<< Objectives >>We aim to introduce youth entrepreneurship in agriculture and rural development to rural youth & youth workers as an alternative way of entrepreneurship in rural areas. Furthermore, we aim to increase the quality in agriculture and exchange good practices regarding sustainable and ecological ways of farming, to enhance and recognize rural youth work, to strengthen the employability of rural youth and to contribute to EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and EU Youth Goals.<< Implementation >>For the visibility & dissemination of the project we will create a website. We will create a survey & a series of interviews aimed at highlighting good practices in sustainable farming methods. We will carry out two study visits, where we will see how modern olive mills & wineries work. We will set up sharing & promoting activities to disseminate the results including a training for rural youth work in connection to the topic of youth entrepreneurship in agriculture and rural development.<< Results >>We expect young people and youth workers from rural areas to have a clear understanding of youth entrepreneurship in agriculture and rural development. Furthermore, to highlight innovative, sustainable & green practices of farming and youth entrepreneurship in agriculture as concrete results of desk and field research and study visits. Also, to increase the visibility and impact of rural youth work. Last but not least to boost youth entrepreneurship and agribusinesses for decent youth employment

<< Background >>In a recent Eurobarometer protecting the environment and climate change was considered as the highest priority for the EU by 67% of young respondents. Youth participation in various social movements for climate and environmental protection as well as consumption habits towards sustainable food and clothing further manifests the turn of the youth towards sustainability and alternative models of economic development. COVID-19 devastatingly also underlined the need to turn towards sustainable production and consumption and for alternative economic models in the future. At the same time, the percentage of youth unemployment is exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the unemployment is expected to soar, while young people have already been one of the most vulnerable groups emerging from the years of economic crisis and austerity (Eurofound). Projections on the full impact of COVID on youth in Europe is very dismal. The SYnC project sits at the intersection of these European realities and aims to develop an non-formal educational framework to introduce young people and youth workers to the circular economy and to unleash the innovation potential of the former.<< Objectives >>Specific objectives are: To educate and raise awareness of youth in particular those with fewer opportunities on the key concepts of sustainability and circular economy with a view to strengthen their entrepreneurial opportunities (SO1) Build the capacity of youth organisations to be able to inform and guide youth towards circular economy and to explore their entrepreneurship and innovation potential (SO2) Reinvigorate cross-national and cross-sectoral knowledge transfer to build momentum towards promoting youth entrepreneurship in circular economy (SO3).<< Implementation >>Result 1 How to? Toolkit for youth and circular entrepreneurship R1-A1 Research and analysis of best practices R1-A2 Testimonials from circular economy entrepreneurs R1-A3 Drafting and finalisation of the Toolkit Result 2 - Guidebook for raising awareness and building the capacity of youth workers R2-A1 Development of the GuidebookR2-A2 Organisation of the raising awareness and capacity building seminars R2-A3 Feedback and evaluation reportResult 3 - Non-formal online course and platform for circular economy entrepreneurship R3- A1 Co-design encounters with youth, youth workers R3-A2 Research and drafting of the course design R3-A3 Content development and instructional design R3- A4 Localisation and translation R3 - A5 Platform concept and technical definition R3 -A6 Piloting, feedback and evaluation Result 4 - Lessons learnt and forward looking educational strategies R4-A1 Lessons learnt and youth recommendations! How to SYnc-in youth innovation potential in the circular economy R4 -A2 Forward looking educational strategies<< Results >>The SYnC project in its 24 month duration will deliver the following results:-- How to? Toolkit for youth and circular economy entrepreneurship available in digital format and in 5 languages (EN, EL, PT, RO, DE)-- The Guidebook for raising awareness and building the capacity of youth workers, translated in 5 languages and available in digital format-- Four (4) raising awareness and capacity building seminars with the participation of 20 youth workers per country, to be implemented in Greece, Portugal, Romania and Germany.-- The SYnC online course and educational platform for introducing youth to circular economy entrepreneurship, available in 5 languages and piloted in the four (4) countries with the participation of 80 young persons in total.-- The Lessons learnt and youth recommendations! How to SYnc-in youth innovation potential in the circular economyreport and The Forward Looking Educational strategies report available in digital form in 5 languages.

