Kozani Goes Green is an environmental educational program aiming to raise awareness and bring a change of perspective towards nature & its protection. The project’s main goal is to promote environmental ethics; understanding humans' moral obligations to protect & preserve the environment is the key towards sustainable living & development. Our project is in line with the selection of Kozani as one of the cities to participate in the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral & smart cities by 2030.
Regional
Greece
Regional Unit of Kozani
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
ESC : European Solidarity Corps
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): European Initiative for Youth Empowerment, Mindfulness and Wellbeing "GO Alive" Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Markos Last name of representative: Chionos Gender: Male Nationality: Greece Function: Legal representative Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: S. Mplioura 2 Town: Kozani Postal code: 50131 Country: Greece Direct Tel:+30 698 181 8181 E-mail:info@goalive.eu Website:https://goalive.eu
The inclusion of the city of Kozani in the family of the 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities of Europe by 2030, has motivated us to be part of this joint effort. The "Kozani Goes Green" solidarity project will communicate to and mobilize the youth of the region about these challenges and activate them in a participatory and experiential way to solve them. The region has not faced a similar challenge before: The change of the city in a new era of a green model in the aim to achieve sustainable development, in the context of delignitization and the change of the production model of the whole region, in a cost-effective way and for the benefit of all citizens.
Consequently, informing and raising the awareness of young people aged 15 - 30, through education about the general problems and challenges of the environment but also about the restoration of ecosystems, is an immediate priority for the promotion of positive changes in the direction of a sustainable development.
The aim of the informative and educational activities is to inform and raise awareness of the young people living in the city of Kozani on environmental issues and sustainability techniques, with the central point of reference being Climate Change which is the biggest long-term threat nowadays. Also, one of the main objectives of our environmental education that will be implemented is to raise awareness and change behavior about the environment by expanding the knowledge of the participants in relation to the environment. Consequently, informing and raising the awareness of young people aged 15 - 30, through non-formal learning methods, about the general problems of the environment but also about the restoration of ecosystems, is an immediate priority for the promotion of positive changes in the direction of sustainable development.
The project is approved and funded by the European Solidarity Corps through the greek National Agency "Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation (INEDIVIM)".
Environmental education
Non-formal learning
Sustainable development
Proactiveness
Volunteering
Our project "Kozani Goes Green", will focus on specific, measurable, and achievable objectives for contributing to the sustainability in the regional unit of Kozani. Some key areas will include:
Reducing the city's carbon footprint by promoting energy efficiency.
Improving air and water quality by reducing emissions from transportation and industry, and promoting sustainable practices such as recycling and waste reduction.
Enhancing biodiversity by creating and preserving green spaces, such as community gardens and parks.
Improving access to nature for residents, by increasing the number of green spaces, trails, and recreational opportunities in the city.
a key derivative of the project will be the creation of a questionnaire on how much the locals cared about the environment during the project and whether they behaved in a friendly way
There will also be activities to motivate young people about environmental protection and sustainability. E.g. litter picking, creating a project sign from recyclable materials.
Our initiative will be, also, exemplary in this context as we recognise the need for all actions that will take place during the implementation of this project to be environmentally friendly and sustainable, for example by:
During the project there will be less paper and printing use, use in moderation (eco-font, printing with -50% ink use) and wide use of QR codes to redirect to digital media
promoting the use of innovative technologies such as the internet of things and electric vehicles
creating a circular economy through the development of sustainable systems for waste management and resource recovery
involving the local community in the planning, design, and implementation of the initiative
highlighting the potential for replication of the initiative in other cities (like Trikala, Komotini and Larissa)
Our objectives highlight how the initiative can be exemplary and contribute to a significant impact on the city's sustainability.
The key objective to our project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people is social solidarity through voluntary environmental habituation. When a person participates in voluntary activities, they lead both themselves and civil society to contribute to social development, social cohesion, increasing social trust & consequently the participation of citizens, which is a big demand after the prolonged period of social lockdown that was forced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation, solidarity & reciprocity are values that we want to inspire through this specific program. More concrete objectives are:
-Increase awareness and engagement of youth in sustainable living practices by creating educational workshops, webinars, interactive activities and events aimed at recycling, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable energy sources.
-Create engaging activities such as a green city scavenger hunt, a sustainable living fair, and a community gardening program to encourage youth to actively participate in sustainable living practices
-Partner with local organizations and businesses to promote the initiative and increase its reach to youth
-Use social media and other digital platforms to engage and educate about the initiative and sustainable living practices.
