This activity focuses on bridging rural and urban perspectives on sustainability by immersing urban youth in natural environments and exploring eco-friendly practices firsthand.
Together, you and your urban peers will learn how sustainable practices rooted in rural areas can inspire and inform urban sustainability efforts. Through collaborative projects and experiences in nature, you’ll foster mutual respect for the environment and create impactful initiatives that benefit rural and urban communities.
Completing this activity will give you skills in environmental awareness, sustainable project design, and collaboration. You will also be able to engage with nature in rural settings, inspire others with practical eco-friendly solutions, and promote green initiatives that connect both communities.
First, get inspired!
Building a sustainable future—both in cities and the countryside—means planning and developing in ways that connect and benefit urban and rural communities alike. Smart land use and restoration are affordable ways to boost well-being, create green jobs, prepare for droughts, and fight climate change. This video, first shown at the CBD COP 15 in Montreal in December 2022, shows how well-planned, inclusive, land-based actions can positively impact everyone by bridging the gap between urban and rural areas.
Watch this video to learn about how your garden is one way you can take action to help the climate and find joy in the process.
Now, take action:
Completing the following activities will allow you to experience and share sustainable practices that connect rural and urban spaces. Through immersive experiences and collaborative projects, you’ll help foster a deeper environmental appreciation across both communities.
- Rural nature immersion day: Partner with urban youth to plan a day trip to a rural area where participants can experience sustainable practices in a natural setting. Activities can include guided nature walks, hands-on workshops (like composting or organic gardening), and discussions on how these practices can inspire urban green initiatives.
- Sustainability Toolkit: Work with urban peers to design a toolkit that highlights eco-friendly practices adaptable to both rural and urban areas, such as composting, water conservation, and waste reduction. The toolkit can be shared in schools, community centres, or online to encourage sustainable habits across communities.
- Community garden project: Collaborate with urban youth to create a community garden incorporating rural gardening techniques. This space can serve as a sustainable food source and a gathering spot to promote eco-friendly practices and share rural knowledge on sustainable agriculture and plant care in an urban setting.
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 project summaries demonstrating how you’ve collaborated on sustainability initiatives and inspired environmental responsibility in rural and urban communities.
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.
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
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.