The idea for the Non-Formal Group started with Mārtiņš Pālens, the group's president, who aspired to collaborate on Erasmus+ projects and eventually organize one himself. His experience as both a participant and group leader in multiple Erasmus projects inspired him to reach out to friends who had also taken part in similar initiatives, leading to the creation of their own projects.
Projects
L.E.A.D.
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ECHO OF CHANGE INFORMAL GROUP · YOUTH EXPERIENCE PLATFORM INFORMAL GROUP
Zero Waste, A Hero's Taste
We recently wrapped up our Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project, "Zero Waste, A Hero's Taste," which took place from July 10 to July 18, 2026, in the beautiful, nature-rich setting of Birzgaiļi in Liepupe, Latvia. The project was created to tackle the urgent need for practical environmental education, empowering young people to adopt sustainable, zero-waste lifestyles. By combining hands-on sustainability education with youth empowerment, we created a space where participants could develop key personal, social, and civic competences. 🌍 Project Highlights Intercultural Collaboration: The exchange brought together 21 people in total—18 young participants and 3 group leaders. Strong Partnerships: The project was a joint effort between three youth organizations: Echo of Change (Latvia), BridgeXChange (Romania), and Make it Happen (Cyprus). Focus on Inclusion: Ensuring equitable access was a core priority, and the project successfully engaged nine young people with fewer opportunities. Green Practices: We prioritized eco-friendly habits throughout the exchange, including serving buffet-style meals where at least half of the food was plant-based to reduce waste and promote sustainability. ♻️ What We Did Throughout the 9-day exchange, participants learned through non-formal methods, focusing on the core principles of zero waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse, and Rot. Some of the most exciting activities included: The Trash Treasure Hunt: Mixed-nationality teams searched for hidden recyclable items, classified them, and pitched creative ways to reuse them. The Smart Menu Challenge: Teams were challenged to design a 3-day meal plan using a random set of ingredients, calculating portions carefully to produce minimal food waste. Packaging Hackathon: Participants took common single-use products and worked in teams to redesign the packaging using recycled materials to make it completely zero-waste. Eco-Ads Challenge: Using discarded materials from the venue like cardboard and jars, teams built brand-new upcycled products and filmed promotional videos for them. 🚀 Our Impact Participants left the exchange with a massive boost in their knowledge and confidence regarding eco-friendly practices. But the project doesn't stop in Latvia! Our participants are now equipped to take meaningful action back home, utilizing a co-created "Zero Waste Action Toolkit" to run local dissemination events, workshops, and community clean-ups in their own local communities. This project was funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.
BRIDGEXCHANGE INFORMAL GROUP · ECHO OF CHANGE INFORMAL GROUP