One year ago, we tried to make some of our youngsters involved in the project RESMYLE, real eco-ambassadors. Indeed, one of RESMYLE’s keystone activities lies in the participation of NEETs into raising awareness activities. From theory to practice, some of the young people who took part in this project have been directly involved in a job on site.

This activity was organised by CPIE Côte Provençale, who won the first RESMYLE subgrant call and is an important association for environmental education based in La Ciotat.

The aim of “Coastal eco-ambassadors: young people in action!” was to raise awareness among a group of NEETs, coming from the area of La Ciotat, towards the environmental issues facing the Mediterranean coastline while teaching them a few communication techniques, so that they could become multipliers of information related to these crucial problems. It is indeed thanks to the combination of knowledge and communication skills that they can become real “eco-ambassadors of the coastline”.

The project consisted of two stages:

• 2 learning sessions to give the youngsters all the essential knowledge on the ecosystem of the area and of the Mediterranean coastline. The attention was particularly drawn on causes and consequences of waste, which is the main enemy of these ecosystems. The other part of the training was focused on the communication and awareness raising techniques.
   
• A practical experience to put into practice the acquired skills. The group took part in events from the area with the aim of testing themselves in raising awareness to the general public: stands, Nature fest, public waste collections.

The group, made of 8 persons aged 18-29 years, showed great motivation and strong cohesion among them, acting with commitment and proving that young generations are particularly sensitive to environmental causes. The young NEETs felt invested and carried out the activities with a strong sense of participation, engaging in awareness raising actions also with their friends and families.

Now that one year has passed, we were curious to evaluate the wakes of this RESMYLE action.

We have asked ourselves what these young people are doing now, wondering whether the training helped them find a job opportunity or even simply encouraged them to engage more in these important causes.

Therefore, it has been rewarding to find out that two of them continued to take part in awareness-raising activities with the CPIE during 2022 and one of them was hired during the summer as a seasonal ecoguard at the Calanques National Park, one of the most fascinating natural treasures of the Région Sud and of the whole country.

The eco-guards are carrying out patrols on land informing about the natural, cultural and landscape heritage, its fragility and its protection among local and tourist visitors and raising awareness about the regulations (no smoking area, no waste left behind, etc.).

Would you like to know what happened in the other partner countries with similar subgrant projects? Have look here:
●    RESMYLE in Tunisia supports early school leavers to find their way for a brighter future
●    RESMYLE supports local communities to rationalize water consumption in south Lebanon thanks to young people
●    RESMYLE in Italy: Street art for sustainable development