FAST FORWARD

Empowering European youth to lead the green transition

Fast Forward youth exchanges in the West Balkans

Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time, and the new generation is called to lead the global response to this crisis. In this context, «Engage, Connect and Empower Youth for a Sustainable Green Future,» better known as Fast Forward, was born. A European project funded by the Erasmus+ program that made a significant difference in climate capacity building for young Europeans and those from the Western Balkans during its implementation in 2024-2025.

A bridge between Europe and the Balkans

Fast Forward is a capacity-building initiative in the youth field that operates under two fundamental objectives of the Erasmus+ program: quality education and the creation of a green and sustainable Europe. The project brings together six partner organizations from five countries: Build Green Group and Albanian Skills from Albania, BRAVO from Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Balkan Forum from Kosovo, Eco-Logic from North Macedonia, and Brigaid Connect from Spain.

Its main objective is to develop an innovative strategy to build the capacities of the new generation currently facing future challenges related to environmental degradation, climate change, and sustainability. The project promotes youth engagement and skill development in critical areas such as climate change awareness, digitalization of environmental issues, environmental justice, innovation and research, and contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Triple impact methodology

Fast Forward’s strategy is articulated through youth mobility activities that have local, national, and European Union-level impact. In the short term, the project seeks to equip young people with a deep understanding of climate change through non-formal education, create tools and methods to support the socio-professional development of youth workers and trainers, facilitate mobility activities to test these tools, and provide youth with the first principles on which the education system must be reformed to create a capable, self-confident, and motivated future society to solve environment-related problems.

In the long term, Fast Forward aspires to provide adapted and solution-oriented methodology in the involved Western Balkan countries, taking best practices from climate solutions and technologies from EU countries like Spain, and implement a creative strategy in terms of capacity building for future generations.

Brigaid Connect’s fundamental contribution

As the Spanish partner of the consortium, Brigaid Connect has played an essential role in the project’s success. The organization, based in Spain with extensive experience in European climate resilience projects, assumed responsibility for coordinating and compiling the project’s action plans together with all partners, and for hosting Youth Exchange number 5 in Alicante from March 15 to 22, 2025.

This exchange brought together 25 young participants from the five Western Balkan countries, providing an immersive learning experience focused on climate change, sustainability, collective intelligence, and developing an innovation toolkit for local climate actions. The organization designed practical creative learning activities that fostered meaningful and active youth participation, provided case studies and best practices from Spain and the European Union on related initiatives, and facilitated brainstorming and role-play activities on climate change.

The differential value that Brigaid Connect brought to the project lies in its consolidated experience in climate resilience research, having previously participated in H2020 projects such as BRIGAID and being a partner in the MAIA project, dedicated to maximizing the impact and accessibility of European climate research. This experience allowed the organization to design interactive sessions based on non-formal educational methodologies, provide concrete examples of good practices in North Macedonia, the Western Balkans, and the EU, and create a stimulating learning environment through team-building activities and group dynamics.

Additionally, Brigaid Connect used e-learning tools during the sessions, implemented pre- and post-knowledge assessment questionnaires for participants, organized focus discussion groups by country, and coordinated comprehensive documentation of the exchange to measure the real impact on the development of climate competencies of the young participants.

A legacy for the green future

Fast Forward represents more than just a youth mobility project. It is a strategic investment in training the future climate leaders of Europe and the Balkans, a bridge of knowledge and best practices between regions, and a practical demonstration that non-formal education can transform youth engagement into concrete climate action.

With the expert contribution of Brigaid Connect, the project is equipping a new generation with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to drive the green transition in their communities and territories.

Fast Forward youth exchanges in the West Balkans

FAST FORWARD

Engage, Connect and Empower Youth for a Sustainable Green Future

  • Co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme 
  • Consortium: 6 partners
  • Duration: 1 year (05/2024 – 04/2025)
  • Exchanges: 5