EKO is happy to announce that one more amazing youth exchange has been completed successfully. The project “Activate youth participation” united 30 young participants from Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Lithuania, Spain, and Romania. It was organized by the Portuguese organisation Associação Sementes de Esperança and took place in Alqueva, Portel (Alentejo Region), Portugal, from 21 to 25 August 2026, with EKO Greece participating as the Greek partner organisation.

Aims & Objectives of the project

This youth exchange empowered young participants (aged 18–30) to actively engage in democratic life and develop transversal competences for lifelong learning. Recognizing the pressing need to counter low civic participation among youth, the project utilized interactive, non-formal learning methodologies to foster critical thinking, social responsibility, and active European citizenship.

The project placed a strong emphasis on empowering youth from rural areas and diverse backgrounds, including those with fewer opportunities. Through collaborative workshops, exploration of European youth strategies, and practical civic initiatives, participants discovered how to turn ideas into concrete action within their local and international communities.

More specifically, the project aimed to:

• Foster active European citizenship and democratic participation: Inspire young Europeans to take an active role in democratic processes and civic life, exploring both conventional and innovative forms of participation.
• Promote European youth priorities and strategies: Familiarize participants with key EU youth frameworks, such as the European Youth Goals, the European Agenda for Youth Work, and the European Charter of Youth Work at Local Level.
• Equip youth with lifelong learning key competences: Develop transversal skills, critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leadership through non-formal and experiential learning activities.
• Address civic challenges and ethical dilemmas: Examine the real barriers and ethical questions youth face in social participation, co-creating actionable strategies and solutions to overcome them.
• Promote inclusion and cross-cultural dialogue: Create a safe, intercultural environment where youth from six European nations share traditions, challenge stereotypes, and build long-lasting international friendships.
• Produce tangible educational tools: Design and develop a collaborative e-booklet capturing key learning outcomes, mini civic proposals, and cultural highlights from the exchange.
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Workshops & Activities of the project

Throughout the 5 days of intensive activities in Alqueva and Portel, participants engaged in a rich programme based entirely on non-formal education. The schedule featured interactive group dynamics, energizers, in-depth thematic debates on democratic values and EU citizens’ rights, as well as simulation games addressing ethical dilemmas in civic engagement.

Participants also designed and presented mini-proposals for youth-led community action, embarked on a guided study tour of the cultural heritage of Portel and Alqueva, and collaborated daily on creating the tangible project result: the official youth exchange e-booklet. Intercultural afternoons and evenings provided an enriching platform to celebrate European diversity through traditional dances, cuisine, and national presentations.

As the project concluded with personal and collective evaluations and the official Youthpass ceremony, participants emerged with enhanced confidence, leadership competences, and a shared commitment to act as active changemakers in their home communities.

It is an amazing opportunity and a great experience for EKO’s team.

Eleni, Odysseas, Nefeli, Niki and Vasilis were the amazing Greek team members whom we want to thank for all their contributions, energy, and collaboration throughout the project!

As EKO, we are very grateful for this amazing opportunity given to the Greek team. We warmly thank our Portuguese hosting partner Associação Sementes de Esperança  for making this impactful project a reality!

Thank you – Ευχαριστούμε – Obrigado!