In the period between 25 March and 1 April 2026, representatives of Young Improvers for Youth Development (YIYD) took part in the international Erasmus+ Training Course “Voices of Change”, held in Granada, Spain. The project brought together youth workers from eight European countries with a shared commitment to strengthening inclusive and equitable youth work practices.
Co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme, the training focused on equipping participants with practical tools, knowledge and methodologies to promote gender equality and social inclusion in their local communities. Through a carefully designed non-formal education approach, the course combined experiential learning, intercultural dialogue and peer exchange.
Participants engaged in a variety of activities, including simulations, role plays, group discussions and reflective sessions, all aimed at exploring the complexities of gender roles, stereotypes and discrimination. The international dimension of the project provided a valuable platform for comparing national realities, sharing good practices and building sustainable partnerships across Europe.
A key outcome of the training was the development of concrete action plans tailored to the needs of each participant’s local context. These plans will be implemented in the coming months, ensuring that the impact of the project extends beyond the training itself and contributes to long-term community development.
For YIYD, participation in Voices of Change represents another important step in strengthening the capacity of youth workers in the Smolyan region and enhancing the quality of youth work initiatives. The knowledge and experience gained will be further disseminated through local workshops, events and youth engagement activities, reaching a wider audience and multiplying the project’s impact.
This project once again highlights the significant role of the Erasmus+ Programme in fostering active citizenship, intercultural understanding and social responsibility among young people and youth workers across Europe.
Disclaimer: Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Erasmus+ Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Across Europe, youth spaces play a crucial role in empowering young people, strengthening local communities, and creating opportunities for learning, participation, and creativity. Through the project Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation, organisations from Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland joined forces to exchange experience and develop practical tools that support the creation and development of youth-led spaces, particularly in rural areas.
The project brought together youth workers, trainers, and community organisers who share a common mission: to help young people become active contributors to their communities. By combining real-life experience from youth spaces in different countries with non-formal education methods, the partnership produced a valuable outcome — a Practical Guidebook for Youth Spaces, designed to support youth workers, organisations, municipalities, and community leaders in creating inclusive and vibrant spaces for young people.
This guidebook brings together tested methods, practical activities, and facilitation approaches that can be implemented in youth spaces across Europe. Rather than focusing only on theory, the project emphasised learning through practice, peer exchange, and real community engagement.
Below you can explore the key elements of the project and the results achieved.
One of the central activities of the project was the international training mobility in Romania, where youth workers from Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania gathered for an intensive exchange of experience and methods.
The training was hosted by Centrul de Tineret FNT and focused on the practical development of competences related to youth spaces and community engagement.
Instead of traditional presentations, each national team designed and facilitated its own workshop based on real practices from their organisations. Participants explored how youth activities are created, tested, and adapted to respond to local community needs. Through simulations, group work, and reflection sessions, youth workers experienced firsthand how non-formal education methods can be used to empower young people and strengthen youth spaces.
The programme included community-mapping exercises, practical workshops, intercultural activities, and discussions on how youth spaces can support participation, inclusion, and creativity in rural communities. This exchange allowed participants to share years of practical experience and transform it into tools that can be reused by other youth organisations.
ЕдAn important component of the project is the Community Involvement Guide, which provides practical guidance on how youth spaces can build meaningful relationships with their local communities.
Youth spaces are most successful when they are not isolated environments but active hubs connected with schools, municipalities, NGOs, local businesses, and citizens. The guide therefore focuses on strategies that help youth organisations engage stakeholders and create partnerships that benefit both young people and the wider community.
The resource introduces practical tools such as stakeholder mapping, community-needs analysis, partnership-building strategies, and participatory approaches that encourage young people to take an active role in shaping their local environment. These methods support youth workers in designing activities that reflect real local needs while strengthening cooperation between organisations and institutions.
To ensure that the guidebook reflects real needs and practical realities, the materials were tested in pilot activities with youth workers and young people.
During the pilot phase, selected tools and training modules were implemented in youth spaces and youth-work environments within the partner organisations. Participants explored different workshop formats, facilitation methods, and participatory approaches presented in the guidebook.
Feedback from these pilot activities helped refine the materials, clarify instructions, and adapt the methods to be more accessible and transferable. This process ensured that the final publication contains tested and validated approaches that can be easily implemented in different contexts and communities.
The central result of the project is the Practical Guidebook for Youth Spaces, a digital resource designed to support youth workers and organisations in creating, managing, and strengthening youth-led spaces.
The guidebook combines theoretical insights with hands-on tools and activities developed and tested throughout the project. One of its key features is the inclusion of training modules, which provide step-by-step workshop formats that can be directly used during trainings, youth activities, or community initiatives.
