to Lessen Food Waste in Europe"" created a dialogue platform to promote a non-formal educated discussion about this topic and also promote youth entrepreneurship and healthy lifestyles among the young participants. The project took place in Angra do Heroísmo, a coastal city in Terceira Island, Azores (Portugal), between the 13th and the 22nd of November, 2017. During the Exchange, a young group of 27 participants from five different countries (Portugal, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary and Croatia), gathering in Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal), got to know examples of good practices and also think about the environmental impact of over-exploiting the land, capitalizing on the issues brought to light by the International Year of Pulses (FAO). To reach the objectives, the group participated in a series of: - Workshops; - Discussions; - Team building activities; - Debates; - Presentations; These activities promoted an inclusive non-formal learning process. As a final result, the group was able to discuss and put together strategies that aimed at lessening food waste in Europe. They were also encouraged to branch out the skills acquired by bringing awareness to their own communities."

<< Objectives >>Youth exchange Clenovci has gathered 36 young people from 6 EU countries who were eager to see and to become the change when it comes to the conversation of climate change. Youth all over the world is using their voices to raise more awareness of the striking issue of air pollution, ice caps melting, and wildlife protection, which was caused by nonother than humankind and our greediness. The modern-day world is quickly moving and the young generations, besides the everyday problems that the youth brings, face one of the biggest problems of all time, which is the security of the world that we know and the planet that we love.The complexity of global warming is something these young people take seriously, therefore having open conversations and workshops about us as individuals and how we could tackle this wicked problem one small step at a time was the biggest objective of this project. To be able to fully emerge ourselves in this topic, we chose one of the most polluting industries in the world and dissected it day by day. The chosen industry is one that recently started getting a lot of attention for its horrible ways of production, its high amounts of freshwater usage, toxic chemical dyes, pesticide usage, and unethical working environment - the fashion industry. With a series of interconnected workshops, the focus was not only on learning about the negative aspects of this industry but also on learning about sustainable practices that they as individuals can apply on a daily basis. Due to the topic of fashion, the main objectives were for participants to improve their understanding of fast fashion in daily life and ways how can we reduce it through learning what it means to upcycle or downcycle, how to properly recycle clothes and old garments, and removing the bad reputation that thrifting has. The last and main activity was the creation of our own eco label where participants remade new garments of old ones and showed/gifted them at the local flea market.<< Implementation >>The activities implemented were of all kinds, with all of them using a nonformal education approach. The week of activities was divided into three parts. In the first part of the week, the focus was on the problem of the fashion industry and the environmental challenges that it creates. In the second part, we slowly start to switch from the problem to possible solutions. The solutions were focused on the individuals and how they can start implementing them immediately in their everyday life. In this part, we start looking at consumption behaviours, the role of fashion in our lives, and just how much we allow fashion to define us. With this new realization of ourselves, we begin the third part of activities which is becoming the change. Before coming to the project we asked the participants to bring some old clothing of theirs, from which we, in this last activity, created something new. Some old ripped pants became a backpack, a denim jacket became a purse, and some old shits were turned into beautiful paintings with strong environmental messages on them. In the end, all of these pieces were exposed at the fleamarket organized by our NGO and the local coffee bar Hang Loose, whose owners were more than helpful in helping us organize this event. When it comes to the participants, the counties involved in this project come from similar cultural backgrounds. With similar cultural backgrounds, our countries also take similar actions when it comes to climate change and its policies. Therefore the participants that came to this project were the youth that was unhappy with the current measures or lack of those from their governments, and are willing to make the change them selfs. With that being said most of the participants were in the age gap of 18 to 22, who were incredibly motivated to learn more bout this topic and even more about what could they do that will make an impact.<< Results >>The results and the impact turned out to be better than expected. Like with any other project the expected results are for the participants to be more motivated for the topics, willing to learn and pass on the knowledge. But for this project, most of the participants already came very motivated and also already with a lot of knowledge about sustainability and sustainable practices. Having such a group made the whole project more enjoyable, but also the learning experience went both ways, from the facilitator to the group and vice versa. Besides that, all of the objectives of the project were met, not only from the learning perspective of the topic but also from the willingness of the group to go the extra mile.The workshop's purpose was delivered and met with great curiosity but most importantly fun. Having a group that was so young definitely played its role in accomplishing these great results since they were the ones adding playful tones to the topics that can become sad and even a bit depressing. Whether it was the debates, simulation workshops, or just watching a short clip on youtube there was always a small discussion that led to a conclusion. With that being said the main impact of the project was fostering youth climate initiatives and youth participation which ended up being backed up by other impacts such as discovering ourselves through sustainability, and how much an individual can be impactful once it has the right knowledge of the problem and the right approach to the solution.

