Erasmus+ Project “Fostering Active Youth Participation in Environmental Advocacy” Comes to an End

How can young people become active participants in addressing environmental challenges in their communities? The international Erasmus+ project “Fostering Active Youth Participation in Environmental Advocacy” provided an answer to this question by bringing together young people from Bulgaria, Albania and Germany around a common cause – protecting the environment and promoting sustainable local communities.

Project No. 2025-1-BG01-KA154-YOU-000305144 was implemented from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 under the Erasmus+ programme. It combined international exchange, training and practical initiatives, enabling participants to turn the knowledge they gained into real action.

International Partnership for Active Youth Engagement

The project was coordinated by Association FOR YOU (Bulgaria) in partnership with Aiforia – ecoculture e.V. (Germany) and StarBalkans (Albania).

The main aim of the initiative was to encourage active youth participation in environmental advocacy by providing young people with knowledge, practical skills and opportunities to develop and implement their own initiatives on environmental issues.

Through international cooperation, participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas and good practices, learn about different approaches to environmental challenges and work together on solutions that can be applied at the local level.

Two International Mobilities – From Knowledge to Practice

As part of the project, two international mobilities were organised – in Tirana, Albania, and Varna, Bulgaria.

The first mobility took place in Tirana, Albania, and focused on the role of young people in recycling campaigns and waste management. Participants explored approaches to increasing public engagement and discussed how young people can contribute to more responsible attitudes towards waste.

The second mobility took place in Varna, Bulgaria, with a focus on organising public events and initiatives to raise public awareness of environmental issues.

These training activities provided young people not only with theoretical knowledge but also with practical tools that they subsequently applied in their local communities.

Online Campaign on Electronic Waste

Following the training activities, participants turned what they had learned into concrete local initiatives.

One of these was an online information campaign dedicated to electronic waste. Through informational articles and social media posts, the young people raised awareness of important issues related to:

• different types of electronic waste;
• the importance of proper collection;
• responsible management of electronic devices at the end of their useful life;
• opportunities for recycling electronic waste.

The initiative demonstrated how digital channels can be used by young people as a tool for environmental education and public awareness.

Young People and Volunteers Revitalised a Community Space in Varna

The final project initiative took place in Varna, where young people, local residents and volunteers joined forces to improve a communal space in the Tsveten kvartal neighbourhood.

Participants cleaned the area of waste, trimmed hazardous vegetation and refreshed the children’s play equipment. In this way, a neglected space between residential buildings was transformed into a cleaner, safer and more pleasant place for the local community.

The initiative is an example of how youth participation can have a direct and visible impact on the urban environment. Instead of leaving environmental problems as topics for discussion, participants took concrete action and worked together with local residents.

Erasmus+ as an Opportunity for Development and International Exchange

The “Fostering Active Youth Participation in Environmental Advocacy” project gave participants the opportunity to develop knowledge and practical skills in the areas of environmental protection, recycling, waste management, public awareness and youth participation.

Alongside the training activities and local initiatives, the international exchange created opportunities for new connections and friendships among young people from Bulgaria, Albania and Germany.

The project demonstrated that when young people are given the space, knowledge and support to take action, their ideas can turn into real initiatives with a positive impact on their communities.

What Remains After the End of the Project?

With the completion of the Erasmus+ project, what remains is not only the initiatives that were implemented, but also international connections, new friendships, valuable experience and the confidence that change begins with active participation.

The young participants demonstrated that they can be an active driving force for positive change – both through information and advocacy and through concrete action in their communities.

Because protecting the environment is not just a topic for discussion. It is action. And every action matters.

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