-By focusing on specific, measurable and achievable objectives, and promoting active participation, this initiative will be able to make a positive impact on awareness and engagement in sustainable living practices within the one year frame.
-Our initiative will incorporate art, music, and other cultural elements into the design of public spaces to promote positive emotions and cultural benefits for residents and visitors.
The initiative can be exemplary by involving the local community in the planning, design, and implementation of the initiative, through workshops and surveys, to ensure that the spaces meet the needs and preferences of the people who will use them.
The project’s design is in full compliance with European’s Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Strategy. The activities to be implemented facilitate social inclusion and positive contact with diversity of different kinds. Even though our main target group is young adults, the project’s actions and activities will be open to all and every citizen can participate. Also, the key objectives of inclusion are to ensure accessibility and affordability for all, as well as to promote inclusive governing systems and design for all principles. Thus, the initiative is using a variety of tactics to accomplish these goals, including:
Incorporating community people, particularly those from underrepresented groups, in the conception, design, and execution of the program
implementing design for all principles, which guarantee that the project's settings and spaces are usable by individuals of all ages and abilities
there is a staff member at the organiastion with whom they may share experiences and foresee or solve any problems.
Inclusion-related activities are closely linked to community needs. In this respect, the organization is encouraging participants to take part in local communities and civic engagement activities during the project and be recognised for it in various ways.
Our initiative "Kozani Goes Green" aims to promote inclusion by ensuring accessibility and affordability for all, involving members of the community in decision making, adopting design for all principles and encouraging civic participation. To achieve these objectives, we will provide an accessible transportation system, involve marginalized groups in the planning, design and implementation of the initiative, and have a staff member available for support and addressing any difficulties. Additionally, we will encourage participants to take part in local communities and civic engagement activities, promoting community building and participation.
During the 12 months of the project, the project team, supported by a coach and mentor, will develop an online survey on familiarization of the target group of the climate neutrality project, organize non-formal learning training workshops, work visits to civil society organizations and in environmental structures that will increase their information and sense of solidarity, as well as educational visits to natural landscapes, cleaning of parks and forests, production of short videos in the form of vlogs, artistic decoration of 10 recycling bins in the city, and information actions in educational structures of the municipality Kozani.
The 4 parks that will be cleaned and artistically landscaped to promote green development and climate neutrality will be "adopted" by the 4 partner civil society organizations that will be involved in our activities, who will take care of them after the end of the project.
In an effort to ensure the sustainability of the project, we will try to create networks of people involved in the project, in order to plan and implement new initiatives.
Among those benefits to our local community that the "Kozani Goes Green” ESC project will have, we will encourage healthy lifestyles! Environmental education can open the door to train our youth to live a healthier life in a way, something that also benefits the environment. Also, the project will contribute to a more sustainable way of life as people consume more than our Earth can provide. The early shift to a sustainable lifestyle is a solution to using what only the Earth can provide. Being aware of how we go about our daily lives at a young age is a good starting point, and this will be the subject of most of the actions we will implement during the 12 months of the project.
In the design and implementation of our initiative "Kozani Goes Green," we engaged with a wide range of stakeholders at various levels. However, as its name indicates, the project “Kozani Goes Green” (Kozani is a city in northern Macedonia-Greece) has a local character. During the implementation, Go Alive’s project team and volunteers will interact with the citizens of Kozani, and especially the young generation consisting of people aged 13-30 years old. Our organization has already partnered with 4 local civil society organizations that will participate in the actions, involve in the maintenance of the natural spaces that are to be cleaned by “adopting” one, and contribute to the dissemination of the projects’ actions and results through their network. Moreover, at the local level, we engaged with community members, including those from marginalized groups, to gather their input and feedback on the initiative. This allowed us to ensure that the initiative is responsive to the needs and perspectives of the community. We also engaged with local businesses, schools and the university of Western Macedonia to build partnerships and secure their support for the initiative.
At the regional level, we engaged with regional authorities, such as the local municipality, to obtain their support and cooperation for the initiative. The project will supplement the Municipality’s effort to transform Kozani into a climate-neutral and smart city by 2030 under the EU Mission initiative.
At an institutional and European level, Kozani Goes Green is a project that will be implemented under the European Solidarity Corps program by E.U. and is being supported by the National Agency “YOUTH & LIFELONG LEARNING FOUNDATION”.
