In the GECCO small scale project, the two youth organizations ÖJAB and Jongerenwerk Barkema & de Haan have focused on the following objectives: OVERALL OBJECTIVE: Encouraging young people from socially disadvantaged communities to shape their local natural environment and contribute to take action against climate change through a collaborative, cross-border effort SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: ● for young people to acquire knowledge and skills that they need to protect their local environment and take actions against climate change in their communities ● for young people to develop self and group effectiveness, intercultural and language learning ● to enhance capacity building among trainers and educators who want to work with young people within the context of nonformal environmental education measures
Awareness for environmental topics such as the consequences of progressing climate change, pollution and waste separation are of utmost importance for young people. Nevertheless, many adolescents lack the understanding of how they can use the environment in an ecologically sustainable way in their leisure time (e.g. for sports) on the one hand and contribute to reducing their ecological footprint and proactively taking actions and measures against climate change on the other hand. In order to find solutions against climate change, a joint effort between several countries across the European Union is necessary. The GECCO project thus enhanced the thought of intercultural collaboration in order to take action against climate change through the commitment of young people from socially disadvantaged communities. Both, the participating young people as well as the project partner organizations benefit from learning different practices from each other.