The project aimed to achieve these objectives: Establishing a diverse consortium of EU and non-EU partners to foster cross-border cooperation, exchange expertise, and develop multilingual educational tools that enhance youth employability. Developing Game-Based Educational Resources by creating interactive learning tools, including a methodological guide, a pedagogical guide, and six escape rooms, to equip young people with employability skills while promoting environmental responsibility and climate action. A training program ensured that youth workers and educators were equipped to integrate escape rooms into non-formal education settings, fostering long-term impact and sustainability. With combination of physical and digital escape room elements, the project introduced hybrid learning opportunities aligned with contemporary educational trends. Testing in real-world environments enabled improvements based on participants’ feedback. Open-access resources ensured applicability, allowing other organizations to adopt and implement the methodology, thereby extending the project's impact on youth employability and environmental education.
We applied for this project due to the pressing issue of youth unemployment in the Europe, particularly in Spain, Serbia, and Cyprus. Eurostat’s 2022 report highlighted high unemployment rates among highly educated youth lacking practical skills. The COVID-19 crisis worsened this gap between labor market needs and available competencies. To address this, we introduced green educational escape rooms, integrating game-based learning, role-model education, and digital gamification to enhance employability while promoting sustainability. This innovative approach fosters critical thinking, teamwork, and decision-making while engaging young people in eco-friendly practices aligned with the Green Deal. Existing non-formal education tools often fail to engage youth. By using interactive, problem-solving methodologies, we help young people develop entrepreneurial, digital, and soft skills. Digital escape rooms bridge technology and nature, reconnecting youth with environmental learning. The project equips youth workers with training and materials to implement escape rooms, empowering them to support young people’s career exploration and personal growth effectively.