Overall, by engaging with stakeholders at various levels, we secure the support and cooperation needed to design and implement the initiative successfully and ensure that it is inclusive and equitable, and its benefits are widely shared among the community.
Our organization is a European educational youth organization that has previous experience in the implementation of projects of non-formal education, especially for young people aged 13-30 years old. We aim to promote the educational, professional, cultural and intellectual empowerment and development of young people, through mindfulness, wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle frame. We believe that the empowerment of the young generation is the key to the creation of a sustainable future.
We used our prior expertise to design a non-formal educational program about climate change and sustainability, by integrating to the program the GreenComp framework. The project has an important significance for our region since Kozani, which has long suffered the consequences from the large lignite power plants, is now going through a transition to clean sustainable sources of energy. It was also selected by the European Commission to be one of the six Greek cities to participate in the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 in the domains of energy, transportation and urban planning. This selection was our inspiration for the creation of our project.
Our project team members come from different academic fields: socio – economic sciences, medicine and psychology are a few to mention. An intended result is the multiple benefits for the people of the project team, which include among others:
- Exchange of ideas and opinions
- Update on research related to the post-lignite era and on the professional opportunities that emerge
- Recognition of contribution and volunteering
- Development of social skills and abilities
- Business skills (such as initiative and crisis management)
- Information, prevention and awareness of the environment and the consequences of climate change
- Teamwork skills
- Education methodologies based on non-formal learning
- Outgoing and networking with civil society bodies
- Develop digital skills while creating the vlog
Our aim is that our initiative is not just a repetition of existing solutions, but a unique and forward-thinking approach to addressing the challenges of sustainability and livable cities. Actions based on non formal learning tools and young adults as our main target group can be demonstrated below:
- The use of citizen science approach by involving the community in data collection about the environment
- The creation of a comprehensive and holistic plan that addresses multiple aspects of sustainability, such as reducing carbon footprint, enhancing biodiversity, promoting positive emotions and cultural benefits, and improving access to nature, all at the same time.
- Creating a program that encourages residents to adopt sustainable practices, such as composting and recycling, by providing them with the necessary tools and resources.
- Developing a program that encourages young adults to take leadership roles in community sustainability projects, such as community gardens, green roofs, and recycling programs.
- Developing a series of educational workshops and activities that use non-formal learning methods, such as hands-on learning, games, and interactive activities, to educate young adults about sustainability, and livable cities.
- Organizing workshops to promote innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among young adults in the field of sustainable living.
- Creating a series of guided tours, led by local experts, that highlight sustainable practices and green spaces in the city.
- Creating a sustainability game that allows young adults to learn about sustainable practices in a fun and interactive way.
By targeting young adults and incorporating non-formal learning tools, our initiative will not only address the environmental challenges but also empower the future leaders of the community and raise awareness among the youth population in the city.
Thanks to its design, the project can function at any organizational level (local, regional, national, european) activating various stakeholders and different groups of beneficiaries. It is introducing the participants in the context of sustainability and throughout the planned activities they will develop competences that are based on the pan-European “GreenComp” framework that is suggested by the EU. Therefore, the following elements of our initiative "Kozani Goes Green" can be highly replicable and transferable to other places, groups of beneficiaries, and contexts:
The development of sustainable systems for waste management and resource recovery, using circular economy principles.
The use of non-formal learning tools, such as hands-on learning, games, and interactive activities, to educate young adults about sustainability and livable cities.
The use of citizen science approach by involving the community in data collection and monitoring of the environment.
The use of inclusive design principles and involving marginalized groups in the decision making process.
The inclusion of community engagement activities and civic participation.
The creative decoration of trash cans with motivational messages for the community.
Adoption of parks by unofficial groups of individuals or by neighborhood clubs for the purpose of maintenance.
The development of a mobile application that provides information about green spaces, and local environmental events.
All these elements are not location-specific and can be adapted to other cities and communities, providing a wide range of benefits to the beneficiaries. In addition, the initiative can serve as a model for other cities looking to promote sustainable and inclusive development among its youth. We are also willing to share our experience and knowledge with other organizations and institutions that are interested in replicating or transferring our initiative to other places.
The methodology or approach that is being used in our initiative is based on a holistic and participatory approach with non formal learning tools, and is composed of the following steps:
Needs assessment: We conducted a thorough analysis of the current environmental, social, and economic situation in the city of Kozani, in order to identify the main challenges and opportunities related to sustainability and livable cities.
