🇩🇪 Erasmus+ Training Course in Germany 🌱 EcoSmart 2.0: Youth Workers Shaping Smart, Sustainable Cities 🏙️

Open call for youth workers (18+) from Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Sweden and Türkiye to join EcoSmart 2.0, an Erasmus+ Training Course from 31 August to 8 September 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. The course equips youth workers with the knowledge, skills and tools to engage young people in building smart, sustainable and inclusive cities.

About the Coordinator

Jugendvision e.V. (Stuttgart, established 2022) is a non-governmental youth organisation focusing on environmental education, youth empowerment, intercultural learning and community development. It coordinates EcoSmart 2.0, ensuring high-quality non-formal learning, strong partnerships and meaningful impact for youth workers across Europe.

About the Project

As digital technologies increasingly shape urban life, youth workers play a key role in helping young people understand, participate in and contribute to these transformations. EcoSmart 2.0 strengthens the capacity of youth workers in smart city solutions, digital innovation, sustainability and youth participation, combining non-formal education, practical learning and international cooperation. It brings together 30 youth workers from 7 countries for a 7-day course combining workshops, field visits, cultural exchange and hands-on learning.

What real impact do youth workers have? Here's a look at the role: https://youthworkshub.org/15128/

Expected Results & Impact

Individual

🧠 Master smart city concepts, digital innovation and urban sustainability

🧑‍🏫 Advance project management, teamwork and youth facilitation skills

💻 Build confidence in using digital tools for youth participation

Organisational

🔗 Embed sustainability and smart city topics into daily youth work, strengthen partner cooperation and enhance capacity to design projects aligned with European priorities

Community

🌍 Launch EcoSmart 2.0 workshops and community action projects, boost youth participation in sustainable urban development and promote youth-led solutions

Outputs

📦 Community projects, the EcoSmart 2.0 Toolkit, digital media campaigns, local dissemination events and a stronger European network of youth organisations

Participant Profile

🧑‍🏫 Active youth workers, leaders, educators, NGO staff, volunteers and community activists (18+)

💡 Proactive, open-minded and eager to explore smart cities and digital sustainability

🌍 Open to various backgrounds to enrich international cooperation

🇬🇧 Minimum B1 level of English

🤝 Committed to applying new knowledge locally and ready to run workshops, media campaigns and Community Action Projects

Responsibilities

Pre-departure

💻 Attend the mandatory preparatory webinar, map a local sustainability challenge, arrange travel tickets and stay active on Padlet/WhatsApp

During

✅ 100% attendance (all 7 days, no tourist absences) and active co-creation of the EcoSmart 2.0 Toolkit

After

🌍 Implement at least one workshop in your community and post at least 2 social media posts (#EcoSmart2) plus a testimonial/article

Programme (Tentative)

📅 Day 1: arrival, registration and welcome

📅 Day 2: project introduction, Advanced Smart City Solutions, commons kitchen cooking workshop

📅 Day 3: interactive workshops and case studies, World Café reflection, intercultural night

📅 Day 4: digital tools development workshop and designing advanced smart community solutions

📅 Day 5: field visit to smart and sustainable places in Stuttgart

📅 Day 6: action planning and project pitching, intercultural night

📅 Day 7: EcoSmart 2.0 Toolkit design workshop and exchange of good practices

📅 Day 8: future collaboration workshop, final evaluation and farewell

📅 Day 9: departure (daily activities run 9:30 to 18:30)

Logistics

🏨 Accommodation at Hotel Spahr in Bad Cannstatt, Stuttgart, in shared rooms of 2 to 3 (gender balance), with towels and basic toiletries provided

🍽️ Breakfast at the hotel; other meals at a restaurant about 10 minutes' walk away

✈️ Coordinators send travel proposals; no booking without their approval; keep tickets, boarding passes, invoices and payment confirmations (reimbursement can take up to 3 months after submitting all documents)

🪪 Participants arrange their own health and travel insurance