Project description
The ERC project is a 24-month Erasmus+ small-scale partnership focused on empowering young people from rural areas in Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. By developing youth-led spaces, it aims to build skills and foster inclusion, diversity, and civic engagement. The project will create a practical guidebook, train youth workers in managing youth spaces, and engage 375 young people through non-formal activities to boost their transversal skills. Through international cooperation and local actions, ERC will provide rural youth with opportunities to develop leadership, communication, and digital skills, contributing to vibrant, active communities and greater youth participation in civic life.
Project objectives
The main objectives of the Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation are:
Develop youth-led spaces in rural communities to support inclusion, diversity, and active participation.
Strengthen the capacity of youth workers to create and manage inclusive, youth-friendly environments through specialized training.
Enhance transversal skills of young people—such as leadership, communication, and digital literacy—through non-formal learning activities.
Promote social inclusion and civic engagement among rural youth, encouraging them to become active members of their communities.
Produce a practical guidebook to help other organizations and communities establish youth spaces and replicate good practices.
Foster international cooperation among partners in Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania to share knowledge and build sustainable support networks for rural youth empowerment.
Project partners
Społeczna Grupa Medialna (Poland) – Applicant
Young Improvers for Youth Development (Bulgaria)
Filiala Asociației Se Poate (Romania)
Project activities:
Training for youth workers: Blended mobility to build competencies in creating and managing inclusive youth spaces.
Local workshops and events: Non-formal activities engaging at least 375 rural youth in Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Guidebook development: Practical publication on setting up and running youth-led spaces, with best practices and recommendations.
Transnational partner meetings: Coordination sessions to monitor progress and align implementation across countries.
Dissemination activities: Sharing project results and promoting the guidebook through social media, websites, and community outreach.
Project outputs
Guidebook on youth spaces – A practical manual with methods, good practices, and recommendations for creating and managing inclusive, youth-led spaces.
Trained youth workers – At least 15 youth workers equipped with new skills and knowledge to develop and support youth spaces in rural areas.
Engaged rural youth – At least 375 young people participating in local non-formal activities, improving their transversal skills.
Established or supported youth spaces – Concrete youth-led spaces created or strengthened in rural communities of partner countries.
Dissemination materials – Online and printed resources, social media content, and event presentations sharing project results and inspiring replication.
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 Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE). Neither the European Union nor FRSE can be held responsible for them.
