GenZ4GreenDeal – Generation Z for community development and sustainability

The partners wanted to seed a learning/teaching community which is able to interwove a variety of interests, competences and capacities. The overall goal of the project is to increase the competen...

The partners wanted to seed a learning/teaching community which is able to interwove a variety of interests, competences and capacities. The overall goal of the project is to increase the competencies of young people for positive action aimed at the development and sustainability of communities through the support of civil society organizations, local communities and peers from other cultural backgrounds. GenZ4GD project aims to develop a training and capacity building program for young people to actively participate in the development of their local community and environment and encourage young people to think more actively about sustainable development, environmental protection and other "green" topics. Based on the project results and gathered experience, young people has to learn how they can advocate for the positive changes they see a need for. The activities and the course for the youth workers and youth aimed at long-term changes of the beliefs and behaviors, to trigger transformation from knowledge -takers in agents of change. The in-house learning was experience sharing between partners on the influence of the local culture on the capacity to instrumentalize the sustainable development concepts.

The partners elaborated training material and shared experience and expertise, The IOs were proved in LTTA/Ambassador Training and disseminated by using them on Youth Workers, in multiplication events. Production of the IO 1 - Visualization of the Status-quo first step was to develop the methodology for the mapping, recoding and presenting in a visual and interactive form the good practices, policies, initiatives etc. taken in each partner country in relation to following: o the strategies/policies/good practices/initiatives at the regional/national level that works with young people on „green topics “– sustainable development, SDGs, recycling, ecology, energy efficiency and alternative energy, healthy food, ... o any useful EU and National programs that support youth and youth organizations in practices, activities, education on the mentioned topics • to present the findings in a multi-media way using visual representations for ease of reading. The partners generated this IOs under direct supervision of ADEMED, using an innovative approach to georeferenced information gathering and data labelling to facilitate GIS and SQL recording, elaborated by ADEMED (see innovation section of the report). The classification/labelling exercise, lexicon and basic taxonomy was developed by ADEMED following extensive documentation. This tool filled in the gap that exists at the EU level especially for partner countries which is the first time that a mapping of national policies, initiatives and practices will be made through a custom-made tool using Google maps. The elaboration of GenZ Course started by investigation of themes to be treated, in order to ensure comprehensive approach to designing and piloting a course. The course was planned in a joint effort of the partners to include design and implementation of local actions in the community where participants will have the opportunity to immediately apply what they have learned and gather others from their environment to do the same. Local actions selection was planned to directly affect the goals of sustainable development and thus involve young people from local communities to act and improve the quality of their lives, but also the lives of their families and peers. The partners discussed under the guidance of ADEMED in the first TNM and further on by email and by ADMIN how to tackle the themes, in a way that corresponds to the expectations of the GenZ and to balance the theoretical background with pragmatic training, focused on immediate t angible results. The coordinator warned the partners to observe the intellectual property rights, The coordinator insisted on having graphics in the Course, visual representations of the content and together with PiM stressed the editing requirements. Each partner was in charge to elaborate one module. The course were elaborated gradually, under continuous improvement strategy. Elaboration of the GenZ4GD podcast, IO of the project, started by a discussion between partners about what type of podcast shall be produced, format, duration, technical features. A variety of formats were discussed, at the end each partner got the permission to select the format that suits best its experience, expertise and available resources. The Coordinator stressed the main requirements for the podcasts: to be correlated/complementary with the course IO2, to have a very clear education value and to be based on something else than delivering information. Then each partner produced its 3 episodes, All other partners commented the first version, under the supervision of SbS and ADEMED. GenZ4GD ambassadors training gathered 14 youth workers, professionals. The Partners trained to use the GenZ4GD youth course in their future work with youth. The objectives of this were • to capacitate youth workers to implement the GenZ4GD course • to clearly explain and identify ways to conduct this course • to empower youth workers to become true ambassadors of the GenZ4GD program in their local community • to encourage and explain to ambassadors how they will attract new users (young people) to their activities and program activities. The LTTA youth workers were trained in the Gen4GD course and they empowered and capacitated to use this tool in their future work with young people. A specific target was to show the Youth workers how to adapt the course to their individual circumstances, by asking them about case studies they encountered in their professional experience, both from personal