<< Background >>In May 2018, the EU Council adopted the revised Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, setting out a core set of skills necessary to work and live in the 21st Century. The aim is that everybody should have the essential set of competences needed for personal development, social inclusion, active citizenship, and employment. Active citizenship is the key that enables youth to unleash their potential and contribute to the development of their societies.According to EU Youth strategy 2019-27 youths need to:-act as agents of change for environmental and sustainable development.-know the effect of their actions on environment-become active citizens, agents of solidarity and positive change inspired by the EU values and European identity-develop and strengthen personal, social and civic competencies, develop critical thinking and creativity Youth workers’ needs are related to:-support youths’ active citizenship and to develop their life skills-create and implement more personalized, participative, and cooperative learner-centered methods in every step of the education process-incorporate methods within informal and non-formal education settings that enable youths’ to develop personal skills including critical and analytical thinking, creativity and learning-encourage and equip young people with the necessary resources to become active citizens, agents of solidarity and positive change angels inspired by EU values and EU identityACTIVEYOUTH4Life meets the abovementioned needs exploiting and developing:A)The LIFEComp framework (2020): conceptualizes “Personal, Social and Learning to Learn” as a set of competences applying to all life spheres, acquired through all forms of education, which can help youths to thrive in the 21st Century. This set of competences will equip youths with skills that could unleash their dynamic potential, self-regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours, build meaningful lives, and cope with complexity as thriving individuals, responsible social agents, and reflective lifelong learners having as a focal point of how to tackle environmental issues and raising environmental awareness. B)A socio-emotional educational approach via storytelling and innovative tools such as Filmmaking and Serious gaming: The selection of these two techniques rather than spontaneous is. On the contrary, the fact that in 2020 young people receive much of their education, information and entertainment via still and moving images on screens – on mobile phones, notebooks, iPad, tvs or cinema guides the selection of these tools and methods. Filmmaking can provide a safe and effective way for young people to explore sensitive issues and find their voice on challenges they face. It helps them increase their confidence, build resilience, and work in teams, whilst giving a sense of achievement, pride and confidence that can positively impact other aspects of their lives. Following LIFEComp, specific competences of youths could be cultivated via filmmaking (such as flexibility, well-being, collaboration, communication and empathy) promoting particularly environmental awareness. On the other hand, serious gaming in general and escape rooms in teaching can facilitate youths to cooperate, communicate, and be critical and active learners. As a didactic tool with a motivational purpose they can create memorable learning experiences that cannot be replicated by standard classroom activities. They can inspire learners to seek more knowledge, help them reflect upon learning, develop their intrinsic motivation to learn and explore instead of just responding to extrinsic motivations. Escape rooms could also be the ideal technique for cultivating LIFECOMP competences, self-regulation, growth mindset, critical thinking and managing to learn.<< Objectives >>The overall objective of ACTIVEYOUTH4Life is the enhancement of youths’ civic participation and sustainable and environmental awareness, so as to be able to effectively tackle climate change issues through the cultivation of LIFEComp competences.In more detail the specific objectives of the project are: -To foster active citizenship among young people and strengthen young people's sense of initiative towards environmental problems - To create a multidimensional training approach adaptable to local, regional and EU contexts- To provide innovative practices and tools, such as filmmaking and serious gaming through “the art of storytelling”, so as, to prepare educators, trainers, youth workers and youths to become true agents of change via cultivation of LIFEComp competences- To promote youths active motivation so as to become more cooperative, be engaged towards problem solving for overcoming environmental challenges embracing their dynamic potential to cope with complexity as thriving individuals/ citizens - To create an attractive and easy to be used training material for youths, in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills and competences that will prepare them to be active citizens towards environmental issues- To create a virtual community space for the promotion of dialogue and collaboration among youths, motivating them to take initiatives towards a common goal: how to take action against climate change.