EU RURALITeast - Pathway to EASTern EUrope RURAL livIng labs as a mean To empower youth at local level

The RURALITeast project aims at creating Living Labs in the Eastern European Countries, targeting youth workers and/or would-be entrepreneurs operating in rural areas. The idea is to start a re-skilling process for youth workers and would-be entrepreneurs related to sustainable entrepreneurial and digital capacities in order to empower rural areas and preserve their peculiar values, the uniqueness of local territories and their related agrifood and crafts products and thus ensure their sustainability in line with the EU Green Deal. The RURALITeast Living Labs will conceive modular training sessions, thematic workshops and individual mentoring activities in order to respond to the specific needs of youth workers and would-be entrepreneurs in the most appropriate and targeted way. The activities will be delivered also based on previous best practice presentations. A multi-stakeholders approach will ensure a wide participation of the all the relevant actors operating on the local rural territories (public entities and local policy makers; private business sector stakeholders operating in rural areas; Business Support Organizations; DIH; Universities and Competence Centres; Youth organizations; thematic civil society organizations and associations) as to reach a wide number of stakeholders involved in the project activities which will contribute to the creation and to the further development of the Living Labs. Also, as impactful changes always happen at the local level, it would be essential to involve municipalities and public authorities to support youth and foster their active participation in the role of change-maker and preserve rurality and its traditions through sustainability schemes and innovative production methodologies and organizational models adoption.