International Outreach Activities

As a follow up of the Eco-Competent project, we delivered 3 outreach activities, in N. Macedonia, Türkiye and Serbia. The outreach activities tackled the topic of Eco Anxiety in all the countries, and brought a variety of young people that were

For BIKE, hosting the Graz bootcamp was a natural extension of the work we already do with local youth centres and young people who use cycling as a way to gain independence and connection in the city. The mix of participants from Afit and Lebensgroß, the use of familiar and new locations across Graz, and the emphasis on hands-on activities made it a concrete step toward the project’s goal of reconnecting NEET youth through active mobility.

During the Boot Camp, many project ideas were developed, from which we chose 3 to finance and deliver together with the youth from AusbildungsFIT and LebensGross in Graz. Those will be delivered in Graz by the end of the year.

The Mobility Bootcamp in Graz

The partnership consists of the National Youth Council of Macedonia (NYCM) as coordinator, Velo Schools (North Macedonia), Verein BIKE (Austria) and Re-Act Association (Bulgaria). Together the partners combine experience in youth policy, cycling education, work with migrant and disadvantaged youth, and non-formal learning.

The project aims to:

• give NEET youth accessible entry points back into learning and group activity,

• support them to take visible roles in their communities through peer-led actions,

• link inclusion with sustainable mobility and climate awareness,

• and produce open, reusable tools that other organisations can adapt.

Core activities include national mobility bootcamps, youth-designed community actions, storytelling workshops, a multilingual open-source toolkit (English, Macedonian, Bulgarian and German), and dissemination events that connect local practice with policy dialogue. Learning is recognised through Youthpass and micro-credentials.

At BIKE we contribute our experience with hands-on cycling activities, bike repair, traffic safety and work with migrant and urban youth in Graz. Our role focuses on delivering the Austrian bootcamp, supporting storytelling and visibility, and organising peer-led actions that use cycling and walking as tools for inclusion and participation.

From 21 to 25 September 2026, BIKE hosted the Austrian Mobility Bootcamp of RE:ENGAGE in Graz. Twenty-two young people from Graz took part, coming mainly from AusbildungsFIT (Jugend am Werk) and Lebensgroß. The programme was built around practical, outdoor and group-based activities rather than classroom learning.

Over the five days the group moved between different locations in the city. Sessions took place at LOGO Jugendmanagement at Karmeliterplatz, on the Schlossberg, and during a guided city tour that combined walking and cycling elements. The final day was held at the restaurant Tistou in the Smart City area, where participants wrapped up activities and presented their project ideas and reflections.

The bootcamp mixed bike and mobility skills with teamwork, communication and creative tasks. Participants worked on route awareness, safe movement in the city, and ideas for small community actions they could continue after the bootcamp. The varied locations gave the group a chance to experience Graz from different angles, from central meeting spaces to elevated viewpoints and newer urban areas, while keeping the focus on active, shared movement.

All participants received recognition for their involvement, and the ideas developed during the week will feed into the peer-led community actions planned for Graz later in the project. The bootcamp also contributed practical experience to the shared toolkit that the partnership is developing for other youth organisations.