The EMPOWER SDGs Project piloting sessions represent a crucial phase in our initiative to promote sustainable development awareness and action. These sessions are designed to test, validate, and refine our educational tools and methodologies.
Our piloting approach encompasses multiple stages of implementation, feedback collection, and iterative improvement. Through these sessions, we aim to ensure the effectiveness of our training materials and methodologies across different cultural contexts and participant groups.
Key Objectives of Piloting Sessions:
- Validate the effectiveness of training materials and methodologies
- Gather participant feedback for continuous improvement
- Assess the cultural adaptability of our resources
- Measure the impact on participants’ understanding of SDGs
- Identify areas for enhancement and optimization
These piloting sessions serve as a critical foundation for ensuring the project’s success and maximizing its impact on sustainable development education.
Piloting Sessions in Spain
AHORA ONG conducted two days of training sessions with young people on the 20th and 21st of February. More than 20 students from the LUIS VIVES Vocational Training Centre participated in the event. During the sessions, the AHORA ONG team presented the key contents of the Training Curriculum, highlighting the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a world that is increasingly globalised yet still marked by significant inequality.
The sessions actively encouraged youth participation, allowing them to reflect on how the SDGs can contribute to improving their quality of life — and especially that of the most vulnerable in their communities. The 17 SDGs were discussed in detail, and participants were invited to identify the most relevant local needs in their neighbourhoods and communities.
On the second day, building on the theoretical content introduced earlier, participants explored the Gamification Experience. The interactive activity allowed them to learn in an engaging way through a board game format. Divided into small groups, participants competed with each other, aiming to win by achieving the highest score. At the end of the session, they evaluated both the Training Curriculum and the Gamification Experience, giving highly positive feedback to the project consortium.
The following week (24th and 25th of February), AHORA ONG organised similar sessions targeting professionals working with young people, in an online format. These sessions included staff from the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Spain and a European Voluntary Service team coordinator with extensive experience in Erasmus+ KA1 projects. In total, 5 professionals attended this event.
As in the previous sessions, the first day was dedicated to presenting the Training Curriculum — this time with a greater focus on technical aspects and content applicable to the participants’ daily work with youth. On the second day, the Gamification Experience was introduced in more detail, covering the structure of the game, types of questions, usability, and technical features of the landing page.
The group of professionals once again provided very positive feedback on both tools. However, they also shared a few technical suggestions to improve the gamification experience, which the consortium will take into consideration to further enhance the quality of the final product.
Piloting Sessions in Turkey
İLKSENOL conducted a two-day training session on February 20th and 21st, 2024, focused on piloting the EMPOWER SDGs tools. The sessions brought together 20 youth participants from local vocational training centers to test and provide feedback on the project deliverables.
During the first day, participants were introduced to the Training Curriculum with a special emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The sessions were highly interactive, encouraging participants to connect SDGs with their daily lives and local community needs. Through guided discussions and group activities, participants explored how these global goals could be applied to address local challenges.
The second day was dedicated to testing the Gamification Experience, where participants engaged with the newly developed board game format. Working in small teams, they competed while learning about SDGs in an entertaining and educational way. Both the Training Curriculum and Gamification Experience received enthusiastic feedback from the participants.
Following the youth sessions, İLKSENOL organized an online training for professional youth workers on February 24th and 25th. Five experienced youth development professionals participated in these sessions, focusing on the technical aspects and implementation strategies of both tools.
The first day with professionals concentrated on the Training Curriculum’s methodology and practical application in youth work. The second day provided an in-depth look at the Gamification Experience, including detailed discussions about game mechanics and educational objectives.
The professional participants provided constructive feedback, particularly regarding technical improvements for the gamification tool. These valuable suggestions will be incorporated into the final version to enhance user experience and educational impact.
Piloting Sessions in Serbia
Within the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Empower SDGs”, ARKA has successfully conducted a pilot sessions titled “Sustainable Development Goals and Social Inclusion” that was held in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday and Sunday, March 15–16, 2025. The event gathered 25 young participants from various cities across Serbia, who had the opportunity to learn about and directly engage in testing the preliminary results of the project.
During the event, ARKA presented two practical tools developed within the project, designed to educate and involve young people from marginalized social groups in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Training Curriculum for Youth workers and Young people from Marginalized Groups – a tool that provides practical guidelines, methods and activities for youth workers and organizations. The manual is not yet publicly available, and its official release is expected in June 2025.
- Gamification Platform – an interactive tool that uses game-based mechanisms to help young people learn about the SDGs in a creative, engaging, and inclusive way. The platform is already available and ready for use in multiple languages (English, Serbian, Turkish, Spanish, and Greek).
The event was marked by the exchange of ideas, hands-on testing of the tools, and collection of valuable feedback from young participants, all of whom contributed significantly to the final refinement of both project outputs.
Piloting Sessions in Greece
The first two-day pilot session with youth workers took place in Larissa, Greece, on 24 & 27/1/2025. The session was organized by The Hive in collaboration with the VET center “LearnIt.” 10 dedicated youth workers participated in this session, exploring the project’s educational materials and providing valuable feedback on their quality and effectiveness. The participants expressed a strong commitment to integrating the curriculum into their future work with youth. For example, they plan to develop lesson plans that combine theoretical knowledge with practical activities to foster discussions on topics such as social exclusion, inclusion, and integration. Additionally, many participants intend to use the provided checklist to organize lessons.
The second two-day pilot session with vulnerable youth took place on 12 & 13/3/2025, in partnership with the VET center “Omiros. The session involved over 20 young individuals from diverse vulnerable backgrounds, including unemployed youth, migrants, minorities, and those from rural areas. Through interactive learning, discussions, and gamified activities, participants deepened their understanding of the SDGs. Participants emphasized in their feedback that the curriculum was accessible and effective in empowering them, building their confidence, and promoting their inclusion. Many participants expressed newfound motivation to engage in community initiatives, such as volunteer teams, and share their knowledge with peers and family members.
The EMPOWER SDGs Project piloting sessions demonstrated significant reach and impact across multiple countries, engaging a total of 80 participants:
- 40+ young people from vocational training centers in Spain and Turkey
- 25 participants from various Serbian cities
- 10 youth workers in Greece
- Over 20 vulnerable youth in Greece, including unemployed individuals, migrants, and minorities
Feedback from participants was consistently positive across all locations. Key highlights include:
- Strong commitment from youth workers to integrate the curriculum into their future work
- Increased motivation among vulnerable youth to engage in community initiatives
- High effectiveness of the gamification approach in promoting engagement
Suggestions for improvement focused primarily on technical aspects of the gamification experience. The Training Curriculum is set for official release in June 2025, incorporating feedback from these piloting sessions to enhance its effectiveness and accessibility.