These modules focus on topics such as community engagement, partnership development, youth participation, facilitation skills, and the sustainable development of youth spaces. Each module contains clear objectives, instructions for implementation, and reflection questions to support learning outcomes.
Through these practical resources, the guidebook aims to help youth workers design meaningful activities, strengthen youth leadership, and create spaces where young people can learn, collaborate, and actively contribute to their communities.
Project: Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation
Partners:
Filiala Asociației Se Poate An organization supporting youth development through non-formal education, volunteering, and sports. It runs a youth space in Troianu, offering a safe environment for young people to develop skills and participate in community projects.
Społeczna Grupa Medialna A media and digital innovation organisation based in Poland, specialising in content creation, data analysis, and AI-driven communication tools. It develops digital projects, supports community initiatives, and collaborates in international programmes focused on youth work, education, and innovation.
*Co-funded by the European Union. *The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
В много европейски региони младежките пространства са ключов фактор за развитието на активни, ангажирани и уверени млади хора. Те създават среда за учене, творчество, участие и социална ангажираност. Именно около тази идея беше изграден международният проект “Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation”, реализиран от партньори от България, Румъния и Полша.
Основната цел на проекта е да подпомогне развитието на младежки пространства в селските региони, като създаде практически инструменти и методи, които могат да бъдат използвани от младежки работници, организации, общини и общностни лидери. Чрез обмен на опит, обучение и съвместна работа партньорите разработиха Практическо ръководство за младежки пространства, което събира доказани методи, активности и подходи, приложими в различни местни контексти.
Проектът се основава на идеята, че най-ценните знания идват от реалната практика. Затова участниците не само обмениха идеи, но и представиха методи, които вече са доказали своята ефективност в работата с млади хора и местни общности.
Една от ключовите дейности по проекта беше международната мобилност в Румъния, в която се включиха младежки работници и представители на организациите партньори от България, Полша и Румъния.
Обучението беше организирано в Centrul de Tineret FNT и имаше силно практическа насоченост. Вместо традиционни презентации всяка национална група подготви и проведе собствена дейност, представяща реални методи и практики от работата в техните младежки пространства.
Участниците имаха възможност да обменят опит, да тестват нови инструменти и да обсъдят предизвикателствата, пред които са изправени младежките пространства в селските региони. Програмата включваше интерактивни работилници, симулации, анализ на местни общности, както и междукултурни дейности, които насърчиха сътрудничеството и споделянето на идеи между участниците.
Тази мобилност позволи на участниците не само да обменят знания, но и да създадат практически инструменти, които могат да бъдат използвани и адаптирани в различни държави.
Един от важните резултати на проекта е разработването на Community Involvement Guide – ресурс, който подпомага младежките организации в изграждането на силни връзки с местната общност.
Младежките пространства са най-успешни, когато функционират като отворени общностни центрове, които си сътрудничат с различни местни актьори – училища, институции, неправителствени организации, бизнеси и активни граждани.
Ръководството предлага практически инструменти за:
анализ на нуждите на местната общност
идентифициране на ключови заинтересовани страни
изграждане на партньорства
насърчаване на младежкото участие в местните инициативи.
Тези подходи помагат на младежките работници да създават дейности, които отговарят на реалните нужди на общността и допринасят за устойчивото развитие на младежките пространства.
За да бъде гарантирано, че разработените материали са приложими и ефективни, наръчникът беше пилотно тестван в рамките на дейности с младежки работници и млади хора.
По време на пилотната фаза партньорските организации приложиха част от разработените методи и обучителни модули в своите младежки пространства и обучителни дейности. Участниците имаха възможност да изпробват различни формати на работилници, инструменти за фасилитиране и подходи за работа с млади хора.
Получената обратна връзка беше използвана за подобряване на съдържанието на наръчника, така че методите да бъдат по-ясни, по-достъпни и по-лесни за прилагане в различни контексти.
Основният резултат от проекта е Практическият наръчник за младежки пространства, който представлява дигитален ресурс, предназначен за младежки работници, организации и институции, работещи с млади хора.
Наръчникът обединява знания и опит, натрупани по време на проекта, като предлага конкретни инструменти за създаване, управление и развитие на младежки пространства.
В него са включени и обучителни модули, които съдържат готови формати за работилници и активности. Всеки модул предлага ясни инструкции, цели на обучението и практически стъпки за реализиране на дейностите.
Чрез тези инструменти младежките работници могат да разработват нови инициативи, да насърчават участието на младите хора и да изграждат устойчиви младежки пространства, които допринасят за развитието на местните общности.
