Project Overview: Building Tomorrow’s Eco-Literators
The “What A Wonderful World” (WAWW) project represents a groundbreaking 24-month Erasmus+ initiative that brought together six European organizations to combat climate change through youth education and empowerment. Running from September 2023 to August 2025 with a total budget of €250,000, this ambitious project aimed to create a generation of eco-literate young Europeans capable of making meaningful environmental change.
As Navissos, the Serbian partner organization, we took on critical responsibilities in this transformative journey, specializing in digital platform development and community engagement while supporting local green organizations and raising environmental awareness throughout Serbia.
The Partnership: United for Climate Action
Our project brought together organizations from six countries, each contributing unique expertise:
- IEC Austria (Project Coordinator): Project management and quality assurance
- Kargenc Çevre Spor Kulübü (Türkiye): Climate and gas education leadership
- Asociatia Nevo Parudimos (Romania): Climate, water, and forests expertise
- Hellas For Us (Greece): Climate, eco-garden, and energy specialists
- L’Orma (Italy): Climate and recycling education leaders
- Navissos (Serbia): Web platform development and local community engagement
Navissos’ Strategic Contributions
As the Serbian partner, Navissos played pivotal roles throughout the project lifecycle:
Digital Infrastructure Leadership
- Web Platform Development: We designed and managed the project’s comprehensive web platform, leveraging our technical expertise to create an accessible hub for all project resources
- Social Media Strategy: Established the project’s presence across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube platforms
- Content Management: Developed website domain, design templates, and content architecture
Documentation & Evaluation
- Project Documentary Production: We prepared and produced the official project documentary, capturing participant contributions and showcasing the impact of all LTTA activities
- Final Conference Evaluation: Conducted comprehensive evaluation assessments for the project’s culminating conference
Community Engagement
- Local Multiplier Events: Organized community events in Serbia to introduce the ECO-Literacy Guide to young people and disseminate project outcomes
- Stakeholder Network Building: Connected with municipalities, NGOs, and youth organizations to expand the project’s local impact
The Four-Pillar Learning Journey
The heart of our project consisted of four Learning, Teaching, Training Activities (LTTAs), each addressing crucial aspects of climate education:
1. Climate, Water & Forests (Romania)
Participants explored water footprints, forest conservation, and the interconnection between water resources and climate change. This foundational module established the environmental awareness baseline for all subsequent activities.
2. Climate & Gas (Türkiye)
Youth learned about greenhouse gas emissions, calculated personal carbon footprints, and engaged in practical community activities including carbon footprint scanning and public interviews for our documentary.
3. Climate & Recycling (Italy)
Focused on recycling education, sustainable cosmetics, and artistic creation with waste materials. Participants organized community exhibitions showcasing recyclable products and sustainable living practices.
4. Climate, Energy & Eco-Garden (Greece)
The final module covered renewable energy resources, eco-gardening techniques, natural fertilizers, and rainwater collection systems, culminating in community photography exhibitions.
The ECO-Literacy Guide: Our Lasting Legacy
The project’s crown achievement was the comprehensive ECO-Literacy Guide – a four-volume resource addressing:
- Volume 1: Water, Forests & Climate
- Volume 2: Climate & Gas Emissions
- Volume 3: Climate & Recycling
- Volume 4: Climate, Energy & Eco-Garden
This guide, developed through collaborative input from all partner countries and validated through practical workshops, serves as an open-access resource for youth workers, educators, and young people across Europe.