history and from other sources. Another target in the training was to foster innovative approaches, identify novel solution and thinking-outside-the box, in order to stimulate local sustainable development and turn to life the Green Deal at small scale. The partners delivering training encouraged communication, dialogue and pragmatic approaches. The training took place in Malta, at the premises made available by PiM partner, Each partner was in charge in delivering its own module and to pay attention to the delivery of the other modules. Each task Coordinator took notes about how the Ambassador training made use of the IOs. Following the training, partners contacted the participants by phone to identify use and adaptation. ==== Project in Motion (PIM), the leading organization, set up the organizational details. The ambassador training took place in Valletta Volunteer Centre, Valletta Hall, Melita Street, Valletta, between 19-21 of April 2023. There were 22 participants from the seven partner's counties. Each day the training started at 9.15hrs and finalized at 16.00hrs. The partners conducted a meticulous selection process, focusing on identifying youth workers from institutions with which they maintain close collaboration. The partners were guided by the principle of including participants who are active in the field of youth work, regardless of non formal education. Indicatively, the identification and selection of a GENZ4GD Ambassador were based on the following principles. • The candidate should show an interest in the project topics (Sustainability and Green Topics); • The candidate should demonstrate willingness to disseminate the project results in their country with their peers; • The candidate should already be working with young people/youth organizations; o The candidate should possess as a minimum a basic English Level to communicate effectively (at least a B2 LEVEL is requested). The candidates sent to the project partners a motivation letter regarding the willingness to be part of the trainers’ activity and a CV. The trainers are representatives of each partner’s organization with teaching skills, mostly of them being Youth Workers, Training Companies or NGOs and who actually participated at elaboration of the Handbook modules. The participants were given a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION to certify that each participant has successfully attended the “Ambassadors Training Programme” which was held in Malta between 19th and 21st April 2023 organised by the GenZ4GD project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. After the Handbook modules were completed, each partner carried out an internal evaluation of the quality of its module, relevance and comprehensiveness. So they were able to present in the training activity in Malta an updated version to their fellow youth workers. Each modules was presented in power point by each trainer and after each presentation trainers introduced an interactive exercise for testing the skills provided in the course and podcasts. The exercise consists in a guided role-playing game, in which groups of 3-4 participants assumed for instance a role in a sustainable development event of a local community. The game can be designed to practice for instance negotiation techniques in a setting that mimics the real world or in main topic of the module. a) The game was guided by Stakeholder Fiches and by theory and orientation rules explained by the trainer. b) The participants had 10-20 minutes to discuss and prepare their negotiation positions, interests list and compromise strategy. c) Then, the participants presented their strategy in front of the other groups. d) All other groups have their saying in debating the position of the group that presented the strategy e) All groups are guided to reach a common position that is also in line with Sustainable Development Goals f) Along the exercise, the Trainer highlighted the European Union programs and Directives that apply to the case in hand. g) At the end of each presentation, the Trainer highlights the particular points in the debate slot, insisting on positive developments and avoiding criticism. Black board notes were used to focus on main aspects. In a final section of the event, the Trainer recap knowledge gathered, necessary skills for local sustainable development and the relevance of negotiation, compromise and advocacy. === Day 2 Coordinator 09:15 – 09:30 Welcome & Registration Day 2 PiM 09:30 – 10:45 Introduction to Module 3: The 3 Pillars of Sustainability Unit 1: Sustainability and Sustainable lifestyle, Unit 2: The 3 Pillars of Sustainability, Unit 3: Climate change RCCI 10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break 11:00 – 12:15 Introduction to Module 7: Local actions for community development Unit 1: What is Local Community Development, and what does it have to do with me?, Unit 2: How to be a changemaker, Unit 3: LINK 12:15 – 13:30 Lunch Break https://www.facebook.com/PiadinaCaffe 13:30 – 14:45 Introduction to Module 5: How are young people contributing to SDGs? Unit 1: The United Nations and Youth Unit 2: Campaigns in which youth participate Unit 3: Resources for Young People Politeknika TXORIERRI 14:45 – 15:30 GENZ4GD Podcasts – Selected Episodes Parents' Association Step by Step 15:30 – 16:00 Q&A PIM Day 3 Coordinator 09:15 – 09:30 Welcome & Registration Day 3 PIM 09:30 – 10:00 GUEST PRESENTATION 10:00-11:15 Introduction to Module 6: Unit 1: European Green Deal at local level , Unit 2: Advocacy campaigns, Unit 3: Digital advocacy ADEMED 11:15 – 11:45 Coffee Break 11:45 – 13:00 Introduction to Module 4: Barriers affecting effective Sustainable Development (SD), Unit 1: Understanding conceptual contradictions and barriers of Sustainable Development, Unit 2: Conflicts among players, and lack of public participation as barriers towards effective sustainable development PIM 13:00 – 14:45 Round-table session Reaching out to the trainees and the target