<< Background >>Start4SD will be working towards strengthening youth entrepreneurship, promoting youth active citizenship and innovation by providing support for youth entrepreneurs and trainers about the meaning and the importance of five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a methodology on how to meet these SDGs and also reward youth entrepreneurs who take the necessary steps to meet SDGs. At the same time, the proposed project aims at addressing the needs below: NEEDS OF YOUTH (YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP)Youth in the EU show high levels of interest in entrepreneurship, but up to 2018 only 6.5% of working youth are self-employed (OECD, 2019). Youth, compared to their experienced counterparts, often face some barriers when it comes to entrepreneurship. Despite the wealth of knowledge, and experience available to public, private and the society in general which tends to encourage entrepreneurship, youth, who are inexperienced, require some support. Youth entrepreneurs, and those interested in running a business, face important barriers, such as lack of awareness of potential for entrepreneurship, limited education and training on how to nurture entrepreneurial attitudes and skills, and lack of prior knowledge on how to organise and sustain a successful entrepreneurship performance (UN Exploring Youth Entrepreneurship, 2020; Youth Solutions Report, 2018). The proposed project directly addresses the needs of youth entrepreneurs, and those interested in starting a business, by providing necessary training for sustainable development and growth. NEEDS OF PARTNERS, NGOs and CSOsThe proposed project aims to meet the needs of the partner organisations and the targeted NGOs, environmental CSOs, youth organization, business and entrepreneurship trainers and coaches, and business associations. Despte the available guidance developed from the UN about SDGs, there is a lack of systematic training, collection of educational materials and good practices that can be used from entrepreneurships. The materials and methodologies that will be developed during the project can be used from the business and entrepreneurship trainers and coaches, business associations and youth and environmental CSOs, for the purpose of training but also guidance to businesses. This is particularly important as it complements to the need identified earlier for the provision of alternative, informal or non-formal, educational activities to youth across Europe. SOCIETAL NEEDS ACROSS THE EUThe problem of youth unemployment across European countries is one of the key challenges identified by the EU. This project seeks to address this issue by strengthening the employability and the entrepreneurship skills of youth people involved in the project.<< Objectives >>Start4SD objectives therefore are:•Support entrepreneurship for youth as part of the European Reference Framework on Key Competences•Capitalize on the Resolution adopted by the European Parliament in 2015 stressing the role of Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation in order to contribute to youth unemployment•Develop, test and implement innovative practices by providing social entrepreneurial competences, such as business and strategic planning with a sustainability dimension •Develop an award system for youth-led SMEs<< Implementation >>The project implementation is divided into five components corresponding to the project objectives: Research and training (PR1); Methodologies (PR2), Youth volunteers’ network (PR3), and Good practice guide (PR3). Under PR1, the project will embark on both secondary and primary research comprising extensive desk research so to identify existing learning programmes and materials related to SDGs; and focus groups to adapt them specifically to goals 4, 5, 8, 10 and 12 (PR1-Τ1). PR1 also entails the provision of coaching and support to youth entrepreneurs on how to meets sustainability criteria in their own businesses. Finally, in order to present a fully functional and comprehensive programme, the partnership will provide a Train the Trainer seminar (PR1-Τ2) and will public a Guide on how to train the youth entrepreneurs to enforce sustainable goals in their businesses (PR1.2.2). PR2 will be the phase of methodologies’ development. The project will introduce two methodologies; the first methodology will entail the conceptual design and framework of an SDGs award scheme based on sustainability stars that would be