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Context
The Building Bridges project was created in response to a clear need: young people need meaningful opportunities to connect across cultures, strengthen digital skills, and engage with the global challenges shaping their future. In many partner countries, access to international learning experiences is still limited by geography, economic barriers, or local instability. At the same time, the digital divide and persistent cultural stereotypes can reduce participation, understanding, and collaboration.
Building Bridges addresses these challenges by creating an inclusive international learning environment where young people and youth workers can explore the European Youth Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals, develop practical soft skills, and participate in high-quality virtual exchanges. The project brings together partners from EU and non-EU countries to promote inclusion, democratic participation, intercultural dialogue, and digital transformation in a concrete and accessible way.
Project ID 101193453
Start / finish 01/04/2025-30/03/2027
Official website – www.buildingbridgesp.eu
Scope of the project
The project aims to empower young people to become more confident, informed, and connected global citizens. Through a multilingual eLearning programme and structured virtual exchanges, Building Bridges helps participants strengthen critical thinking, public speaking, campaigning, digital literacy, and intercultural understanding.
More specifically, the project will develop one eLearning programme in seven languages, train 30 youth workers to facilitate online learning and exchange, and engage 1,000 young people in an international journey focused on civic participation, inclusion, and collaboration. By combining educational content with real dialogue and practical application, the project turns learning into action.
Target
IThe primary target group is young people from diverse social, cultural, and geographical backgrounds, especially those with fewer opportunities to access international mobility or global learning experiences. The project is designed to include participants from both EU and non-EU countries, with particular attention to rural areas, economically disadvantaged communities, and contexts affected by instability or limited educational access.
A second key target group is youth workers, facilitators, educators, and partner organisations. By strengthening their capacity to design and lead virtual exchange experiences, the project creates a multiplier effect that extends beyond the direct participants and supports long-term innovation in youth work.
Impact
Building Bridges is expected to generate meaningful impact at both individual and organisational level. For young people, the project will increase intercultural awareness, reduce stereotypes, strengthen digital and communication skills, and make global frameworks such as the EU Youth Goals and the SDGs more relevant to everyday life. Participants will not only learn about these themes, but also gain the confidence to discuss them, connect them to local realities, and act on them.
For youth workers and partner organisations, the project will enhance digital youth work capacity, improve the quality of non-formal education methods, and strengthen international cooperation. In the longer term, it will contribute to more inclusive and resilient communities, broader access to international learning, and the development of sustainable project models that can be adapted and replicated in different contexts.
Outcomes
The project will produce a set of practical and transferable results, including a multilingual eLearning programme, training materials for youth workers, a structured methodology for virtual exchanges, facilitation tools, communication and dissemination materials, and certification pathways for participants. These outputs are designed not only to support the project implementation, but also to remain useful as open and adaptable resources beyond the project lifetime.
Overall, Building Bridges presents a forward-looking model of international youth engagement: accessible, collaborative, digital, and deeply rooted in the values of inclusion, participation, and shared growth.
The virtual exchange program for youth
The Building Bridges programme helps young people become active, informed, and engaged global citizens. Through short eLearning modules and live virtual exchanges, participants explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practical skills needed to navigate an interconnected world with confidence.
- European Youth Goals and their connection to everyday life and local communities
- Global challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding
- Critical thinking, communication, and public speaking
- Campaigning, civic engagement, and youth participation in digital and international contexts
The learning program is available for free on our platform in 7 languages! pick the one you prefer!
Courses Archive – Academy of change
Why does this programme matter?
Building intercultural, digital, and civic competences early helps young people become more prepared, more responsible, and more capable of contributing to inclusive societies. The programme encourages participants to move beyond stereotypes, value diversity as a resource, and cooperate across borders with greater awareness and confidence.
Updates from the consortium!
Project approved!
The coordinator is finalizing the contracting process with the EU Commission. Very soon, we’ll begin working with our partners to prepare the content for the training, which will take place towards the end of the year in Tanzania.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Initial Partner Meeting
On June 3rd and 4th, the partners met in Bucharest to plan the project’s activities, with a particular focus on developing the training course for educators who will facilitate virtual exchanges between young people from the six participating countries (Romania, Italy, Cyprus, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania). In July, our trainers will take part in a training course in Tanzania to learn how to manage these virtual youth exchanges.
Discover more details on the project’s first newsletter – Download it here!
Facilitators training Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania – July 28th – August 1st, 2025
The comprehensive training delivered by our expert trainers in Dar Es Salam has been the first step to ensure youth participation to the virtual exchange program the partners will launch next year. Well-trained youth workers serve as catalysts for change, helping young people develop critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership skills that translate into active community involvement.
Discover all the details of the training in the partners country in the 2nd newsletter – Download it here!
Collaborate with Us!
We are looking for associations, schools, and young people interested in participating in the exchanges planned for next year. The online meetings will help students develop critical skills and improve their ability to collaborate and communicate with people from different cultures.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.