As part of the Youth Energy Labs project, young people and youth workers in Italy, Spain, Greece and Latvia took part in a series of hands-on labs designed to connect environmental education with creativity and real-life problem-solving.
Over the past months, each partner organisation invited groups of young participants to explore YEL’s five main themes – environmental sustainability, renewable energy, circular economy, sustainable consumption and green entrepreneurship – and to imagine new ways to make their communities greener and more sustainable.
Working together, the young participants developed project ideas and prototypes, proposing creative solutions inspired by their local context. Each team then created a short video to present its concept – turning ideas into stories and sharing how small actions can inspire collective change.
The initiative culminated in the YEL Video Challenge, which celebrated the most inspiring ideas from each country. The winning projects highlight the imagination and commitment of Europe’s youth:
– In Greece, the Green Up Challenge proposed a youth-led movement combining clean energy, creativity and entrepreneurship to promote sustainability through community-based activities. VIDEO
– In Italy, Juice the Future imagined a fun and original way to generate energy with a pedal-powered orange juicer, symbolising how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. VIDEO
– In Latvia, students from partner EFE designed colourful flower pots made from recycled plastic bottles, showing how upcycling can become a creative and educational experience. VIDEO
– In Spain, students from Fundación Santa María la Real and HIPATIA FUHEM proposed solar-powered benches and green spaces to make an area near their school more sustainable and comfortable. VIDEO
Through these ideas, participants demonstrated how creativity, teamwork and environmental awareness can come together to imagine a better future.
All project materials – including the Research Report, the E-Course and the Practical Guide with ideas for workshops and youth-led activities – are freely available here at www.youthenergylabs.eu.
