Association for education and training CET PLATFORMA Skopje is launching an open call for participants from North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania and Serbia for an Erasmus+ Youth exchange “Eco(logical) Youth” that will be organized in Krushevo, North Macedonia from 21st to 28th of October 2024.
In the heart of our modern world, lies a profound and urgent call to take action. We stand at a critical crossroads, where the fate of our environment is uncertain and could tip in either direction – toward preservation or further degradation. The decision to carry out this project is not merely a choice, but a solemn acknowledgment of the urgent environmental challenges facing our communities and Europe as a whole. In particular, we as young people are deeply concerned about the threats to biodiversity, the detrimental impact of human activities on the environment, the pervasive issue of air pollution, and the pressing need for robust recycling practices.
These issues can be felt in the everyday lives of participants as they come from countries with poor environmental practices. These nations exhibit high levels of pollution, as indicated by data from the EEA’s statistics on the “Health impacts of air pollution”. Additionally, dissatisfaction with air quality is evident in the European Commission’s 2023 report on the quality of life in European cities. This report also shows us the lack of green spaces in cities from the participating countries. Not to mention the alarmingly low recycling rates seen on Eurostat’s statistics about “Recycling rate of municipal waste”. To tackle these challenges, our project has identified 4 key focus areas: 1) Biodiversity, 2) Human impact on the environment, 3) Nature & air pollution, and 4) Recycling.
Therefore, the main aim of the project is to inspire behavior change in 37 young people and youth leaders towards more sustainable lifestyles and stimulate a sense of collective responsibility for the health of the planet.
Conditions for participation:
- Participants should be aged between 18 and 30 years old (preferably 18 to 25 y.o.)
- The group leader should be older than 21 (no age limit) and be experienced with youth work, non-formal education and youth mobility projects
- Strong motivation for participation and open-minded attitude
- Able to comfortably communicate in English as its the working language
- Motivated and readiness to participate in all project activities (preparation, implementation and follow-up/dissemination)
- Readiness and commitment to organize follow-up activities after the Youth exchange in their organization or local community
- Citizens or legal residents in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania or Serbia
All costs related to accommodation, food and work materials during the Youth exchange dates (21 – 28.10.2024) are fully covered by the hosting organization. The travel costs will be fully reimbursed by the hosting organization up to the travel limit per country per participant: North Macedonia (56€), Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Romania and Serbia (285€ Green travel). Green travel means that participants can only travel by bus, train or car pooling to the project. There is no participation fee!
You are allowed to stay maximum 4 days before OR after the Youth exchange (e.g. 2 day before and 2 day after). We cannot cover any of your expenses for staying extra days and they are totally on your own budget.
If you are interested to participate in our Youth exchange, then please first carefully read the project info-pack, and then fill out the application form. Please only fill out the application form if you are 100% sure that you are fully available to travel and participate in all project activities during its planned dates!
If you have any questions or doubts, please contact us at [email protected].
