I-YES: Inclusive Youth Engagement for Sustainability – Tools for Youth Leaders

Our decision to apply for this project was driven by the need to address climate change and involve youth from diverse social backgrounds more actively in sustainability efforts. Recognizing the p...

Our aim was to equip youth leaders and workers with tools to integrate climate justice and sustainability into non-formal youth work. By leveraging Global Citizenship Education, we sought to promote diversity, inclusion, and active participation in educational materials on climate change in youth work, helping youth workers to address young people from diverse social backgrounds. Ultimately, our objective was to increase awareness of climate justice and sustainability, foster critical thinking, and empower young people to become agents of change as global citizens.

Our project activities included a joint staff training, four transnational project meetings, the collaborative development of a digital platform and a checklist for youth workers - with stakeholder feedback through an advisory group, seven Multiplier Events and regular dissemination activities via social media. The joint staff training provided an introduction to Global Citizenship Education (GCE), enabling staff, youth leaders, and workers to integrate inclusive GCE approaches to climate justice and sustainability topics into their daily work. Both the staff training and the transnational project meetings laid the groundwork for developing and finalizing the project results, including the digital platform and checklist. Multiplier Events, held in the Czech Republic, France, Romania and Germany between September and December 2023, along with social media dissemination activities, facilitated the presentation of project results and the forging of new networks and collaborations among youth workers and organizations in Europe.

Our project yielded several outputs and outcomes. We developed two key resources: a comprehensive digital platform (https://sustainabilitytools.eu/) and a practical checklist (https://sustainabilitytools.eu/youth-leader-checklist/) tailored for youth workers. R1: The digital platform offers a user-friendly interface with various sections covering essential topics related to climate justice and sustainability: 1) Basics on Global Citizenship Education (GCE), Dimensions of sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Inclusion and diversity; 2) Further information and resources on the following focus topics: Mobility, Youth leadership across the globe and Nutrition; 3) a Toolbox including several sub-sections: How to plan an activity, Didactical Principles, Resources and Methods & Activities; 4) Take action (the Checklist); 5) About the project. The platform is available in multiple languages (English, German, French, Czech, Romanian) and has been written in easy language for accessibility. It offers tools for youth workers to proactivetly integrate the topics of climate justice and sustainability in their activities with young people from different social backgrounds. R2: The checklist provides a concise yet effective tool in the form of a 2 DinA4-pager for youth workers with guidance on how to approach the topics of global climate justice and sustainability in non-formal youth work, helping to plan and implement activities. It was customized and translated for each participating country and can be downloaded in pdf format and as a doc-template version on the digital platform. In addition to these tangible outputs, our project facilitated the strengthening of networks among youth leaders, youth workers, and youth organizations across Europe. Through collaborative efforts and by receiving feedback on key outputs through an advisory board, we ensured inclusive decisions and sustained engagement. Furthermore, our project aligned with the European Guidelines for Digital Youth Work, contributing to the qualification of youth workers in digital skills, which became increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. In summary, our project not only developed practical tools but also fostered collaboration, inclusivity, and digital readiness in youth work across Europe.