Empowering Youth Work for the Green Debate

<< Background >>We designed EYWGD to address several connected needs identified across youth work organisations in Europe. Many youth workers wished to engage young people in climate and sustainability topics but lacked structured, discussion-based materials and confidence to facilitate such activities without polarisation or misinformation. Smaller organisations, especially in rural or remote areas, faced additional challenges such as weak digital connectivity, limited budgets, and isolation from professional networks. Existing online tools were fragmented, difficult to maintain, and not adapted to youth work realities. We therefore recognised the need for an integrated approach that would combine debate methodology with environmental education, build a shared digital environment for training and cooperation, and strengthen links among dispersed youth workers and organisations. Through EYWGD, we aimed to improve the quality of youth work, support digital transformation, and make access to learning, mentoring, and peer exchange possible regardless of location or resources.<< Objectives >>EYWGD aimed to strengthen the quality and inclusiveness of youth work by equipping youth workers with the knowledge, tools, and methods to facilitate structured dialogue on climate change and sustainability. We focused on integrating debate methodology into environmental education and improving youth workers’ capacity to manage disagreement, identify misinformation, and guide evidence-based discussions. We aimed to make these competences widely accessible through digital solutions and blended learning. We also set out to create a permanent digital environment where youth workers could learn, cooperate, and share materials without geographic or financial barriers. Another objective was to connect organisations from different regions into a functioning network that supports continuous learning, mentoring, and dissemination of good practice. Through these goals, we wanted to make climate-related youth work more informed, participatory, and resilient, while ensuring equal opportunities for those working in remote or low-connectivity areas.<< Implementation >>While working on E-learning (WP 2) we developed, tested, and refined courses combining debate methodology and sustainability education. Partners co-created and reviewed lessons through more than twenty national evaluation sessions and improved clarity, inclusiveness, and accessibility before final publication. The result is a full learning sequence of main courses, deep dives, and exercises built around dialogue-based learning, structured reasoning, and de-escalation of disagreement.Under WP3, we created a digital manual of debate-based case studies on sustainability and green transition issues. Each includes background, mapped arguments, facilitator notes, and options for different delivery formats. The content was drafted, field-tested in youth debate clubs and with youth groups, and adapted for both urban and rural users.Under WP4, we developed and launched the Greenbox platform and mobile applications, built in-house by youth workers and volunteers. It provides one digital space for learning, cooperation, and activity management, ensuring safe, inclusive, and long-term access.We also orgnaised two in-person educaitons, for young climate ambassadors and for youth workers to act as multiplers of our digital content.<< Results >>E-learning environment with 10 courses for individuals and 11 courses for groups with over 23.000 course enrollments happened by the end of reporting periodhttps://learningbase.idebate.net/climate-courses-for-individuals/https://learningbase.idebate.net/climate-courses-for-groups/Assembly of 38 case studies in arranged in 4 topics, available in digital manual with over 200.000 online visits during duration of project https://climatedebate.idebate.net/Online platform developed by young people for the management of youth debate clubs and educational content that is already used by hundreds of youth workers and with organisations from 22 countries committing to use it in their everyday workhttps://greenbox.idebate.net/2 in person trainigs, with 24 youth climate ambassadors trained and 20 youth workers serving as multipliers.12 live and online dissemination events organised by partners with additional 8 dissemination events organised by associated partnersOver 2000 young people and over 200 youth workers included in the process of development and testing of project resultsLong term cooperation agreements by project partnership and dozens of MoUs on project result utilisation by other youth orgs.