GREENTRACE has responded to this need by developing an innovative, multidisciplinary, replicable approach that integrates environmental education, inclusive physical activity, active participation, and the exploration of local areas to promote ecological awareness and encourage sustainable behaviour among young people. The project's specific objectives were: a) integrate sport and sustainability into educational pathways that can be replicated in different European contexts; b) strengthening the skills of youth workers and educators in multidisciplinary fields; c) to enhance the effectiveness of sustainability education methods by developing assessment systems in non-formal and informal settings; d) to create an innovative methodology that can easily be adapted to different learning environments (e.g. schools, sports and non-formal education); e) to promote exploration as a form of youth participation, community engagement, and local involvement.
The GREENTRACE project was developed in response to the growing demand from young people for a more concrete, participatory and real-life environmental education, and to provide educators and youth organisations with new tools to promote environmental education in an innovative and inclusive way. Specifically, we aim to address the disconnect between young people and nature, exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, and utilise the potential of non-competitive sports to develop educational and practical pathways that promote sustainability in a more engaging and accessible manner. Non-formal education and youth work integrated with outdoor physical activity have been shown to strengthen transversal skills and encourage sustainable behaviour. However, many youth workers lack the necessary tools to incorporate these issues into their work.