<< Implementation >>Six partner organizations from Spain, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and Bosnia and Herzegovina will join their forces to implement this project. The consortium consists of 3 non- profit organizations, 1 research and development center, 1 private company and 1 aggregator of people and companies. Innohub (Spain) having great experience in the promotion of professional and personal development through actions that support sustainable solutions to systemic social problems leading to creative solutions that impact significant change in local ecosystem, in projects focused mainly in youths, is the coordinator. Materahub (Italy), is an aggregator of people and business having experience in adult education, consulting, and managing cultural heritage and creative activities, and the implementation of EC competence Frameworks in the Italian settings (such as DigiCOMP, EntreComp). It is the Leader of R2. FIP (Ireland) is a private company working in the field of youth development, e-learning, digital media and social inclusion specializing in the development of innovative educational materials and courseware specifically targeted at non-mainstream educational providers therefore is the leader of R3.CARDET(Cyprus) is one of the leading research and development centers in the Mediterranean region with global expertise in project design and implementation, capacity building, and e-learning and is the Leader of R4.BALKIEN (Greece) is a non-profit entity that conducts research, evaluation and data analysis fostering innovation and sustainability in the fields of culture and education, by training and supporting young people. BALKIEN is the leader of R1.SMOC (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a non-profit organization with a vast experience in youth work, nurturing a creative approach to problem solving and youth empowerment, fostering active citizenship, as well as providing methodologies to develop their creativity and entrepreneurial skills.ACTIVEYOUTH4Life applies a holistic approach, addressing both youth workers, trainers, educators and youths so as to provide new alternative, inspirational means for engaging youths and cultivating their key competences that apply to all spheres of life and can help them to thrive in the 21st Century. The training methodology will lie upon the principles of active, challenge-based learning and social constructivism. Having a learner centered focus enriched by participatory and digital storytelling it will contain highly motivating and interactive content in an online mode adopting forms of blended learning (face to face, online). Products will be tested in a piloting phase and presented in multiplier events. The consortium plans to directly involve 294 individuals from the main target groups, youth workers, trainers, educators, youths and other relevant stakeholders in the project activities. At least 60 persons will be youths with fewer opportunities. Through the dissemination activities carried out by the consortium and the associated partners it is estimated that more than 5000 persons will be reached.<< Results >>ACTIVEYOUTH4Life is anticipated to have the following Results (R):R1: A training approach for the up-skilling of youth workers in integrating storytelling (participatory and digital) through the use of filmmaking and digital escape rooms for the enhancement of youths’ civic participation, environmental and sustainability awareness via the cultivation of LIFEComp competences. R2: a handbook for educators, trainers and youth workers for encouraging them to integrate storytelling through filmmaking for the development of youths’ LIFEComp competences. R3: Digital Escape Rooms and Guidelines for fostering active citizenship of youths and enhancing specific LIFEComp competences.R4: A collaborative space platform that provides e-learning tools and resources to be used by educators/trainers, youth workers and youths as a means for the enhancement of youths’ civic participation, operating also as a virtual community platform.Dissemination material (as described in the relevant section).In addition, ACTIVEYOUTHS4Life’s Outcomes (O) are given below:FOR PARTNERS(including associated partners):-Sharing of knowledge, experience, ideas and good practices. Partners are involved in different ways in social inclusion, youths’ civic participation and innovation in education, and originate from countries where different integration policies and practices exist. The sharing process will add value both to the project products and to the development of the partner organizations.-Development of new networks through cooperation and contacting stakeholders during the exploration of exploitation possibilities-Utilization of new innovative training approach, material and tools for engaging youths and fostering their civic participation competences FOR YOUTH WORKERS, EDUCATORS & TRAINERS: -Increased awareness on the significance of active citizenship as a means for tackling climate change issues in a creative way-Knowledge and understanding on how to develop LIFEComp competences through the use of film making and digital escape rooms-Exchange of ideas and experience -Familiarization with the use of storytelling and innovative techniques (filmmaking and digital escape rooms) for engaging youths FOR YOUTHS: -Improved civic participation, environmental and sustainability awareness and LIFEComp competences -Awareness on how filmmaking helps them to conceive the world and realize their identity/individuality-Awareness on how Digital escape rooms help them become creative and socially proactive being adept at problem-solving and critical thinking, qualities that characterize an active citizen-Improved skills for using available digital equipment (tablets, smartphones etc) for making films-Improved LIFEComp competences for enabling them to thrive as individualsFOR STAKEHOLDERS (Youth associations/institutions, policy makers, youth councils etc.):-Increased awareness on the role of active citizenship for tackling climate change issues-Chance of capitalizing at national and EU level an effective and tested socio-emotional training approach based on active and challenge-based learning in order to develop sustainable strategies for the development of youth workers’/ educators’/ trainers’ competences in using innovative techniques for the enhancement of youths’ civic skills-Opportunity to use a training handbook to upgrade youth workers’/ educators’/ trainers’ knowledge and skills that encourage youths to tackle climate change issues via film making -Exchange of ideas and good practices during the development of the pilotings, multiplier events On project completion it is expected that ACTIVEYOUTH4Life will have raised awareness of all the parties informed on the importance of active citizenship and environmental awareness and provide a sustainable model for youth workers/ trainers/educators’ and youths’ training and active engagement in youths’ cultivation of civic participation competences using innovative techniques