The project aimed to empower young people from rural areas and strengthen the capacity of partner organizations to engage them in meaningful volunteering. Its main objectives were to promote the benefits of volunteering and non-formal education for personal and social growth, to exchange good practices among partners, and to develop innovative tools for rural youth engagement. Through the creation of a Manual containing 10 modules of workshops and activities, the project wanted to inspire rural youngsters age 15–18 to take part in local volunteer initiatives and contribute to community development. The program was implemented in 3 rural areas in the partner countries, engaging more than 45 young people overall. The project also aimed to build the capacities of local stakeholders — schools, NGOs, and municipalities — through dissemination, discussions, consultations, and by giving them practical tools for working to better support youth volunteering. By doing so, it contributed to enhancing civic participation, inclusion, and quality youth work in rural areas across Europe.
We applied for the project “Seeds of Change: A Rural Youth Volunteers Initiative” to address the lack of motivation and opportunities for young people from rural areas (aged 15–18) to engage in volunteering and community life. Through our previous Erasmus+ projects and local consultations implemented in Poland, North Macedonia, and Cyprus, we identified that although rural youth understand the importance of volunteering, they often lack creative and practical tools to get involved. They expressed the need for interactive, game-based learning that connects volunteering with real-life experiences and rural development. The project aimed to respond to these needs by developing a 10-month educational programme and a Manual for rural youth volunteering, enabling them to plan and implement local initiatives. At the same time, it strengthened the partner organizations’ capacities to collaborate internationally and use innovative non-formal education tools to promote active citizenship and community engagement in rural areas.