Community engagement: We actively engaged with members of the community, including those with fewer opportunities, to gather their input and feedback on the initiative. This allowed us to ensure that the initiative is responsive to the needs and perspectives of the community.
Planning and design: We developed a comprehensive sustainability plan that addresses multiple aspects of sustainability, such as reducing carbon footprint, enhancing biodiversity, promoting positive emotions and cultural benefits, and improving access to nature. We also adopted design for all principles, which ensure that the initiative's spaces and environments are accessible, inclusive, and usable for people of all ages and abilities.
Implementation: We adopted an evidence-based approach, which means that we continuously monitor and evaluate the initiative's progress and impact, and use that information to make adjustments and improvements.
Community empowerment: We actively encouraged civic participation, community engagement and empowerment, by involving young adults and marginalized groups in decision making and providing them with the necessary tools and resources to become active contributors to the community's sustainability efforts.
Evaluation: We continuously monitor and evaluate the initiative's progress and impact, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. We also encourage feedback and evaluation from the community members and stakeholders involved in the initiative. This allows us to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments as needed.
Latest data from leading scientists show unprecedented changes in the world's climate. According to recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming is causing increased and, in some cases, irreversible changes in rainfall, oceans and winds in all regions of the world. Regarding Europe, the report predicts an increase in the frequency & intensity of extreme weather events and warns that a 2°C increase in temperature will have severe impacts on nature & people. Higher temperatures of up to 2.2°C will have a significant impact on the environment & human health. Temperatures and intensifying weather events will also lead to huge costs for the economy of the EU and will undermine countries' ability to produce food. However, according to scientists, human action can reverse the course of events. The immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the achievement of zero CO2 emissions can limit climate change & its impacts.
Our mission is to raise environmental awareness through volunteering environmental actions & activities. Changing the mindset and the way we’ve been treating our planet can lead to the deceleration of global warming’s effects. Our city is already on this track, since it's been selected as one of the 100 cities in the EU Mission for climate-neutral & smart cities by 2030. The Municipality of Kozani is taking steps to commit to that goal; it has diminished the number of the operating lignite power plants to reduce the CO2 emissions & plans a turnover on clean energy.
The project will contribute to the transfer of the initiative to battle climate change from an institutional level to an individual & collective level. Our participants will eventually become environmentally responsible and aware of the actions that they could take over and their results for the environment, especially if the actions are being implemented on a collective level, through active citizenship & solidarity.
Kozani Goes Green is a 12 month-long Solidarity project that is being planned to start on 20/02/2023. Detailed timeline:
Stage 1: Raise awareness on environmental issues and sustainable practices through workshops and trainings
-M1: Kick-off meeting, define the content of local actions/activities & online exercises on Climate Neutrality, promotion of upcoming activities, invite volunteers, inform local stakeholders about the project, design the methodology for an effective evaluation of the actions
-M2: Online survey on the familiarity of the target group on the climate neutrality project, environmental awareness & Green Deal
-M3: Raise awareness on environmental issues among participants through non-formal learning during 4 weekly workshops
Stage 2: Volunteering at local level
-M4: Volunteering actions, Weekly work training visits to 4 civil society organizations in the city of Kozani in order to see how they work and the results they produce
-M5: Weekly waste collection from 4 parks of the city
-M6/7: Educational environmental visits to come closer to nature
Stage 3: Strengthening awareness & action for environmental protection among residents & young people through social media campaigns & data collection from participants to identify project’s results
-M8: Artistic design placement of recycling bins in 10 neighborhoods within the urban area complex of Municipality of Kozani
-M9: Youth forum with appr. 60 participants on environmental awareness and Climate Neutrality
-M10: Creation of a vlog & production of 4 short video-posts on environmental awareness and climate neutrality
Stage 4: Dissemination of results to local stakeholders, creation of debriefing videos and compilation of the final report
-M11: Inform classes of the public Professional Training Institute of Kozani, primary and secondary schools about the Kozani Goes Green project, its results & ESC in general
-M12: Evaluation of the project’s progress & submission of the final report.
The actions to be implemented under the project are in full compliance with the competence areas that form the European sustainability competence framework “GreenComp”. Our educational program will help the participants develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote empathy, responsibility and proactiveness regarding the protection of nature and public health. The above set of competences will provide the participants with the necessary “thinking and acting system” for their adaptation to the ever changing environmental conditions. Thus, the project will form people capable of acknowledging the problem, finding the suitable solution as well as taking action, through collective and collaborative ways, to create a sustainable future.