attributed to youth enterprises (PR2-T1). This will serve both as a practice to support sustainability, and as an incentive to consumers and clients to change market attitudes while simultaneously showing care for the environment. The second methodology will will help youth entrepreneurs enforce the SDGs award scheme in their businesses (PR2-T2). Finally, PR2 will include a sustainability plan that will ensure that the SDG stars model will be maintained, further followed and transferred also upon the completion of the project (PR2-T3). PR3 comes to amalgamate all the knowledge and the results acquired through the piloting and establish a network of youth volunteers from all the countries of the Stars4SD partnership and other EU countries as well (PR3-T1). The scope of the youth volunteers’ network is to provide peer review to youth entrepreneurs on how to follow the project’s methodologies as regards sustainable development goals and get the SDGs stars. Participants in this initiative will be also responsible for voting for the best practices and attributing stars to the more sustainable businesses. To support the operation of the network the project will develop an online platform (PR3.2) to host the activities of the Network and comprise as well the adequate technical specifications so as to provide a voting procedure for the participating youth businesses and attribute them the SDG stars based on the above methodologies. Finally, PR3 will conceptually and technically develop and host a campaign and competition, calling youth entrepreneurs to participate, be assessed and if meet the PR2 criteria be awarded.Under PR4, the project will identify best practices (PR4-T1) of the SDGs model in youth SMEs at local/national and European level. The Guide will also include the lessons learnt from PR1,2 and 3 and will provide recommendations to consumers and companies (PR4.2).<< Results >>The expected results of the proposed project during the project’s life are:•PR1 - Youth entrepreneurs’ coaching and training on SDGs - Stars4Sd will develop the educational training material for youth entrepreneurs and those interested in running a youth-led business. The materials will be based a collection of existing training materials and good practices on SDGs and entrepreneurship. The partnership will review and collate these material in order to provide the necessary training to the youth entrepreneurs who will participate in the project. The same material will also be used to train the business and entrepreneurship trainers who will participate in the project as part of a seminar that this project will run.•PR2 - Stars4SD Methodologies - The partnership of the project will design and develop a methodology about the steps the youth-led entrepreneurships which will participate in the project need to take in order to meet the SDGs. The methodology will also include a guide about the start awarding system. The methodology will provide all the necessary information to the participants about the technical and operational aspects of the transition to more sustainable growth, and also give them the incentives through the clear guidelines about the award system. •PR3 - Stars4SD Network - Stars4Sd will design and implement the Stars4SD network. The network will be the host of the user training materials, and also the platform which will host the awarding system, will design and implement a campaign and competition for the participating in the network youth entrepreneurs.. •PR4 - Stars4SD Good practice guide - there will be a collection of good practices among the participants and the lessons learnt during the project. This will be available in English and the native languages of the consortium countries, and will be disseminated to the rest of the target groups (business associations, youth and environmental CSOs) which can use it, after the completion of the project.The expected results of the proposed project after the project’s life are:•At least 20 number of trainers will benefit from the curriculum and training material for the trainers;•At least 100 number of youth entrepreneurs in the project will benefit from the guides provided;•At least 150 number registrations in the network;•More than 10,000 people reached at the European level through the awareness and dissemination activities;•5 Multiplier events with at least 40 participants per event; and a final dissemination event with at least 30 local, 10 international and 200 virtual participants.

