Youth exchange: ECOuprising, Vienna

ECOuprising was an Erasmus+ youth exchange hosted by EMOTiC in Vienna from 19 to 26 August 2026, travel days included. It brought together 44 people, 35 young participants, 7 group leaders and 2 facilitators, from Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Latvia, Serbia and Slovakia. EMOTiC was the coordinator and host, and the group lived and worked together at the Jugendgästehaus Wien Brigittenau.

Six days of eco-action

Over six programme days, from 20 to 25 August, the participants explored what sustainability means for them and their communities, turned into educators running their own workshops, and saw sustainable solutions at work around Vienna. This is how the week unfolded.

Day 1: Getting to know each other

The first day was about building a safe and open group: introductions, personal stories and the first steps from strangers to a community. In the afternoon the group asked what sustainability means to each person. Some answers focused on protecting nature, others on social and economic fairness – together they gave a broader, shared picture. Each country then presented its national board games and the stories behind them, showing how games can become tools for learning about sustainability. The day ended with the intercultural night.

Day 2: From learners to educators

The participants became the educators. Each national team designed its own workshop on a sustainability topic, researching it, setting objectives and planning every activity, with the facilitators on hand for support. In the afternoon, the Croatian and Latvian teams opened the series with interactive workshops on recycling, reducing waste and responsible consumption. Each session ended with a debrief and feedback that helped every team sharpen its own workshop.

Day 3: Eco-anxiety, greenwashing and biodiversity

The teams from Austria, Greece, Czechia, Slovakia and Serbia ran their workshops: on eco-anxiety, the emotional side of the climate crisis and how to turn worry into action; on greenwashing and how to spot misleading green claims as critical consumers; and on biodiversity and why protecting ecosystems matters for people and the planet. Discussions, simulations and group tasks kept everyone involved, and the day closed with sustainability board games – proof that game-based learning makes complex topics easier to grasp and talk about.

Day 4: Game-based learning and the SDGs

The group returned to the sustainability board games, this time looking closely at the messages behind them and at how to use them in youth work. The main session was devoted to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals: each group took one goal, explored its targets and why it matters for young people, and presented it creatively in short videos, podcasts and other digital and artistic formats – teamwork, storytelling and digital skills in one session, and new content to share the project’s results with more young people.

Day 5: Sustainability in practice

Day 5 showed sustainability in real life around Vienna. A guided visit to Aspern Seestadt, Vienna’s green city district, showed how urban planning, green spaces, energy efficiency and sustainable mobility come together. With GRÜNSTATTGRAU, the participants explored green façades and how vertical greenery cools the city, cleans the air and supports biodiversity. A visit to the offices of EMOTiC and ACCELERAS showed how sustainability is built into an organisation’s everyday work.

Day 6: The United Nations and Youthpass

The final day began at the United Nations in Vienna. After a week of working with the SDGs, the participants saw the global framework behind them and how international cooperation tackles climate change, inequality and environmental protection. In the afternoon the group looked back on the whole journey – from the first introductions to the workshops, games and study visits – and named what they had learned and how their view of sustainability had changed. The Youthpass ceremony and a closing circle wrapped up the week.

Back home

National preparation sessions began on 20 July 2026, and the follow-up phase in September 2026 centred on local action plans. Each national team developed a plan to turn what they learned into community activities, workshops and campaigns at home, so that the participants could act as multipliers for their peers.