Contact making event called ProManagment brought together to Pińczów in between 26.08-1.09 2015, 24 experienced leaders, trainers, youth workers, project managers from Albania, Bosnia& Herzcegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia. The main aim was to develop the quality projects for youth activities and the capability of NGOs in the field of work with youth in the frame of Erasmus + Programme. We wanted to increase cooperation between organizations from EU and Balkan countries, thus augmenting their capability of managing projects in their respective community. ProManagment also comprised opportunity to build a network among organizations active in the youth field, to exchange experiences and make new contacts. Furthermore the mix of cultures definitely facilitated the process of intercultural dialogue and understanding. The gain of such competences is useful for young people to apply in their life and work, especially in the period in which unemployment has reached incredibly high numbers in Europe. The promotion of a tool like a Youthpass, to recognize these competences was also a key point. Participants were also involved in different activities through the methodology of non-formal education such as simulations, role-playing, open space discussions, brainstorming, and ice-breakers, all that to point out importance of good practice in youth work within the frame of Erasmus+ Programme. The result of this contact making events was creation of strong cooperation and network between EU and Balkan countries in the field of youth within the Erasmus+ Programme.

"<< Objectives >>The European Union constant work towards the promotion of the importance of sustainability - the ""zero-impact"" and the green safeguard - and of the responsibility of all of us as active members in European society, has led to the realization of the ""European Green Deal"". The latter has been widely supported both by the European program for “cohesion, resilience and values” of 21/27 (focused on the theme of environmental prevention) and by some of the 11 “European Youth Goals”.“EcoPh - Ecocentrism Philosophy"" is a project that takes inspiration from the above-mentioned EU initiatives. The project has been created starting from an idea of 3 young members of the Supertramp Association (which will be the host organization) and thanks to the help of other young people from partner organizations with which the project was implemented.Specifically, the project aims at achieving 4 of the 11 ""European Youth Goals"":• Information and constructive dialogue;• Support to young people in rural areas;• Sustainable green Europe;• Youth organizations and European programs.We are sure that we can achieve these goals by merging philosophy, prevention, education, recycling and responsible consumption at no cost. Above all, these goals will be achieved by involving young people from rural countries.The project is designed to bring effective results to the needs of participating organizations, with the objectives of:- bringing young people from rural areas closer to European programs and mobility possibilities, thereby encouraging intercultural learning and their own European identity;- awaken the interest of young people in environmental education;- consolidate the transversal skills of young people in rural areas;- multiply ideologies for recycling and reuse of materials through creativity and art;- accrediting the efficiency of the NFE/INFORMAL methods in reaching the most marginalized young people -or those with lower opportunities- and involving them in community projects.The actions and learning outcomes of this project focus on the following needs and requirements:- Addressing key challenges within communities (particularly located in rural, isolated or marginalized areas), where non-profit organizations and communities can benefit from international projects;- Understand the priorities identified at the European level (sustainability and climate change, European identity and multiculturalism) and in European projects that aim at the active participation and inclusion of young people with lower opportunities;- Strengthen the concept of redevelopment of rural areas;- Support and improve involvement in environmental education among young people.<< Implementation >>The project foresees the participation of 6 groups from 6 different countries.Each national group is composed of 1 Group Leader and 4 participants.For the host organization, two facilitators/coordinators of the project are added.Profile of the expected participants and the formation of national groups:- participants aged 18-25;- resident in the country of the sending organization;- at least one participant of the group must come from rural areas (small towns, countryside, etc.) of the country of origin;- it is not mandatory to be an active member of the sending organization;- at least two participants with lower opportunities (we encourage the participation of young people with lower opportunities facing geographical, cultural, economic or health obstacles);- each national group must have two male and two female participants within the group.Background of the participants:- NEETs, young workers or young students;- interest in the environment and the topic of recycling;- at least one member of the national group must have artistic skills;- young people with the will and motivation to undertake new actions and activities at the local level.The participants of the project will share the experiences acquired with local organizations with the aim of expanding the methodology of working with young people and, indirectly, in their countries of origin.Background of the Group Leaders (GL):- GL aged 25-35 and with a strong interest in the theme of the project;- GL with consolidated experience in at least 2 youth exchanges in the Erasmus plus program;- GL who is at his comfort with the rules of participation in the activities of a youth exchange and in document management (health insurance, PCR, reimbursements);- GL with communication and organizational skills;- GL who has experience of working with young people with lower opportunities. Given that, in each phase of the project young people with lower opportunities will be involved. In particular, those living with social, economic and cultural difficulties in rural areas.The presence of young people from both metropolises and rural villages requires a GL with a strong aptitude for personal and professional growth, since the methodology applied during the exchange will require self-reflection and self-awareness of understanding the real meaning of being an active part of society.