"Young people face uncertainties about their future, as a result of technological change, demographic trends, discrimination, social exclusion & their exposure to the fake news & increasing populism, with yet unknown effects on jobs, skills or the way our democracies work. Despite the temporary economic upturn in the European economies, leading to lower unemployment across the countries, the emergence of the pandemic is enforcing a deepening recession, which leads to heavy & long persisting inequalities, including between generations. For the first time since the Second War, there is a real risk and serious possibility that today's young generation will end up less well-off than their parents. In line with the EU Youth Strategy 2019-27, the GenY/Z-SCOODLE project recognises the need to enable young people to be architects of their own lives, build their resilience & equip them with life skills to cope with a changing world; to encourage them to become active citizens, agents of solidarity & positive change for communities across Europe and, ultimately, prevent youth social exclusion. Youth workers, mentors & coaches act and are perceived as role models & therefore need to show that they are lifelong learners, active citizens & innovators, in order to promote similar attitudes in their youth constituencies. 7 partners from 5 countries- Greece, Ireland, Germany, Italy and Portugal-aim to build, pilot and validate sustainable solutions, in order to upgrade the capacity of youth organizations through state-of-the-art second chance education (“SCE”) methods and practice and by deploying the European legacy & know-how in this field. Specifically GenY/Z SCOODLE aims to support the capacity building of youth workers and other professionals by developing & sharing effective methods in reaching out to marginalised youth, especially those with fewer opportunities (including NEETs) with particular emphasis on those at risk of marginalisation, with a migrant background, ex-offenders, former addicts etc. The project recognises the diverse competences needed for the youth worker to deliver the multi-faceted role of the ""mentor"" & aims to extend, develop, recognise & validate SCE Mentor’ s Competences by developing:•“Youth SCE Tutor” (professional) Competence Framework - to strengthen the professional awareness & identity of youth stakeholders by identifying and recognising the areas of competence (knowledge, skills & attitudes) that underpin the youth professional's diverse & multifaceted role•“Youth SCE Tutor (professional) Competence Development Courseware” - to provide a diverse offer of professional development opportunities specifically developed to meet the needs of youth professionals•“GenY/Z SCOODLE Learning Hub” online platform - to encourage the establishment & further development of cross-European networks of youth professionals to strengthen professional identity, providing access to the -•“Gen Y/Z - SCOODLE Transferability Toolkit”, embedding terms of quality reference to the “Youth SCE Tutor Competence Framework” & “Youth SCE Tutor Accreditation Scheme”, the learning design of the “Youth SCE Tutor Competence Development Courseware”, coupled with the “Youth SCE Tutor Courseware Quality Framework” (accrediting “Youth SCE Tutoring” Courses).Objectives are:•To promote and recognise the professional development of youth workers deploying second chance education practice - by building Competence Framework and modules for on-going CPD & piloting & validating solutions at community level in four EU Member States, with the participation of 15-20 Youth workers & the engagement of some 40-50 young people in need of support for social inclusion•To produce high quality tools & resources that promote equity in learning, by working with youth professionals, mentors, coaches & teachers of second chance education experts & tutors to adapt existing tools & develop new ones to local contexts so that they reflect the needs of marginalised youth;•To sustain a European online, federated “resource centre” for youth professionals populated with relevant & transferable tools - through open access to an on-line repository of tested good practices with explanatory media-based guidelines•To build a European community of youth professionals - by setting up local networks in partner countries & working with European networks. These communities enable youth professionals to meet, exchange knowledge & experience, & join forces to promote their collective interests. Youth professionals will reflect on their own practice, develop, adapt & test tools and work collaboratively both at local & European level to share good practice.The impact will ultimately be the enhancement of methods & effectiveness of rehabilitation/ re-engagement practice, through the provision of high-quality learning experiences for marginalised youth resulting from improved professional development of youth practitioners."

<< Objectives >>The objective of this project is to empower youth workers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to engage and educate young people on climate change through non-formal education activities. By targeting youth workers, the project aims to reach a larger number of youth and create a multiplier effect by equipping them with the knowledge/skills to become agents of change in their communities. << Implementation >>Desk research: Understand the current situation/identify best practicesField research: Gather information/ insights on the experiences perspectives of young people on climate change/the role of non-formal education activitiesPromotiona videos and website: Videos and a website creation about environmental sustainability/the characteristics of youth workers and green practices Monitoring and evaluation: 3 focused groups of 15 youth workers Dissemination activities: salto youth, tiktok etc<< Results >>The project aims to develop skills and capacities in young people, increase youth-led initiatives, enhance community engagement, inform policies, contribute to sustainable development, and empower youth workers. Through desk and field research, visibility videos and website creation, monitoring and evaluation, and dissemination, the project expects to achieve these results.