WP2 - English GENERAL

August 2023

AMPLIFYING BEST PRACTICES

Offline

Online

On Gamification

Recommendations

Actions

Thoughts

Emotions

Training Methods

Learning Resources

On Sustainability

BACKGROUNDPer country

Learning through Gamification

Promoting Sustainability Acts

Communicating with the Youth

Debriefings about Climate Change

BEST PRACTICES

FOCUS GROUPS

ERASMUS+ - ACT Project

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

In Finland, the young population demonstrates a significant interest in environmental topics. Various studies and surveys indicate that most young people in the country acknowledge the reality of climate change and believe that human actions contribute to it. They want to acquire more knowledge about climate change and sustainable solutions, emphasizing the need for changes in consumption and production methods. Numerous youth-led initiatives are actively engaged in tackling climate change issues in Finland. While some are led by young individuals themselves, like the Extinction Rebellion Finland initiative, many are driven by NGOs and other organizations. Several entities in Finland promote youth participation in various ways:

• The Development Centre Opinkirjo organizes youth parliaments and offers non-formal education in entrepreneurship and science.
• Koordinaatti provides youth information and counseling services to support young people in various aspects of their lives.
• The Youth Academy collaborates with educational institutions and businesses to engage young people.
• The Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry) advocates for youth participation and offers training to empower young influencers.

IRELAND

5. Approaching Schools for Environmental Workshops

4. Educational Innovation Centres

3. Obstacles in Promoting Environmental Topics

2. Climate Education and SDGs

1. Gamification in Ireland

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

In Italy, there has been a notable increase in young people's interest in environmental topics over the years. Initially, this interest was limited, largely due to a perceived lack of engagement. However, this lack of engagement was rooted in a sense of powerlessness and a belief that they couldn't create meaningful change. Adolescents in Italy tend to feel more threatened by environmental challenges than adults and are seen as having the potential to effect significant change due to their innovative approaches to local problems. Climate change is a primary concern for Italian youth, with 52% expressing worry, but they have limited confidence in institutional actions, with 46% lacking confidence in them. Moreover, 46% call for more action in areas like waste management, pollution reduction, and sustainable energy practices. Interestingly, only 16% focus on the link between sustainability and energy, while 40% prioritize the broader issue of climate change. Youth participation in Italy is promoted through partnerships between institutional actors at various levels and youth-led projects. These projects engage young individuals through events, lectures, project development, volunteer work, and training courses that emphasize transversal competencies. The Italian Department of Youth Policies has launched experiments related to the Universal Civil Service, including an 'environmental' Civil Service aimed at preparing young people for green challenges.

5. Approaching Schools for Environmental Workshops

4. Educational Innovation Centres

3. Obstacles in Promoting Environmental Topics

2. Climate Education and SDGs

ITALY

1. Gamification in Italy

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

Youth voter turnout in Spain has been increasing a lot in recent years. In the 2019 general elections, for example, only about 54% of eligible voters aged 18-34 exercised their voting rights, compared to higher participation rates among older demographics. However, it's important to highlight that youth participation goes beyond voting, as youth engagement in social and political issues is increasing when it comes to grassroots movements and protests. These movements demonstrate that many young people are voicing their concerns and advocating for change through non-traditional political means. In terms of education, there are some initiatives to promote civic education and encourage youth participation in school decision-making processes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges as it disrupted traditional forms of engagement like in-person meetings and events. Meanwhile young people prefer digital platforms and social media to interact with like-minded individuals.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

In Ireland, the young population is highly interested in environmental topics, with over 90% considering that the protection of the environment is crucial. Eco-anxiety affects 60% of young people in Ireland, leading to individual actions like reducing meat consumption and avoiding single-use plastics, but it is more difficult for young people to engage in collective actions. Several youth-led initiatives tackle climate change, including the Youth Action Climate Council and Comhairle nan Óg, which engage young people in policy development. The National Youth Council of Ireland promotes youth participation, while the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth oversees youth programs. However, young people tend to receive climate information from other sources which are usually online, including news (24.9%), social media (23.3%), and environmental organizations (12.3%).

5. Approaching Schools for Environmental Workshops

4. Educational Innovation Centres

3. Obstacles in Promoting Environmental Topics

2. Climate Education and SDGs

FINLAND

1. Gamification in Finland

5. Approaching Schools for Environmental Workshops

4. Educational Innovation Centres

3. Obstacles in Promoting Environmental Topics

2. Climate Education and SDGs

SPAIN

1. Gamification in Spain

5. Approaching Schools for Environmental Workshops

4. Educational Innovation Centres

3. Obstacles in Promoting Environmental Topics

2. Climate Education and SDGs

AUSTRIA

1. Gamification in Austria

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

In Austria, the young population's interest in environmental topics varies among different value groups. Idealists, constituting 29% of young people, display a pronounced interest in environmental and sustainability issues, while other groups like Materialists and Success-oriented individuals show less inclination. Although specific data regarding interest in gamification is lacking, focus group interviews indicate a positive attitude among young people towards gamification as a learning method. Several youth-led initiatives in Austria are actively addressing climate change:

• "Fridays for Future" (FFF) is a prominent movement organizing climate strikes and workshops.
• "JUMP – Jugend Umwelt Plattform" offers young people opportunities to participate in environmental and sustainability projects.
• "Die Letzte Generation" focuses on civil resistance for climate action.
• "Youth Empowerment Participation" (YEP) empowers young individuals to shape their future and participate in various organizations and institutions.

Youth Participation

In Poland, concern about climate change among young people is relatively low compared to the European average, with only 30% expressing significant worry. This contrasts with most European countries where the younger generation is more climate-aware than older generations. However, young people in Poland are increasingly active in addressing climate issues through movements like Youth Climate Strike. Despite low levels of concern, Polish youth want to act on climate change, with 79% believing it's challenging to achieve environmental protection only through consumption habits. Many young Poles feel personally responsible for climate change, with 34% considering themselves responsible for combating it. Key concerns include garbage, air pollution, water pollution, and deforestation. Several youth-led initiatives are actively promoting climate education in Poland. The Youth Climate Strike, the Youth Climate Council, and campaigns like "Yes to Climate Education" have pushed for sound climate education in schools. NGOs and informal groups, such as the Buy Responsibly Foundation and the Center for Civic Education, are also supporting climate education through various programs and some local activists are participating in interesting initiatives such as Action Democracy, Climate Solidarity Movement, Youth Climate Strike, Nest (a local open space in Warsaw), and the Impuls Foundation, all dedicated to climate action. In general, social media and television are their primary sources of climate information, although they often encounter fake news and misinformation. Therefore, many young people seek practical guidance on combating climate change and its effects, highlighting the need for reliable and actionable information.

Three-Component Model of Emotions

From the CBT perspective, there are three components that make up our emotional experience: Thoughts Thoughts refer to the ways that we make sense of situations and can take a varied number of forms. Feelings The term feelings here doesn’t refer to emotion, but the physiological changes that occur as a result of emotion. Behaviors Behaviors are simply the things we do. Importantly, behaviors are also the things we don’t do. Each of these components interacts with the other to create moods and emotional patterns. Changing one component results in a chain reaction that changes the others.

5. Approaching Schools for Environmental Workshops

4. Educational Innovation Centres

3. Obstacles in Promoting Environmental Topics

2. Climate Education and SDGs

POLAND

1. Gamification in Poland