Take the ECO Side
About the Project
The Take the ECO Side training course gathered youth workers from 16 European organizations to rethink how environmental education can truly engage young people. It focused on overcoming barriers such as eco-anxiety, repetitive activities, and low motivation by developing creative, collaborative, and practical methods that make sustainability learning more meaningful and impactful.
The aim of the project was to empower youth workers to better engage young people in environmental action by addressing the causes of disengagement, sharing innovative and effective methods, and equipping youth workers with more practical tools to create impactful, inclusive, and inspiring eco-activities.
Project Objectives
Awareness
Understand the reasons behind youth disengagement in eco-activities by facilitating discussions to identify key challenges, such as activity fatigue, climate anxiety, and feelings of powerlessness, while exploring how these issues differ across countries and communities.
Exchange
Share and analyze effective methods for eco-activities, by providing a platform for youth workers to exchange innovative practices and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, focusing on methods that are adaptable, impactful, and resonate with young people.
Empowerment
Create a practical toolkit for youth workers that consolidates the identified challenges, shared solutions, and innovative practices into actionable resources, specifically designed to empower youth workers to re-energize eco-activities.
Activities
Throughout seven intensive days, participants took part in a structured learning process that combined reflection, exchange, and co-creation. The program began with sessions focused on setting the context, understanding the challenges of youth disengagement, and sharing experiences from different national realities.
Each organization then presented its approach to engaging young people in sustainability, followed by discussions and collaborative analysis to identify common patterns and successful practices. Participants worked in mixed teams to refine these ideas into applicable formats for youth work.
The final part of the training was dedicated to co-developing the Take the ECO Side Toolkit, integrating methods, reflections, and lessons learned into a shared practical resource. Daily evaluations and group reflections ensured continuous improvement and helped shape the final outcomes of the project.
In pictures
Results
The main outcome of the project is the Toolkit “Take the ECO Side: Tools to Inspire Youth in Sustainability” — a digital collection of practical activities designed for replication in NGOs, schools, and community groups. Each method includes clear steps, materials, and reflection guidelines to ensure easy implementation by youth workers.
The Toolkit represents a consolidated outcome of all sessions and ideas developed during the training course, serving as a practical reference for future eco‑projects across Europe.
It can be freely used and adapted by anyone interested in running sustainability workshops or developing eco-education activities.
Outcomes & Impact
This project had a very positive impact on me! The dynamics were enriching and the activities were diverse (largely due to the fact that this project included several participants with different personalities, inputs and NGO’s with various approaches). Everything flowed smoothly, and as participants, we had the opportunity to raise our individual voices, engage in healthy and productive debates, learn new tools and share new ideas together.
My experience was great, the project had a lot of impact on me in many ways. I have learned a lot of new ways to engage young people in ecology and sustainability so they find it fun and interesting as well as valuable. I’m taking home new ideas, new tools and new connections.
Overall it was a very good experience, I think that you provided a perfect background for a great networking event. There is nothing a person can say about the created environment that allowed us to fully concentrate on talking which was in the end the most useful part. Of course the workshops were a great inspiration, but I think that the greatest outcome are the connections that we made and that we will be able to utilise in the future work. Thank you for that!
I enjoyed being a part of this project, as usual when it comes to you guys. I’m bringing home examples of good practices that I can use in our daily activities, new connections and a conclusion that collectively we need to take efforts to level up Erasmus when it comes to inclusion of participants who can actually benefit from taking part in this opportunities.
Our organization has been fully focused on ecology and sustainability for years. it’s very specific and deeply rooted in what we do. This project was a great opportunity to share our experiences. But at the same time, as a key staff member, I realized that we are repeating some things, and there is a need to bring in more innovation. We should integrate some digital tools and new methods that we have never used before.
It was fantastic. Logistically, I was speechless. The location was perfect, the food as well, and the people were caring. The group was fantastic, and even if I am used to this, it is always important for me to learn more from others. I got to know more about sustainability and climate topics. I came back with more knowledge about them, and I think it is possible to implement their workshops also in our local community.
The whole experience was a great opportunity to connect with others and learn more about the various ways we can protect the planet. I particularly appreciated the activities that encouraged brainstorming and critical thinking. The way the activities evolved felt natural and not stressful, which made the key take-home messages even more impactful. Personally, I learned a lot about other organizations and the different practices they use to engage the community in the field of ecology. For instance, some organizations implement educational workshops and interactive sessions to raise awareness about sustainability. I also found it interesting how some groups use digital tools, such as social media campaigns or mobile apps, to reach a wider audience and inspire action. These diverse approaches gave me a broader perspective on how environmental engagement can be adapted to different communities and needs. I believe that there isn’t a single right way to make an impact, but rather a combination of strategies adapted to different communities and needs. Additionally, I realized how crucial collaboration is in strengthening environmental efforts. Networking with other organizations and sharing best practices can lead to more effective and large-scale initiatives.
Project evaluation
At the end of the project, participants shared their reflections on the experience, providing valuable input on learning achievements and areas for growth.
The project “Take the ECO Side” was financed with the support of European Commission through Erasmus+ Programme. This blog reflects only the author’s views, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
