Youth educators and community workers face both a challenge and an opportunity: making sustainability education part of young people’s daily lives in ways that feel relevant and inspiring. The STELLA Project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme (2024–2026), was created to address this need by equipping youth workers and trainers with practical tools to engage young people through sport, fostering environmental awareness and sustainable habits.

Sport offers a powerful entry point for sustainability learning. When environmental principles are woven into physical activities, young people learn through action rather than abstraction. The STELLA Toolkit, which includes over 75 best practices and a complete training package with ready-to-use workshops, supports educators in turning play and movement into opportunities for environmental education. These sessions can be adapted for schools, youth centres, or sports clubs, blending teamwork, physical activity, and ecological reflection.

One example could be organizing events like a running relay, where each leg represents a sustainable choice – such as cycling instead of driving, or using a refillable bottle instead of disposable plastic. Activities like these make sustainability tangible, showing that caring for the environment can be fun, collaborative, and rewarding. STELLA also encourages young people to become “sustainability champions”, identifying unsustainable practices in their communities and developing practical improvement plans. This active approach fosters reflection, responsibility, and a sense of empowerment.

By introducing sustainability through sport, young people develop lasting values and behaviours. Teamwork mirrors shared responsibility, endurance reflects long-term commitment, and fair play translates into respect for the planet. The project further strengthens youth leadership by involving participants in co-designing workshops, leading awareness campaigns, and forming “Green Ambassador” teams, encouraging creativity and ownership of sustainable change.

Inclusivity and wellbeing lie at the heart of STELLA. Sport acts as a universal language, making sustainability education accessible to youth from diverse backgrounds, including those with fewer opportunities. By linking environmental action to personal health – such as cycling, reusing materials, or reducing waste – young people see that caring for the planet also means caring for themselves. Through community initiatives and digital storytelling, they connect local actions to global goals, realising that small, consistent steps can lead to meaningful impact.