group: good examples from the participants, their adaptation opportunities in our project. PiM 14:45 – 15:15 Closing session Conclusions of the Ambassador Training Each partner nominated one trainer from the participants (see participants list), most experienced ones, who are the authors of the Course modules. They were aware about what to do and what to follow in pilot presentation: impact, attention caption, connection to the audience, interest response, questions about Youth empowerment and collect ad-hoc suggestions. The LTTA was also broadcasted online, allowing interventions of Youth Workers from the participants countries. The LTTA was both a training opportunity, carried out in supervised groups of 3-5 youth workers, each group drawing a scheme of their approach of the assignments derived from the Handbook. Then they shared and discussed their fiches. This was also an opportunity to evaluate the handbook, and the podcasts, in order to improve them. The ambassador training session was finalized by applying a questionnaire to evaluate the quality of the Handbook/course. Most of the trainees made use of the approach in the course, to gain and keep the interest of GenZ and younger citizens in local sustainable development in the multiplication events that followed. In a Mangalia meeting in Romania, a specific multiplication event, the staple course was a joint effort of the Youth Workers and Partners, to understand and practice skills related to local sustainable development in the European Union framework and advocacy, negotiations. Following LTTA and piloting, the course was subsequently improved and adapted to online chained modules on the project website, then to LMS on Udemy, also discussed with Youth Workers and Workers in the participants organizations and with Youth Workers they are in connection with. There was set a question list, to check and improve: gaps, practical aspects, assignments, full learning path presented. capacity to connect to local community. Multiplication events took place according to the proposal and planning.

The partners elaborated a methodology of data classification about the education projects in the proposals domain, a status-que database, an course structured to serve for self-directed learning, and a sed of podcasts to enhance the learning experience. The methodology to classify data about the education projects make use of labelling of the classes, that is to facilitate both human inquiry and machine reading. The data structure approach is similar to other EU-level digital storage of data, such as in Nature 2000 network. This approach facilitates further development of education projects to match the Common European Data Spaces, as it is of a clear and practical structure for accessing and using data, facilitates application of fair, transparent, proportionate and non-discriminatory access rules. The Course has a double-side structure- one one side it appeals to theory of the sustainable development in the framework of European Union values and aims, and on the other side it describes practical, down to earth mechanisms at the hands of GenZ to get involved in local sustainable development, in a result-oriented, non-conflictual way. The course is structured in a hierarchical way, from modules to units and lessons, to be flexible in a way that facilitates navigation in line with individual needs and learning style. The course depicts grassroots and individuals based opportunities to get involved in the local sustainable development, including development of individual capacity to work effectively and negotiation techniques. Translating the information into slides makes the content even more accessible. Evaluation grids are placed at the end of the modules, in order to facilitate self-evaluation and to offer topics to debate while learning the techniques. The information presented is extensive, covering most of the sustainable development subjects. From both the content and the learning methodology, the Course offers an unique insight into the world of sustainable development. While elaborating the course, partners also learn how to foster application of the sustainable development interventions, based on local actions and using a multi-dimensional approach, which is critical for obtaining timely results in small-scale applications of the Climate Change, Green Deal, sustainable development and inclusion principles, at the base of the European Union construction , in a way that brings more stakeholders into action and grounds scaling up the endeavors. The partners learning from each other: negotiation techniques, cross-sectorial approach, personal development, strengthening social webs, use of simulation and case-studies, and elaborating learning materials in a way that matches the expectation of the GenZ. Besides the IOs produced according to the proposals, this collegial learning is a valuable result of the project, to which partners devoted all efforts. In reaching this, ADEMED made full use of its educational and teaching experience and guided the partners in the journey to elaborate a course which was farther on completed by a series of 21 podcasts of various lengths - the third IO of the project. The series of podcasts accounts for practical experiences of environmental activists at local level , which further enhances the applicability of the Course as a whole. The podcasts offer a living face of the sustainable development, Climate change and Green Deal, as they reflect personal experiences, feelings and opinions of more than 30 activists, that are useful to understand that such interventions are not merely science based, but they have to rely on personal feelings and skills, that are both acquired by learning from handbooks and from down-to-earth experience in more than 2o projects, Making the podcasts in itself was also useful for the partners, the result being a deeper knowledge and skills on how to use the visuals in building up learning environments.