Проект: Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation
Партньори:
Filiala Asociației Se Poate Организация, която подкрепя развитието на младежите чрез неформално образование, доброволчество и спорт. Тя управлява младежко пространство в Трояну, предоставяйки безопасна среда, в която младите хора могат да развиват умения и да участват в обществени инициативи.
Społeczna Grupa Medialna Организация, която развива иновативни дигитални решения и образователни инициативи, свързани с медии, технологии и изкуствен интелект. Тя работи и по международни проекти, създава обучителни инструменти, интерактивни платформи и дигитални ресурси, които подпомагат развитието на умения, комуникация и гражданско участие.
*Съфинансирано от Европейския съюз. *Изразените възгледи и мнения са само на авторите и не отразяват непременно тези на Европейския съюз или на Европейската изпълнителна агенция за образование и култура (EACEA).
As part of the Erasmus+ project Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation (ERC), a local pilot and review session was successfully held in Smolyan, Bulgaria, bringing together youth workers, NGO representatives and project team members actively engaged in rural youth work.
The local pilot aimed to test and reflect on the Draft Practical Guidebook – Version 3.0, a key intellectual output of the project, developed to support the creation, development and sustainability of youth-led spaces in rural and peripheral areas across Europe.
A space for real dialogue, not formal evaluation
Rather than a formal presentation or academic validation exercise, the Smolyan local pilot was designed as an open and practice-oriented session. Participants approached the guidebook not as external reviewers, but as practitioners who face daily challenges related to youth participation, limited resources, small communities and the need to balance ambition with reality.
The focus of the session was deliberately placed on usability, clarity and relevance:
How easily can youth workers use the guidebook in real rural contexts?
Does the language speak to practitioners working on the ground?
Are the tools and recommendations applicable in small towns and villages?
Does the guidebook reflect youth-led and participatory approaches in a visible way?
Why Smolyan?
Smolyan represents a highly relevant rural and mountainous context, where youth work often takes place under specific conditions: geographical isolation, limited access to opportunities, strong community ties, but also reduced institutional capacity. For this reason, the city provided an authentic environment to test whether the guidebook truly responds to the realities it aims to address.
Participants brought experience from local youth spaces, community initiatives, NGO projects and direct work with young people. This diversity of perspectives allowed for rich discussion and grounded feedback, rooted in practice rather than theory.
Key reflections from the local pilot
Throughout the session, participants engaged in structured discussion and individual reflection using a Local Feedback Form, allowing both quantitative impressions and qualitative insights to be collected.
Several key reflections emerged:
Strong relevance and structure: Participants agreed that the guidebook is highly relevant and well structured, offering a coherent framework for understanding and developing youth-led spaces in rural contexts.
Need for accessible language: While the conceptual depth of the guidebook was appreciated, participants suggested slight simplification of language in selected theoretical sections to make the content more accessible for frontline youth workers and small NGOs.
Bridging theory and practice: The group highlighted the added value of including short, clearly marked practice examples that demonstrate how recommendations can be applied in low-resource environments.
Visibility of youth voices: Youth participation and co-creation are embedded throughout the guidebook, yet participants suggested making these elements more visible through highlighted feedback, short quotes or youth-focused sections.
Navigation and practical use: Clearer cross-references between chapters and stronger signposting to annexes and tools were identified as small but impactful improvements that would support selective reading and everyday use.
Individual voices shaping collective improvement
One of the strengths of the Smolyan pilot was the inclusion of individual feedback from participants, each bringing a unique perspective:
Some emphasised the importance of user-friendly language.
Others focused on navigation and clarity of tools.
Several participants highlighted the need for stronger support when communicating with municipalities and local authorities.
Youth-focused practitioners stressed the importance of making youth participation more visible and inspiring.
These individual inputs were later consolidated into a collective feedback summary, ensuring that the final improvements remain aligned with the guidebook’s core concept while enhancing its practical impact.
From local feedback to European value
The Smolyan local pilot confirmed the importance of testing European-level outputs in local realities. It demonstrated that meaningful quality assurance does not necessarily require large-scale events, but rather honest dialogue with practitioners who will actually use the results.
The feedback collected during the session contributes directly to the refinement of the Practical Guidebook and strengthens its potential for long-term use beyond the project lifecycle. It also reinforces the ERC project’s commitment to:
participatory development,
youth-led approaches,
inclusion of rural perspectives,
and continuous improvement based on real experience.
A step forward for youth-led spaces
The local pilot in Smolyan was not an endpoint, but a key step in an ongoing learning process. It reaffirmed that youth-led spaces in rural areas thrive when tools are practical, language is accessible, and young people’s voices are clearly present.
