take a step 4ward
OBJECTIVES AND RATIONALE
The project «Take a Step 4WARD. Sustainability and Development» is a project in which 3 organizations participate as PARTNER organizations:
The project is an Small Scale Partnership, KA210, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union.
sustainable development and environmental protection
The project is focused on sustainable development and environmental protection issues, with the aim of promoting cooperation and solidarity. The general objectives of the project fall within the framework of the Erasmus program. The project represents, above all, an intercultural learning opportunity for the volunteers.
Since the association is involved in the rural world and nature, we are very sensitive to its protection, conservation and preservation. We want to contribute to building a European network of systemic thinkers with the power to create healthy cultures and ecosystems.
Participation of young people
Traditionally, the participation of young people in decision-making processes has been limited. The project believes that there must be social engagement to help them take action and decide how to protect the future of our planet. After carrying out several sustainability initiatives, we echo their voices on the importance of the climate crisis and encourage their participation in initiatives aimed at addressing climate change.
Through volunteer activities on sustainability and development, young people feel they are part of a community, stimulate change thinking and propose methods and ideas to move contemporary society in the right direction.
By getting involved in different projects and activities, young people acquire new knowledge, develop skills and attitudes (including leadership) and are able to express and follow their aspirations for the future. The opportunity to use these new skills in new contexts helps young people to act more and more effectively.
Young people in rural areas have very limited access to various exchanges of experiences, and this project is an opportunity for them.
The objectives we want to achieve through this project are:
To increase the degree of involvement of young people in rural areas in solving community problems related to sustainability and development, stimulating new approaches and ideas about ecology and community actions.
To develop interest in volunteering as a form of participation through which young people are trained to act for the benefit of the community.
To develop new green, social, linguistic, soft, interpersonal and leadership skills for young people from rural areas.
Improve waste management. Restore topsoil through reforestation. Implement cleaner transportation alternatives. Encourage recycling and the use of environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and recycled materials. With a goal in itself, to reduce the carbon footprint and the environmental impact.
target group
- The north part of Extremadura, Spain. (Las Hurdes)
- North Macedonia.
- Merkez / KARAMAN.
- Between 18 and 30 years old.
- They are motivated to make a change in the world and its sustainability.
- They are proactive to participate in volunteering ecological activities.
- They are interested in working in local activities to involve their community in local actions.
- They face obstacles related to their geographical location.
During the mobilities, 24 young people, 8 from each participating country, from rural areas, aged between 18 and 30 years old will be involved. Each group will have two leaders. They are people who seek to get involved in the realization of a small change in perception, as well as in the approach of some problems: sustainability, environmental protection, ecological agriculture…
As there will be three mobilities, each involving different young people, the total number targeted by the project is 72 young people.
Rural youth have very difficult access to various international exchanges, and this project is an opportunity to broaden their horizons, see other approaches and learn from examples of good practice. The selection criteria are as follows:
- Situation of unemployment, student or have intention to change occupation
- Motivation to participate in the specific activities and interest in the tasks.
- Usefulness of this experience for the future, both personal and for labor insertion.
- They are interested in working in local activities to involve their community in local actions.
- Difficulty to participate in similar training actions abroad due to obstacles of socio-economic origin, as well as predisposition to face the lifestyle proposed by the activity and the challenges related to communicative and relational skills.
procedures:
Each participating carries out a selection process of the members from its country. Based on the above-mentioned criteria, the following phases are implemented:
Identification of the needs of the participants:
Research based on qualitative-quantitative methods within the action-research methodology; search of secondary data for the previous study of the needs of the young population.
Search for young people:
Identification of the different social agents existing in each territory, establishing contact and coordination mechanisms with them (educational centers, youth centers, technicians, and municipal politicians of the region in charge of the youth area...).
Pre-selection of profiles:
Assessment of responses and individual characteristics. The people in charge of human resources of each association oversee conducting interviews.
Evaluation of results and selection of candidates
Evaluation of results and estimation of data. In this phase, the entities meet to share the information obtained. Priority will be given to those with limited opportunities.