ENERGY EFFICIENT BALED STRAW ECOLOGICAL HOUSE

Call for Partners
Project title
ENERGY EFFICIENT BALED STRAW ECOLOGICAL HOUSE

Project type
Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity building in the field of Youth (Western Balkan Youth Window)

The main idea: The main aim of this long-term project is acquiring knowledge and skills to participants about using ecological materials in construction and architecture, about energy efficiency and cheaper construction and decreasing amount of organic waste in nature.
In this long-term project we will teach participants that are working with young people between age of 15 and 30 how to use almost forgotten methods of building energy efficient houses. We will prepare them for new possibilities of creative self employment through starting their own business. During this long-term project young people will learn to use natural, ecological, health harmless materials in creative way and acquire knowledge for easier self employment. There will be also included young people with special needs and disability (to get them more socialized), and to provide them ways of acquiring new skills and on this way to give them professional development training. Participants will be able to transfer their energy efficiency knowledge to their peers and to encourage use of this method of construction through their professional careers. Knowledge acquired through this long-term project participant will use to build ecological house which will be used in local community for education of young people in ecology, energy efficiency and healthy way of life and will be basis for construction of ecological village with renewable energy sources and organic breeding food.

Period of implementation of all activities: 1th of March 2016 – 31th of December 2016
Activities:
1. Activity 1 (Preparatory meeting) will be implemented in one of the EU program countries: workshop about environmentally friendly materials used in construction and EU experience based energy efficiency;
2. Activity 2 (Training course) will be implemented in Šabac, Serbia: workshop about methods of constructing baled straw house, collection and processing of ecological materials, spending time in workcamp in nature, preparing organic food meals, generating ideas for environmentally friendly interior and exterior appearance of the building, construction of baled straw house, decorating and furnishing the building using eco-friendly materials, the celebration marking the finish of workcamp;
3. Activity 3 (Evaluation meeting) will be implemented in one of the Western Balkan partner countries: evaluation of the project through the media promotion and the cultural and artistic program of the participating nations.

Products: During the first activity we expect to receive electronic anthology essays on the topics to be covered during the workshop. During second activity we expect to obtain ecological house made of natural materials that will serve as a basis for further presentation of ecological principles through the following projects in the surrounding area. During the third activity is expected to get completed documentary on the whole project and a few short videos on basic principles of energy efficiency.
Target group: People actively involved in work with unemployed young people with focus on youth with disabilities (youth workers, youth leaders, play workers, NGO activists, school teachers, educators, social workers, volunteers).
Objectives: - to stimulate unemployed young people's mobility and active participation in local society, - to stimulate young people's spirit of initiative, their ability to think imaginatively and originally, - to promote the access of unemployed young people to Erasmus + program, - to raise young people's awareness about energy efficiency , - to encourage the development of "green" skills and behaviors among participants and their commitment to a more sustainable growth, - promotion of way of active social participation, and a way to acquire knowledge and skills useful for persons' professional development, - to create participant multipliers who will implement the knowledge and skills acquired during this long-term project in their local communities, - to increase the capacity of the organisations that are working on protecting natural environment.

Expected results: We expect that during this project, participants gain knowledge and skills necessary to create new opportunities for employment and self-employment and to raise awareness of the need to use environmentally friendly materials in the construction according to the principles of energy efficiency. The local community through this project will get young active people aware that they need to be involved in social life and create conditions to facilitate employment especially of young people with disabilities. As such they will be able to achieve a multiplier effect and to pass on their knowledge to peers. Also, the local community will get the possibility to conduct various training programs in the field of ecology using built eco-house that also can be used in the field of eco-tourism. Our country will receive clear example of youthful commitment on the acquisition of knowledge, their practical use for the benefit of the progress of the whole society and emphasizing the importance of interconnection, meeting, exchange of knowledge and experience and cooperation on projects of significance for the whole Europe.

Host organization: Evropski centar za ekologiju - European Centre for Ecology is a voluntary, non-profit association, founded in indefinite time to achieve the objectives in the field of environmental protection.
The objectives of the association are: environmental protection, organization of activities on the rehabilitation of affected areas, raising cultural awareness, organization and participation in humanitarian action type, the protection of human and minority rights, the promotion of education, science and information, the impact on local policy development, development of local communities, the impact on youth policy, promotion of youth activism, organization and participation in sports and recreational events, organizing training of all categories of the population in all areas of the stated goals, civil society capacity building, networking with organizations and associations that promote the same or similar goals at home and abroad, promotion of all activities of the association.
If you are interested to become partner organization in our project please send to us:
Filled partnership identification form – like word document (.doc) by E-mail: eu.cen.eco@gmail.com

Deadline for receiving partnership agreements is 29th August 2015.
For further Information, please contact us:
Dejan Pavlovic / project manager
E-mail: pavlovic.dr.dejan@gmail.com
Mobile: +381 64 4111444