By grounding the guidebook in lived experience, the ERC project moves closer to its broader goal: empowering rural communities through spaces where young people are not only participants, but active creators of change.
Funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme. This post was developed within the project “Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation” (ERC), Project No. 2024-3-PL01-KA210-YOU-000264969. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE). Neither the European Union nor FRSE can be held responsible for them.
On 12 December, the international project “The Power of W – Sustainable Energy for Developing European Towns” reached its formal conclusion through its Final Online Conference, held via Zoom at 12:00 PM CET. The event served as the project’s culminating dissemination moment and brought together over 120 participants online, including representatives of partner organisations, public institutions, academic stakeholders, civil society actors, practitioners, and community members who had followed and supported the work across the participating countries. The conference was widely recognised as a milestone occasion, not only because it marked the official closure of the project, but because it consolidated a shared European understanding of how gender equality, inclusion, and innovation could jointly shape the sustainable energy transition in smaller towns and regions.
The Final Conference was designed as a structured platform for presenting the project’s strategic outcomes, reflecting on cumulative learning, and translating experience into long-term value. It brought into one coherent space the many strands developed throughout the project’s lifespan: local experimentation, international peer learning, cross-sector partnerships, and community-driven engagement with energy transition topics. Rather than functioning as a ceremonial endpoint, the conference operated as a synthesis mechanism—capturing what had been achieved, making the results accessible to broader audiences, and establishing a credible baseline for follow-up actions beyond the project’s official timeline.
A shared European overview of achievements and measurable progress
A central focus of the conference programme was the Achievement Evaluation, during which partners presented a detailed review of the project’s implementation across participating communities. The evaluation segment did not simply list activities; it interpreted them critically and connected them to observable changes in stakeholder engagement, increased visibility of women’s leadership in the energy field, and strengthened institutional cooperation at local level. Presentations highlighted how the project had supported inclusive formats for participation and encouraged women and girls to engage more confidently with sustainability topics—whether through educational sessions, mentorship-oriented activities, municipal engagement, or exhibitions and public events.
Partners reported that one of the strongest contributions of The Power of W had been its ability to make sustainable energy understandable and relevant to local realities. The project’s activities repeatedly demonstrated that energy transition was not purely technical; it was social, economic, and cultural. In this sense, gender equality was not treated as an “additional theme,” but as a structural requirement for credible sustainability policies. The evaluation reflected how local stakeholders—from youth groups to municipal representatives—had increasingly positioned women’s participation as an indicator of quality and legitimacy in sustainability-related decision-making.
Policy Guide Launch as the project’s long-term legacy product
A highly anticipated moment during the Final Conference was the Policy Guide Launch, which formally introduced the project guide containing consolidated policy recommendations, best practices, and implementation-oriented insights. The guide was presented as a practical tool for institutions and organisations seeking to strengthen gender-responsive approaches in energy and sustainability strategies. It was also framed as a transferable model, designed to be useful beyond the partner countries and applicable across European contexts that faced similar demographic, economic, and geographic challenges.
The guide’s presentation emphasised that effective policy could not be created in isolation. It needed to be shaped by those who implemented sustainability in real conditions: local governments, educators, civil society, community leaders, and women innovators. The launch underscored how The Power of W had generated not only lessons learned but structured, credible recommendations—reflecting multi-country experience and tested approaches rather than purely theoretical assumptions.
Expert and partner panels: sustainability through the lens of inclusion and innovation
The conference’s panel discussions were among the most engaging and intellectually dense segments of the day. Interactive sessions brought together project partners, invited experts, and stakeholders with practical policy experience to address sustainability and innovation in the energy sector through the lens of inclusion. These discussions examined what it took to move from awareness to action and from action to systems change. Attention was placed on the ways women’s participation reshaped not only representation, but the quality of solutions—often leading to approaches that were more community-sensitive, socially sustainable, and education-oriented.
Speakers reflected on persistent barriers, including unequal access to leadership pathways, the gender gap in STEM fields, and the underrepresentation of women in energy-related decision-making. At the same time, the discussions highlighted measurable opportunities: local-level pilot initiatives, mentorship models, awareness campaigns, and community-based partnerships capable of creating tangible entry points for women in the green transition. The tone remained academically grounded, yet clearly forward-looking, with repeated emphasis on policy coherence, cross-sector coordination, and the need for continuing investment in gender-responsive sustainability work.