<< Results >>Youth exchange ''EcoPh - Ecocentrism Philosophy'' and its learning activities are addressed to selected young people - some of whom have never had an experience of mobility abroad - together with young people from disadvantaged situations and NEETs. In fact, we believe that the activities are bound to have a positive impact on young people, as well as on the organizations involved, on the communities in which these activities take place, on the youth sector itself and on the European economic and social sectors in general.During 8 days, ""EcoPh"" will transform itself into a meeting place for the development of all participants’ skills in an atmosphere of fun and hospitality.Through meetings with host organizations, activities, cultural visits and excursions, we aspire to create a positive impact on each participant by:- Bring it closer to rural life and its possibilities;- Show her/him the extent of opportunities in working with young people;- Let her/him discover the importance of recycling and reuse of materials by providing her/him with the opportunity to create works of art to be exhibited in rural villages. Thus, be an active actor in the environmental impact and the reduction of consumerism; - Raise awareness of the environmental issues and the positive impact her/his involvement can have on the place where we live.The main impact of the project will be assessed through the aforementioned ""Learning Outcomes"" with a particular focus on knowledge, skills, awareness and attitude.Through practical experience and learning based on non-formal education methodologies, the benefits of:- Living in rural villages;- Communicate in real life;- Practice a healthy and responsible lifestyle;- Improving/perfecting artistic techniques;- Encourage healthy communication with different nationalities;- Promote creativity.The expected impacts through cooperation with partners are:- The direct result of the partner organizations will be represented by the same participants of the organizations. All this can materialize through roles in organizations such as those of volunteer, youth worker, educator, facilitator, mentor, etc .;- A meeting on the themes of the ""EcoPh - Ecocentrism Philosophy"" youth exchange held by the participants themselves with the material, the volunteers, the members of the promoting organization and any interested person, in order to share the acquired knowledge and experiences lived in Viggiano ;- The time that the participants decide to devote to partner organizations after the project, will add value to the organizations in a long-term perspective;- Strengthen the cooperation between the partners by implementing new projects in the Erasmus plus area. In fact, during the YE, a presentation session of Erasmus plus 2021/2027 will be organized. During this presentation, the Erasmus plus 2021/2027 objectives, priorities, methods of cooperation, the application procedure, etc., will be explained to the participants;- Provide partner organizations with useful material to improve the selection and preparation of their youth groups. The presence of the InfoPack and exchanges of good practices will improve group management by group leaders (some of these documents have already been shared with partners). In fact, partner organizations are required to make national groups meetings at least twice in their own country (also using online platforms), so that participants can meet each other, share the ""tasks"" and be prepared to face a youth exchange. The intent is to improve the selection process and the preparation of the participants, which will ultimately improve the quality of the experience of partner organizations;- Propose an immediate contact with the local reality, knowing it thoroughly and acting with the indirect beneficiaries of the project thanks to the availability of young people, families, local municipalities and other associations to collaborate with the host organization. They can re-propose similar actions in their sending organizations if they will organize similar activities;- Demonstrate through the non-formal education mode, the feasibility of the themes and possible actions to be carried out to reaffirm the laws, priorities and attitudes of the European Commission, while creating a positive impact on their attitude in working with young people on important topics (in particular the SDG objectives and responsibility towards the environment)."

Training course will gather 32 participants from 11 countries and it aims to develop competences of youth workers/leaders in using video and photography as a tool for working with youth. This training will empower the participating youth workers and youth leaders to more efficiently and extensively use the video/fotography-tools in their everyday work, both for improving the educational process at the events themselves and also for taking the material developed and results achieved further to wider communities.The main objectives of the project are:- To explore the ways, techniques, means and possibilities of foto and amateur video-production with youth workers and youth leaders active in European youth work.- To learn together the nowadays new programmes and platforms supporting video and photography creation and dissemination - To learn and compare the basic rules of respect to copyright, creative commons etc.- To promote young people’s active participation in society by involving them in video/photography activities;- To develop further activities in the youth work, exploiting the results got during the training and disseminating them further to their peers and communities.- Exchange of project ideas, building up future projects and partnerships and exchange of best practices in youth workThis Program would address a group of youth workers and civil society activists who often face the challenge to work with young people and are committed to work directly with youth on the issues related to the training.Teaching methods: lecture followed by discussion, tutorials, discussion groups, outdoor foto/video learning, practical exercicesThrough the lateral learning process this training program would support the personal and professional development of the participants, so that they act as multipliers of the gained knowledge within their organizations and their local realities.