"Green Corners" is an Erasmus+ project KA154 that aims at boosting and enhancing:

-the development of young people's skills and capabilities connected to community building, project management, event planning, and communication.

-the enhancement of participants' sense of belonging and active citizenship.

-the familiarization of young people with topics connected to environmental education and action.

-the implementation of green interventions with a bottom-up and collaborative approach.

“Green Corners” includes a series of activities that aim at the creation of a safe space for young people to explore the multidimensional impact of climate crisis and their stand on the issue, through active participation and a bottom-up system that previews a set of activities impulsed by youth in the cities of Łódź (Poland) and Ioannina (Greece): local consultations, trainings, sustainable and green interventions in targeted areas of our cities and two transnational meetings are going to build youth actions and policies up,fostering a dialogue and a concrete improvement of youth spaces.

From 13 to 17 December 2023, the Youth Center of Epirus hosted 8 young people from Poland in Ioannina. During this meeting, in which the group of 8 young people from Sieradz, Poland met the group of 8 young people from Ioannina, non-formal education activities took place, during which we had the opportunity to get to know each other, to talk extensively about the objectives of this project, to exchange ideas about the first "green corners" to be created, to analyse and expand on the "green deal" and to discover the city of Ioannina and its cultural heritage.

The next meeting of the 2 groups will take place in April, in Łódź, Poland. Until then, our teams continue to actively create these small oases within the cities of Sieradz and Ioannina, "green corners" that will be meeting points for young people, with environmentally friendly materials and collaborative practices.

In the framework of this project, two meetings for the first consultation were held on 13 and 17 January 2024, where more than 30 young people were informed about the project, proposed their ideas and embraced this document. Thanks to their contribution, we established the first place where the first green intervention is being implemented: The rooftop of the Epirus Youth Centre.

Thanks to the active participation and support of the Ioannina community, we have taken important steps in the design of these spaces, defined the values that we want these spaces to be based on and committed ourselves to carrying out a project that aims to develop the skills and competences related to community building, project management, planning and communication, to strengthen the sense of belonging to society and active citizenship, to familiarize young people with issues related to the environment, to increase their sense of belonging and active citizenship, and to familiarize them with environmental issues.

In the context of this project, on 28 January 2024, the first training took place, during which the 16 young people who decided to get actively involved envisioned and designed the first green intervention on the roof of the Youth Centre of Epirus, defined the materials they will need, defined the measures they need to work safely and received a short first aid training from a doctor of the 1st Ioannina Scouts System.

Thanks to the active participation and support of the community of Ioannina, we have taken important steps in the design of these spaces, defined the values we want these spaces to be based on and committed ourselves to carrying out a project that aims to develop the skills and competencies related to community building, project management, planning and communication, fostering a sense of belonging to society and active citizenship, familiarizing young people with issues related to the environment, and developing the skills and competencies related to community building, project management, planning and communication.

In an outstanding meeting at the Youth Center of Epirus, on 12 April 2024, the second consultation for the Erasmus+ project "Green Corners" brought together young people to share experiences, exchange ideas and shape a greener future for our city. The young people in attendance highlighted the importance of collaboration, climate considerations and creativity in shaping this initiative.  The second green intervention planned will be a meeting and learning point with a positive ecological impact, providing shelter for stray animals and encouraging community creation and intervention. Several challenges were noted, including weather conditions, team timing issues and obtaining permits for these sites in the city. However, the collective determination of the group remains steadfast in the face of these obstacles.

As we reflect on the insights gained from the second Green Corners consultation, the passion and dedication of our youth are driving forces in shaping a greener, more vibrant future for our city. With continued collaboration, innovation and community support, we are poised to overcome challenges and realize the full potential of the Green Corners initiative. The journey to a greener future starts with each of us and, the second Green Corners consultation showed that our youth are leading the way.

The 8 young people actively involved in this project had the opportunity to travel to Lodz, Poland, from 29 to 31 April 2024, and carry out activities with the young people of the Polish team. During this meeting, non-formal education activities were carried out, during which we had the opportunity to get to know each other, to talk extensively about the objectives of this project, to exchange ideas and experiences about the green interventions implemented so far, to analyse and expand on the "green deal" as well as to discover the city of Lodz and its cultural heritage. Finally, we had the opportunity to learn about the importance of Co-Working and how this concept promotes sustainability and entrepreneurship.