Formal networking: closing a project, strengthening collaboration
The Final Conference also included a structured networking session, designed to facilitate post-project collaboration. This component was treated as a strategic element rather than an informal add-on. Participants used the session to connect across sectors and countries, identify shared interests, and discuss practical next steps. New partnership ideas emerged around joint initiatives in community energy engagement, training models for women entering green professions, local campaigns, and future EU-funded cooperation frameworks.
The networking session demonstrated a key outcome of The Power of W: trust-based collaboration had been built, and partners had developed not only shared terminology, but shared working methods. This strengthened the project’s credibility as a platform that generated continuity rather than closure.
The “last chapter” that opened future chapters
The Final Conference was widely experienced as the “last chapter” of a powerful European journey—yet its narrative was not framed as an ending. It was framed as a transition into a new phase of responsibility, where the partners and stakeholders who had contributed to the project would now carry its lessons forward. The presence of over 120 online participants reinforced the project’s dissemination strength and confirmed the relevance of its themes beyond the partnership consortium.
The event concluded with a collective acknowledgement that sustainable energy development in European towns required more than infrastructure—it required social legitimacy, equity, and participation. Gender equality emerged not as a separate ambition, but as a central driver of sustainability outcomes. The conference affirmed that the future of energy transition would be stronger, more inclusive, and more effective when women’s leadership was recognised, supported, and structurally embedded in policy and practice.
By the end of the Final Conference, The Power of W had been presented not only as a completed project, but as a consolidated body of shared European knowledge. The conference successfully disseminated achievements, launched a policy legacy product, strengthened networks, and demonstrated a coherent vision for the next steps in gender equality within sustainable energy development. It left participants with a clear understanding that the project’s most valuable outcome was not only what had been implemented, but what had been made possible: new alliances, practical guidance, community confidence, and a strong European message that inclusive sustainability was no longer optional—it was essential.
Едно пътуване, което започна с вълнение, продължи с вдъхновение и завърши с нови приятелства, идеи и мечти.
В края на октомври нашият екип и участниците от СУ „Св. св. Кирил и Методий“ – гр. Рудозем, в партньорство със Сдружение „Млади изследователи за младежко развитие“, взеха участие в международния младежки обмен „Bridges Beyond Borders“, реализиран в рамките на програма „Еразъм+“. Проектът се проведе в един от най-красивите испански университетски градове – Саламанка, известен със своята култура, история и младежки дух.
Целите на проекта
„Bridges Beyond Borders“ имаше за мисия да обедини млади хора от различни държави в общо пътешествие на осъзнаване, разбиране и съпричастност. Темите, които бяха във фокуса, включваха:
преодоляване на ксенофобията и дискриминацията,
насърчаване на толерантността и уважението към различията,
стимулиране на междукултурния диалог и социалната отговорност,
изграждане на инициативи за сътрудничество и солидарност между младежи от различни култури.
Чрез методите на неформалното образование участниците научиха как диалогът, креативността и съвместната работа могат да разрушават бариери и да изграждат мостове – не само между държави, но и между сърца.
Изживяването на участниците
Дните в Саламанка бяха изпълнени с емоции, вдъхновение и нови открития. Нашите участници споделиха, че това преживяване им е помогнало да повярват повече в себе си, да развият своите лидерски умения и да разберат силата на европейската общност.
„Всеки ден беше различен – учехме, говорихме, споделяхме, творяхме. А вечерите – пълни с музика, танци и приятелства, които ще останат за цял живот.“ – споделя Радостин, един от участниците от Рудозем.
„Саламанка е не просто град, тя е преживяване – усещане за младост, култура и човечност.“ – допълва Анна, която за първи път участва в проект по Еразъм+.
В рамките на проекта бяха организирани уъркшопи, дебати, ролеви игри и арт дейности, които позволиха на младежите да изразят своите идеи чрез творчество, музика и споделени истории. Така те не само научиха повече за другите, но и откриха нови страни в самите себе си.
Връзки, които остават
„Bridges Beyond Borders“ не приключи със заминаването от Испания. Той продължи да живее в идеите, които нашите участници донесоха обратно у дома – в Смолян и Родопите. Новите контакти и приятелства, споделените добри практики и вдъхновението от международното сътрудничество ще се превърнат в нови местни инициативи, които ще подкрепят младежката активност и междукултурния диалог.
Нашето послание
Проектът показа, че когато младите хора получат шанс, те могат да променят света – стъпка по стъпка, история по история. Саламанка беше поредната спирка в нашето голямо европейско пътешествие след Мадейра, Сардиния и Румъния, но със сигурност не е последната.
А ти искаш ли да си част от следващото приключение? Свържи се с нас и разбери как можеш да участваш в предстоящите ни международни инициативи по програма Erasmus+ и Европейски корпус за солидарност.
