Roots and Routes – A Journey Between Rural and Urban Life

Content

This playlist empowers you to explore new opportunities, build connections, and actively bridge rural and urban communities for a sustainable future. Through hands-on activities, you’ll gain skills to navigate city life, build supportive networks, expand your career possibilities, celebrate rural heritage, and collaborate on sustainability initiatives. Each activity fosters mutual understanding, environmental responsibility, and inclusivity, ensuring everyone can contribute meaningfully to bridging the rural-urban divide.
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By completing this playlist, you’ll develop valuable adaptability, collaboration, cultural awareness, and environmental stewardship skills. Your efforts will contribute to the European Youth Goal #6: Moving Rural Youth Forward, creating a future where rural and urban youth support and learn from each other.
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Why should you care?Navigate city life confidently: Gain practical skills to thrive in urban environments, feel at home, and stay connected to your roots.
Build a cross-community network: Connect with urban peers and create a community of shared support, knowledge, and friendship.
Open career doors: Explore job, education, and civic opportunities that broaden your horizons and inspire you to bring fresh ideas back to rural areas.
Celebrate rural-urban cultural exchange: Share and preserve the richness of rural heritage, showcasing both traditional and innovative aspects of rural life.
Promote sustainable futures: Collaborate on eco-friendly initiatives that benefit both rural and urban communities, fostering a shared commitment to environmental sustainability.
Earn recognition: Receive badges that showcase your adaptability, collaboration, cultural awareness, and environmental responsibility. This is a tangible way to demonstrate your commitment to connecting rural and urban communities.
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How partners and organisations in Cities of Learning can support you:
Share success stories: Highlight inspiring examples of rural youth who have made meaningful connections in urban settings and shared valuable skills with their communities.
Encourage participation: Use social media and outreach to motivate young people from rural and urban areas to join activities that foster mutual learning and support.
Facilitate connections: Help rural youth connect with local networks, sustainable initiatives, and youth communities in urban areas.
Organise events: Partner with local organisations to host cultural exchanges, sustainability workshops, and networking events that unite rural and urban youth.
Promote ongoing engagement: Use the platform to share the results, inspiring continued efforts to bridge the rural-urban divide and create shared progress.
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This playlist is part of the European Youth Goals for Cities of Learning cooperation partnership implemented by four partner organisations:
System&G, lead partner in Greece
CODEC, Belgium
Badgecraft, Lithuania
System&G, Finland
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The EU Erasmus+ programme co-funded this activity.
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Activities to complete

Complete the following activities, earn badges and you will see your playlist progress updated

Rural Roots, Urban Routes: Navigating New Places

Mandatory

Unknown duration

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Rural-Urban Connections, Building Your Networks

Mandatory

Unknown duration

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Content

This activity helps you create a support network in your new urban environment. It involves connecting with urban youth and finding social groups that align with your interests and goals. Through shared activities and collaborative projects, you’ll develop friendships, learn essential networking skills, and bridge connections between rural and urban youth. Together, you’ll explore ways to bring ideas and experiences back to rural communities, strengthening ties and empowering rural youth.
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By completing this activity, you’ll gain valuable social connections, build confidence in networking, and experience the benefits of cross-community collaboration. You’ll contribute to a dynamic exchange of ideas, learning from urban peers while sharing your unique rural perspectives.
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First, get inspired!Watch this video to get ideas about how rural and urban areas can benefit from each other if they are well-connected! They are linked through dynamic people, goods, money, information, and waste flows.
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This video introduces the Rural-Urban Learning Hub, which brings together and presents the latest and best European research on rural-urban synergies in one place.
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Now, take action:Completing the following activities will help you gain essential networking skills and build strong connections to support your growth in the city. Through collaboration with urban youth, you’ll also explore ways to share valuable experiences with rural communities, creating positive impacts for others.
Join an interest-based group or club: Find a local club, organisation, or volunteer group in the city that aligns with your hobbies or interests, such as sports, arts, or environmental action. This will help you connect with people who share your passions and expand your social circle.
Youth meet-and-greet activity: Join a casual meet-and-greet activity inviting rural and urban youth to exchange experiences. This can be a friendly space to share useful tips, stories, and ideas for creating supportive networks in city and rural settings.
Develop a “community connection” toolkit: Collaborate with urban youth to create a toolkit of social initiatives, community activities, and networking tips that rural youth can use to build strong social networks when they return home. Include ideas like organising local events, creating peer support groups, and developing rural-urban exchange programs that promote community involvement.
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Get your badge.Complete some activities from the list above and apply for a badge (=click the “Get this badge” button below) by sharing your reflections, photos, or toolkit contributions on how building a support network in the city has strengthened your connections and empowered both urban and rural youth.
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Who is behind this activity?Cities of Learning Network partners invite you to learn and do something about European Youth Goal #6, Moving Rural Youth Forward. We value your efforts and contributions and want to reward you with badge recognition.
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Contact us for more details about the Erasmus+ co-funded project "European Youth Goals for Cities of Learning."
System&G, Greece - the project lead partner
CODEC, Belgium
Badgecraft, Lithuania
System&G Finland
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Disclaimer: We are grateful for the ideas generated by youth leaders and youth workers during the international study visits. To create this activity, humans collaborated with AI using the Youth Goals Hub GPT custom-built version, informed and inspired by the best youth work practices.
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Get activity badge

