Absolutely! Here’s a more concise version:
“You(th)ink Green” was a dynamic Youth exchange held in Assel, Netherlands, from July 1-7, 2023. Focused on sustainability, the project aimed to ignite eco-consciousness among young minds, fostering green lifestyles and societal change. Through creative, informal methods, we explored ecological issues, climate change, and sustainable practices. We visited Netherlands’ sustainable projects, inspiring one another.
Our achievements include developing a “Green” checklist and guidelines, enabling individuals and organizations to self-reflect and adopt eco-friendly attitudes. Furthermore, we engaged young people with fewer opportunities, empowering them to promote greener living. To kick-start the project, a preparatory meeting ensured qualitative preparation.
Now, our participants proudly share success stories. These narratives spotlight concrete shifts towards sustainability: impactful actions and tangible changes within their lives, networks, and communities. By sharing these stories through diverse media, we aspire to inspire and empower others to embark on similar green journeys. Together, we forge a sustainable future.
9 days, 40 beautiful people in the greenest place called Assel.
We didn’t realize we cared about nature this much until we participated in the “You(th)ink Green” Erasmus project. This project not only taught us the ways to help and care for the green environment through sustainable behavior, but also oriented us in finding ourselves in nature, associating our well-being and essence with it.
This unique project took place in a very symbolic place, Assel, surrounded by the woods and with caring people who made sure their small city was always clean. What we liked the most about the project was its structure. It was not only based on theoretical knowledge, but rather contained practical approaches in forms of short visits related to the main topic of the program.
During our stay there, we managed to visit the nearest farm of the city where they didn’t use any kind of pesticides that could harm the environment. We also visited the nearest second-hand shop to promote the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle, where we discovered that some percentage of the generated budget is directed to the implementation of sustainable projects.
As the project’s aim was to reduce the harm that we caused to nature, we tried to limit the usage of cars and any other polluting transportation means. On the 3rd day of our stay, we rode bicycles for 45 kms during which we discovered the beautiful city of Appledorn and the beautiful Dutch Palace. It was a wonderful experience for everyone, especially for some of us who didn’t know how to ride a bicycle, so we used tandems:) Water being one of the most important components of nature, we also made it to the North Sea both to clean up the beach and also enjoy the peaceful waves.
During the project, we broke into several groups and developed ideas according to the design thinking method. We came up with ideas of how we can solve some of the challenges in nature with the goal to realize them. Some of us organized activities to foster the connection between the participants and nature, the others presented a prototype of a new organic food composter bin that would make the locals’ lives easier.
This project was not only about nature and learning to cherish our Earth: it was a great platform to initiate activities, improve our communication, collaboration and leadership skills, and most importantly, become better global citizens. It was also about wonderful people, and the amazing relationships that they are able to create.
9 unforgettable days, 40 amazing friends, and many crying faces at the end of the project.
