FoodTure: ESD and Systems innovation for green skills

<< Background >>We applied for this project with the aim of bringing the intersection between food systems and climate change closer to young people, understanding them as key actors in shaping sustainable futures. Our motivation was therefore to provide young people with knowledge and skills to take part in civic action and sustainable initiatives. To achieve this, it was essential for the consortium partners to strengthen their capacities, exchange knowledge and practices, and improve the quality and impact of their work.Consortium partners: A key need was to build on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Social Innovation (SI) methods from previous projects, while strengthening the consortium’s alliance and project management skills. Young people: 162 participants (Germany 84 – Slovenia 78) engaged in workshops that allowed them to approach a complex topic in a playful and creative way. The workshops also offered concrete alternatives to move from awareness to action.Local organisations in Germany and Slovenia: They contributed with their expertise and practices, while gaining access to new methods and approaches for addressing these topics with young people. << Objectives >>The FoodTure project wanted to give young people in Germany and Slovenia the tools to understand and discuss how food systems are linked to climate change. Through interactive workshops and non-formal learning methods, the aim was to raise awareness, build practical skills, and motivate youth to take action in their schools and communities.At the same time, the project sought to strengthen the capacities of educators, youth workers, and the partner organisations by testing new methods, exchanging experiences, and building knowledge together. This process was meant to improve how we all work with young people on sustainability topics and ensure that the results could be applied after the project.Finally, FoodTure aimed to create connections between organisations and stakeholders working on youth, climate, and food systems, so that the project could contribute to a wider community of practice and generate opportunities for future collaboration.<< Implementation >>1- Two online kick-off events, one in Germany and one in Slovenia, with the participation of experts and local organisations.2- A survey among consortium members to identify needs that were later addressed in the capacity-building activities.3- One in-person transnational partner meeting (TPM) in Dresden, Germany, where the consortium partners conducted capacity-building activities, exchanged knowledge, and coordinated the upcoming steps (8 participants from 4 organisations).4- Two focus groups, one in Germany and one in Slovenia, with the participation of relevant organisations to prepare for the youth workshops.5- Nine interactive workshops with youth (5 in Germany with 84 participants and 4 in Slovenia with 78 participants), focusing on the relationship between food systems and climate change. The workshops applied Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Systems Innovation methods in a non-formal learning setting.6- One public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of the food-climate nexus, targeting schools, communities, and social media platforms, including participation in local activities in both countries and in one international event.<< Results >>We carried out 5 capacity-building activities between the partners in Germany and Slovenia, which allowed for an intensive exchange of tools, methodologies, and resources related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Systems Innovation (SI), as well as good practices in transnational project management.We also implemented 9 workshops with youth (5 in Germany and 4 in Slovenia) focusing on the link between food systems and climate change, including topics such as food waste, dietary habits, nutrition, and global supply chains. These workshops applied innovative approaches like ESD methods, challenge-based learning, and design thinking, and engaged external partners to enrich the content.In addition, we organised dissemination activities, including 4 local events (3 in Germany and 1 Slovenia) and 1 international event (coordinated by JA Slovenia). These activities shared the project’s outcomes, raised awareness about the food–climate nexus, and opened spaces for future cooperation.An important achievement of the project was the strengthening of long-term collaboration between the organisations in Slovenia and Germany, building on shared knowledge and establishing the basis for a sustainable community of practice.