Measurable Impact & Achievements
Quantitative Results
- 500+ local community members engaged across six countries
- 1,000+ YouTube documentary views achieved
- 100+ downloads of the ECO-Literacy Guide
- 500+ web platform access points recorded
- 180+ certified ECO-Literators trained (30 per country)
- 10 blog posts per partner created for sustained outreach
Qualitative Transformations
- Enhanced Environmental Awareness: Participants demonstrated significant improvement in climate change understanding and personal responsibility
- Behavioral Change: 70% of participants continued advocating for environmental issues post-project completion
- Skills Development: Youth gained practical green project management skills and sustainable living practices
- Network Expansion: A robust network of environmentally conscious young Europeans was established
Long-term Commitments
- 50% carbon and water footprint reduction targeted for participants over two years
- 6 municipalities and 30 schools committed to implementing ECO-Literacy Guidelines
- 5-year web platform maintenance ensuring continued resource accessibility
Community Multiplier Events: Amplifying Our Message
Each partner organization, including Navissos, organized dedicated Multiplier Events from April to July 2025. These events served to:
- Introduce the ECO-Literacy Guide to broader youth audiences
- Demonstrate practical sustainability techniques learned during LTTAs
- Engage local municipalities, schools, and NGOs in ongoing environmental initiatives
- Create lasting partnerships for future environmental projects
Our Serbian event particularly focused on connecting local green organizations with European best practices, fostering a sustainable network for continued environmental action.
Innovation in Youth Climate Education
The WAWW project pioneered several innovative approaches:
Experiential Learning
Rather than traditional classroom education, participants engaged in hands-on activities including street interviews, community exhibitions, carbon footprint scanning, and practical workshops.
Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Transfer
Young people became educators themselves, sharing knowledge with their communities and creating ripple effects of environmental awareness.
Digital-First Dissemination
Our comprehensive online platform ensured resources remained accessible beyond the project timeline, with multilingual content and interactive features.
Cross-Cultural Collaboration
By bringing together organizations from diverse European contexts, we created culturally sensitive yet universally applicable environmental education resources.
Challenges Overcome & Lessons Learned
Project Management Excellence
Through monthly coordination meetings, quarterly progress reports, and continuous quality assurance processes, we maintained project timelines and deliverable quality across six countries and multiple languages.
Stakeholder Engagement
Successfully engaging diverse stakeholders – from young participants to municipal representatives – required tailored communication strategies and culturally appropriate outreach methods.
Sustainability Integration
Ensuring project outcomes would persist beyond the funding period required building institutional partnerships and creating resources designed for long-term use and adaptation.
Looking Forward: The Ripple Effect
The WAWW project’s completion marks not an end, but a beginning. The foundation we’ve built through:
- Comprehensive educational resources that continue reaching new audiences
- Trained ECO-Literators who serve as environmental advocates in their communities
- Institutional partnerships that ensure ongoing program implementation
- Digital platforms that facilitate continued learning and collaboration
This network of environmentally conscious young Europeans, supported by validated educational resources and ongoing institutional commitment, represents our contribution to the broader fight against climate change.
Navissos’ Continued Commitment
As Navissos, our involvement in the WAWW project reinforced our mission to support local green organizations while building bridges to European environmental initiatives. The project enhanced our capacity to:
- Bridge digital divides in environmental education
- Connect local and international environmental networks
- Provide technical expertise for sustainability projects
- Engage diverse community stakeholders in climate action
Moving forward, we remain committed to utilizing the skills, networks, and resources developed through WAWW to advance environmental education and climate action throughout Serbia and the broader European region.
Final Reflection: What Makes a World Wonderful
The title “What A Wonderful World” reflects our collective vision – that through education, collaboration, and sustained action, we can preserve and enhance the natural beauty that makes our world truly wonderful. Every young person who learned to calculate their carbon footprint, every community member who attended our exhibitions, and every organization that committed to implementing our ECO-Literacy Guidelines represents a step toward that wonderful world.
The project demonstrated that when European organizations unite around shared environmental goals, combine diverse expertise, and center young people as agents of change, meaningful and lasting impact becomes not just possible, but inevitable.
As we conclude this remarkable journey, we carry forward not just the deliverables and documentation, but the relationships, knowledge, and commitment that will continue driving environmental progress across Europe. The world is indeed wonderful – and through projects like WAWW, we ensure it remains so for future generations.
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