We are looking for partners to apply for the 7th of May 2020 Erasmus+ application deadline with our annual long term project  “Youth Digital Communic[ACTION]”.

What is it about?

In our previous work plans, we have identified the need to strengthen the communication and advocacy skills, as well as to increase the digital literacy of the youth environmental movements and for young environmental activists to be truly heard. We have identified the communication within the context of youth engagement and youth participation in environmental policy decision-making as a key aspect to achieve the change young people desire. 

The main aim of this project is to support and empower young people and youth organisations in developing their digital communication skills and strategies, to help them communicate their messages and concerns about the current climate crisis efficiently in the digital environment, to have a long-term impact on environmental decision-making, to fulfil their needs and achieve their strategic goals. 

We will do so by organising non-formal learning activities for young people and by allowing people to participate in a joint digital advocacy campaign.

The objectives of the work plan are: 

1. to explore the current trends in digital communication strategies; particularly in youth movements, environmental NGOs and stakeholders in climate policies;
2. to equip young climate activists, youth movements, informal groups and youth environmental organisations with specific digital communication knowledge and skills so that they can adapt, implement and improve aforementioned strategies in their climate communication;
3. to provide a space and platform for young climate activists, digital communication experts, NGO professionals and local government officials so that they can share their knowledge, experience and create new areas of collaboration;
4. to create a joint digital campaign together with the participating organisations and contributing stakeholders in order to encourage and support youth movements to take action and influence environmental decision making processes at all levels.

How do we achieve this?

All of the project activities will be based on the principles of non-formal education and experiential learning, applying the gender inclusive processes throughout the whole implementation. The project will consist of 2 main activities as follows:

1. Training Course “Time for YOUth to Speak Climate”

The first international activity will be the training course “Time for YOUth to speak climate” focused on exploring the current climate communication trends and developing the digital communication knowledge and digital literacy of young people coming from environmental youth movements, informal groups, NGOs or other organisations. During the training, 20 participants will explore the current digital communication trends, understand the concept of climate communication, improve their communication skills, increase their digital literacy and learn how to be more effective in digital communication to participate and influence the local level environmental decision-making.

The training course will take place in Tallinn (Estonia) from 03 to 09 May 2021. This international activity aims to explore the current trends in digital communication strategies; particularly in youth movements, environmental NGOs and stakeholders in climate policies and to equip participants with digital communication and skills so that they can adapt, implement and improve aforementioned strategies in their climate communication.

1. Creative Workshop “From Youth Climate Voice to Youth Climate Action”

After exploring the key digital communication skills and identifying the biggest climate issues, we would like to put the theory in practice through this activity. We would like to organise a creative workshop focused on enhancing campaigning and digital literacy skills of participants and creating a joint digital climate advocacy campaign. 

The workshop will take place in Vienna (Austria) from 26 July to 01 August 2021. We would like to invite external experts on campaigning and digital communication as well as a professional photographer/video maker to create content with the participants of the workshop that could be later used as a part of the digital campaign.

What does it mean to be our partner?

A participating organisation can be:  

• a non-profit organisation, association, 
• NGO;  
• a European Youth NGO;  
• a social enterprise;  
• a public body at local level;  
• a group of young people active in youth work but not necessarily in the context of a youth organisation (i.e. informal group of young people). 
• as well as:  a public body at regional or national level;
• an association of regions ;  
• a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation;  
• or a profit-making body active in Corporate Social Responsibility
• established in a Programme Country.

Participating organisations can assume the following roles and tasks: 

• YEE:

Coordinator of a youth mobility project, applying for the whole project on behalf of all the partner organisations. 

• Sending organisation: 

in charge of sending young people and youth workers abroad, including organising practical arrangements, preparing participants before departure and providing support to participants during all the phases of the project. 

• Receiving organisation: 

in charge of hosting the activity, developing a programme of activities for participants in cooperation with participants and partner organisations, providing support to participants during all the phases of the project. 

How to apply for partnership with YEE?

All organisations that apply for Erasmus+ funding must first register with the European Commission using the Participant Portal – please see step 5 below – and receive a unique Participant Identification Code (PIC). The YEE partners will receive the mandates to sign after filling the PIC form (or sending the existing one) and the application form.

Please fill out the application form by 21st April 2020.

Organisations from Austria and Estonia which wish to become the hosting organisations are strongly encouraged to apply! We also encourage the Czech organisations to apply to become the sending organisations! 

You can find more information regarding the project and the partnerships by contacting our YEE Project Manager at karolina@yeenet.eu.