Young Ambassadors for the Living World

Project title: Young Ambassadors for the Living World – Creation of Storytelling and Facilitation Tools for Biodiversity

1. Context

Many young Europeans, particularly those with fewer opportunities, show a strong sensitivity to environmental issues and the protection of the living world. However, this concern rarely translates into concrete skills, opportunities for self-expression, or long-term engagement. Biodiversity awareness activities are often top-down, leaving little space for young people’s voices, creativity, and their ability to become active agents of change.

At the same time, youth organisations lack simple, participatory tools to address these topics in an accessible way, adapted to local realities and easily transferable to different contexts.

Through this project, the partners aim to propose an approach based on non-formal education, European cooperation, and peer-to-peer learning, by supporting young people in the creation and facilitation of biodiversity awareness tools designed for other young people.

2. General Objective

To strengthen civic engagement, transversal skills, and the capacity for expression of young Europeans (aged 16–25), by supporting them to become ambassadors for the living world, able to design and facilitate biodiversity awareness activities for their peers.

3. Specific Objectives

Enable young people to better understand biodiversity and living systems through experience, observation, and exchange.

Develop key skills among young people, including oral and creative expression, cooperation, critical thinking, self-confidence, and the ability to transmit knowledge.

Encourage youth expression through the creation of stories, playful materials, and accessible educational tools.

Foster intercultural exchanges between young Europeans around their relationship with nature and their local territories.

Produce facilitation tools that are reproducible and easy to use by other youth organisations.

4. Planned Activities

(Maximum of 5 activities under Erasmus+, including 1 mandatory communication activity)

Activity 1 – Discovering and Exploring the Living World
Young people take part in workshops to explore their local environment (natural, urban, or peri-urban areas). Through observation, meetings, and discussions, they explore concepts related to biodiversity, pollinators, and the relationships between human activities and ecosystems. The approach is participatory and adapted to youth audiences.

Activity 2 – Expression and Creative Workshops
Participants create stories and educational materials based on their experiences: collective narratives, visual materials, simple games, audio supports, or other accessible creative formats. The objective is to enable young people to express their vision of the living world and transform their learning into awareness-raising tools for other young people, such as serious games.

Activity 3 – “Young Ambassadors for the Living World” Pathway
Young people are supported in learning how to facilitate workshops for their peers. They work on facilitation posture, public speaking, audience adaptation, and the transmission of key messages. Real-life practice sessions are organised within their local territories.

Activity 4 – European Youth Cooperation
Exchanges are organised between groups of young people from different partner countries (meetings, joint workshops, discussion sessions). Young people share their practices and representations of the living world and co-create facilitation formats adapted to different cultural and territorial contexts.

Activity 5 – Capitalisation and Dissemination
The partners produce a pedagogical toolkit titled “Young Ambassadors for the Living World”, including workshop sheets, materials created by young people, and methodological recommendations. Project results are disseminated through youth networks and European platforms.

5. Expected Results

Young people who are more confident, engaged, and able to express themselves on environmental issues.

Strengthened transversal skills useful for civic participation and social inclusion.

Simple, transferable educational tools usable by other youth organisations.

Reinforced European cooperation between youth organisations around ecological issues.

Sustainable local impact through the animation of youth communities connected to the living world.

6. Erasmus+ Priorities Addressed

Inclusion and diversity: involvement of young people with fewer opportunities.

Participation in democratic life and active citizenship: self-expression, collective engagement, and local action.

Green transition: active and experiential awareness of biodiversity.

Digital transition: through tools such as virtual reality.

European cooperation in the field of youth.

7. Practical Information

Programme: Erasmus+ Youth

Type of action: Cooperation Partnership or Simplified Partnership

Duration: Between 12 and 18 months (to be defined)

Indicative budget: €60,000 (lump sum to be shared within the consortium)

Coordination: RECONNECTION Association (France)

Partners sought:

Youth or environmental organisation in Belgium (or another European country)

Organisation working with young people on expression, environmental education, or civic participation

Target group (to be defined): young people aged 16 to 25, with particular attention to those from disadvantaged, rural, or underserved territories