Eco-challenge: Youth Entrepreneurship and Environmental and Intercultural Learning for Sustainability Erasmus Project

Project Title

Eco-challenge: Youth Entrepreneurship and Environmental and Intercultural Learning for Sustainability

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Creativity and culture; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The origin of this project called “ECO-CHALLENGE: YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND INTERCULTURAL LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY” was in the previous diagnosis carried out by the organizations that participated in this project where it was detected the need to promote youth entrepreneurship from a sustainability perspective linked to the environment and interculturality. Four organizations from France, Romania, Italy and Spain participated in the project.

At the same time, we were aware of the need that both individuals and institutions must begin to act in a sustainable manner. It is necessary to urgently acquire an “ecological” knowledge and behavior that allows us to develop without growing beyond our limits. Being aware of this, we considered essential to promote Environmental and Intercultural Education for Sustainable Development with the implementation of this project.

In addition, the project has sought to put its small grain of sand to respond to the problem of the lack of opportunities for rural youth and to value the potential of the rural environment as an opportunity for young people who want to start an entrepreneurial activity.

Therefore, the objectives of this project were:

– To awaken entrepreneurial vocations among youth.
– To train workers in the youth field to develop innovative strategies in promoting entrepreneurial culture.
– To promote creativity, innovation and initiative capacity.
– To promote the most active participation of youth.
– To promote a new social model based on the principles of sustainability.
– To facilitate the understanding of the connection of environmental, social, economic and intercultural processes.
– To promote the creation of networks at a European level for the promotion of entrepreneurship.
– To combat youth depopulation in rural areas.
– To train workers in the youth field to analyze socio-environmental conflicts, in the debate of alternatives and in decision-making, individual and collective.
– To favour the extension of “sustainable good practices” in different contexts and cultures.
– To promote the implementation at local and European level of projects, programs and initiatives of Environmental and Intercultural Education for sustainability.
– To disseminate the Erasmus Plus Program.

The project launched 4 Information Points for the Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship and Creativity in the place of origin of each of the partners. These 4 spaces have been physical and virtual spaces of reference for young people interested in sustainable entrepreneurship and spaces for the promotion of environmental education, the promotion of sustainable development and intercultural learning. In these spaces, an exhaustive promotion of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN has also been made.

At the same time, with this project the following learning-training experiences have been carried out:

– Two specific training actions in Spain (September 2018) and France (July 2019) to train workers in the field of youth in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship spirit, creativity, innovation, environmental and intercultural education, sustainability and sustainable growth.

– Four training activities of “JOB SHADOWING”, one in each of the partner countries in this project (Romania, France, Italy and Spain).

On the other hand, the project developed, designed, edited and published 2 Intellectual Products; Publication entitled “TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” with experiences of sustainable entrepreneurs at European level and “DYNAMICS FOR PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, INTERCULTURAL LEARNING AND HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AMONG YOUTH”. These materials have been available in the Information Points for the promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship and Creativity as a tool for the exchange of good practices and have been distributed and presented in different forums in which the partner entities in this project have participated at the level local highlighting the Erasmus Plus Program.
We must also emphasize that in the implementation of the project we have used in several actions an innovative methodology called “Service-Learning”. This project has been conceived at all times as a method to unite learning (intercultural, environmental, entrepreneurs) and social commitment: learn to be competent while being useful to others.

As significant data, a total of 44 people have participated in the training activities of this project and directly or indirectly in the project have participated around 2,000 young people, in addition to the volunteers, experts, technicians and managers of the partner entities that have been involved in the different phases of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 80523 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACIÓN AURYN & Country: ES

Project Partners

• ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE LINK
• ASSOCIATION INTERCULTURA
• Asociatia Tineret si Dezvoltare Regionala/Youth and Regional Development Association