In June 2024, a meaningful international training experience brought together youth workers from across Europe to the town of Paola, Italy, for the Erasmus+ project titled “Beach Guardians: Fostering Environmental Awareness and Democratic Participation.” This project focused on two key challenges facing young people today: protecting the natural environment and strengthening democratic involvement. By connecting the preservation of coastal ecosystems with civic participation, the training showed that sustainability and democracy are deeply linked. The project created a safe space where youth workers could learn practical tools, explore community-based solutions, and share inspiring stories from their countries. With Europe facing growing environmental threats and many young people feeling distant from public life, this project gave participants new knowledge, renewed energy, and a sense of purpose.
In Hungary, environmental awareness has improved in recent years, especially in urban areas like Budapest and Debrecen. However, outside of the larger cities, environmental education is still limited, especially among youth. Coastal protection is not a central topic in Hungary due to the country’s geography, but rivers, lakes, and green spaces face pollution and neglect. Plastic waste and water contamination affect both the environment and public health, yet community action remains low. Many young people feel disconnected from nature and unsure of how to get involved in solutions. At the same time, civic participation is decreasing among youth, with fewer opportunities to engage in local decisions or express concerns through democratic channels. The team from Debreceni Sports and Cultural Centre has worked for years to offer sports and cultural programs for young people, but they wanted to do more to connect those programs with sustainability and civic responsibility.
The experience in Paola opened new perspectives. The training started with activities on the beach, where participants cleaned waste, identified pollution sources, and listened to locals who shared how the environment had changed over time. It was not only a physical task, but also an emotional one. Each piece of plastic removed from the sand was a reminder of how everyday habits impact nature. The group also learned to use creative methods to communicate environmental messages, including public art created from found materials. These moments were strong reminders that education and awareness can come in many forms—not only through facts, but also through emotions and visuals. The trainers also guided the group through sessions on youth participation, teaching them how to organize local campaigns, engage with decision-makers, and involve communities in actions that matter.
One of the most powerful parts of the training was discovering how other youth workers from different countries tackle similar problems. Participants exchanged ideas and shared projects that had worked in their communities. In one workshop, the group explored how to use social media for public campaigns. In another, they worked on designing action plans that would be realistic and locally grounded. These sessions helped the team from Hungary reflect on how to bring this knowledge home and adapt it to their own local context. The international nature of the training made every conversation richer and showed that, even with different challenges, the spirit of youth work and environmental care is shared across Europe.
After returning to Hungary, the team from Debreceni Sports and Cultural Centre created a new initiative called “Green Waves Debrecen.” This was a youth-led program combining environmental awareness, civic participation, and creative expression. Since Hungary has no coastline, the team focused on local rivers, lakes, and parks that are important to the community. They organized weekend events where young people cleaned up riversides and learned about the health of water ecosystems. But the events were not only clean-ups. They included sports tournaments, music, and workshops on environmental topics. These community days became places where young people could act, learn, and enjoy time together while making a difference.
Inspired by the training in Italy, the team added a strong element of youth voice to the events. Participants were invited to share their views, write messages to local leaders, and propose improvements for their communities. These messages were then delivered to city officials during a public event in Debrecen. The group also launched a small social media campaign with videos and photos from their clean-up days, calling attention to the connection between nature, youth, and democracy. This helped them reach a wider audience and inspire others to take similar action.
The impact of Green Waves Debrecen has been clear and encouraging. Many young people said that for the first time, they felt they could be part of the solution. They saw how simple actions—like picking up trash or speaking out about local issues—can have a real effect. Schools and local sports clubs began to contact the team to join the activities or invite them to give talks. One school even started a student-led eco-club after attending a Green Waves event. The local municipality showed interest and offered small support for the next clean-up. Through these steps, the initiative created new bridges between youth, schools, and public authorities.
More than just an environmental project, Green Waves Debrecen became a platform for youth empowerment. Participants not only learned about ecological responsibility, but also gained confidence, communication skills, and the courage to speak in public. Some of them have started volunteering in other community initiatives, and one group is now working on a proposal to include environmental education in their local curriculum. The project showed that when young people are trusted and supported, they rise to the occasion.
The Erasmus+ project in Paola gave birth to many ideas, but most of all, it reminded participants that change starts with awareness and grows with action. For the team from Hungary, it was a turning point. The journey from learning on an Italian beach to organizing community events along Hungarian rivers proved that geography does not limit the spirit of sustainability and democracy. With strong support from the Debreceni Sports and Cultural Centre, young people discovered how their voices, creativity, and energy can protect nature and build stronger, more inclusive communities.
Looking ahead, the team is planning to grow the initiative and explore new topics, such as climate justice, green jobs, and youth policy. They hope to include more youth from rural areas and expand the program to other parts of the country. The long-term vision is to create a national youth platform for environmental and civic engagement—one where young people across Hungary can connect, learn, and act together.
This experience proves that when youth are given tools, trust, and the chance to lead, they can be powerful agents of change. They do not need to wait for someone else to act. They are ready to act now. By combining care for the planet with democratic values, projects like Beach Guardians and Green Waves Debrecen show a clear path forward—a path where communities become stronger, youth become leaders, and the future becomes greener.