Rural-Urban Connections Get this badge

This badge is awarded for completing the Rural Connections in the City activity. You have demonstrated adaptability, openness, and a commitment to cross-community collaboration by building a supportive network in your new urban environment. This activity taught you essential networking skills, fostered friendships with urban peers, and created resources to help other rural youth make meaningful connections. Your efforts contribute to bridging rural and urban communities and empowering youth to thrive together.
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Skills and competencies gained (aligned with the EntreComp framework):
Working with others (connected to EntreComp 3.4 competence): You’ve built teamwork and collaboration skills by engaging with urban youth and sharing experiences, creating a supportive social network.
Mobilising others (connected to EntreComp 2.3 competence): Through social initiatives and collaborative projects, you’ve encouraged mutual support and inspired peers in urban and rural settings.
Cultural and social awareness (related to EntreComp 1.4 Valuing ideas competence): You’ve demonstrated an appreciation for diverse backgrounds, learning from urban peers while sharing your rural perspectives.
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Earning this badge demonstrates your growth as a Rural-Urban Connections Builder, committed to fostering inclusivity and social support in rural and urban communities. You have shown adaptability, empathy, and initiative in promoting collaboration and mutual understanding, contributing to the European Youth Goal #6: Moving Rural Youth Forward. Cities of Learning Network partners value badge earner's efforts and contributions and issue this badge after reviewing the provided evidence.

You have to finish 2 tasks to get the badge

Tasks

Task no.1

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

Join an interest-based group or club:
Task: Join a local group or club in the city that aligns with your interests, such as a sports team, arts club, or volunteer organisation, and share your experiences connecting with others.
Evidence: Submit a summary of your experiences in the group, including any new friendships or connections you formed and how this has helped you settle in.

Task no.2

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

Meet-and-greet for rural and urban youth:
Task: Organise a meet-and-greet event that brings together rural newcomers and urban youth, fostering a space to share city tips, stories, and networking advice.
Evidence: Provide a summary or photos of the meet-and-greet, including participant feedback and key insights shared during the event.
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Task no.3

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

Develop a “Community connection” Toolkit:
Task: Collaborate with urban youth to create a toolkit for rural youth, offering social initiatives, networking tips, and community-building ideas that can be taken back to rural areas.
Evidence: Share a copy of the toolkit, along with a reflection on how the toolkit promotes social connection and supports rural youth in building strong networks.

Rural and Urban Careers Exchange

Mandatory

Unknown duration

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Cultural Bridges – Celebrating Rural Heritage in Urban Spaces

Mandatory

Unknown duration

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Green Ties – Rural-Urban Sustainability

Mandatory

Unknown duration

View full activity

Activities: 5

Started: 3

Completed playlist: 0

Organisers

Network of Cities and Regions of Learning

Badgecraft hosts this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@badgecraft.eu.