Project Start

ROOF has started to implement the project “Green Wave Tirana: Youth Leading Earth Hour & Climate Action“, acronym EARTHYOUTH, co-funded by the European Union on the framework of the program GearUP of the AIE – Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion.

The "Green Wave Tirana: Youth Leading Earth Hour & Climate Action" project is intrinsically linked to Albania's national commitment to fostering a well-informed, socially responsible, and globally-minded citizenry, as articulated in its vision for Global Citizenship Education. This vision emphasizes empowering youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to address global challenges such as climate change, social justice, and human rights. Furthermore, Albania's legislative framework, including the National Education Strategy 2021-2026 and the Sustainable Development Goals Roadmap, provides a strong foundation for integrating GCE into the national education system. At the local level, the project directly supports the Municipality of Tirana's strategic objectives for urban sustainability, environmental protection, and youth engagement by actively involving students in designing and advocating for local climate solutions. By engaging youth in these critical areas, the project directly contributes to the implementation of national and local environmental and educational policies.

Objectives & Vision

The project "Green Wave Tirana: Youth Leading Earth Hour & Climate Action" is highly relevant and perfectly aligned with the overall objective of the AIE's GEAR UP! call: to foster a shared vision of Global Citizenship Education among young people (15-30 years old) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, increase sensitivity towards climate change, and promote cooperation. Our project specifically targets high school (15-18) and university (19-25) students in Tirana, directly addressing the call's target age group. It focuses on increasing awareness and critical understanding of climate change, sustainable development, and global-local interconnectedness through interactive workshops, the globally recognized Earth Hour event, and a final forum. The project addresses multiple thematic priorities of the call, including: "Sustainable Development and SDGs," "Agenda 2030," "Youth engagement/participation," "Global citizenship education," "Social or environmental justice," "Awareness and critical understanding of global issues," and "global/local interconnectedness". The chosen activities, such as awareness-raising campaigns, interactive workshops, and public events, are explicitly listed as eligible types of activities within the call.

This project is not a direct continuation of a previous grant-funded action but builds upon our organization's ongoing informal engagement with youth groups and educational institutions in Tirana on environmental awareness initiatives. While no formal evaluations of previous grant-funded actions are applicable, the insights gained from past volunteer-led environmental activities have informed the design of this project, emphasizing the need for structured GCE, practical skill development, and direct engagement with policymakers to empower youth effectively.

The project offers significant added value through its holistic approach, uniquely combining the global symbolism and reach of Earth Hour with localized, hands-on GCE and policy advocacy. Its primary innovative element is the direct empowerment of youth to not only learn about climate change but to actively develop and present their own climate action proposals to decision-makers through the Final Forum. This creates a tangible pathway for youth voices to influence local policy and community initiatives, moving beyond passive awareness to active civic participation. The integration of an active online media campaign throughout the project also ensures broad dissemination of GCE principles and climate awareness beyond direct participants, maximizing reach and impact.

All project activities, including interactive workshops, the Earth Hour Tirana Main Event, and the Final Forum, will be implemented within the city of Tirana, Albania. Activities will be primarily conducted at various educational institutions (high schools and universities) and accessible public spaces throughout Tirana to ensure broad participation from the target age group.