GRYW – Gamifying Rural Youth Work (Armenia/Georgia)

GRYW – Gamifying Rural Youth Work

A European project empowering young people, schools, and rural communities

GRYW – Gamifying Rural Youth Work is an innovative 24‑month European project (2025–2027) in which ACPELIA participates as a partner organisation. The project aims to increase youth participation in rural and semi‑rural areas by introducing modern approaches to youth work based on Non‑Formal Education (NFE) and digital gamification.

The project addresses students, young people, teachers, and youth workers, offering them opportunities to actively engage in their local communities, express themselves creatively, and develop key personal, social, and civic competences.

What is GRYW?

GRYW brings innovation to grassroots rural youth work by combining:

• 🎮 Gamification tools and methods

• 📘 Non‑Formal Education (NFE)

• 🌱 Local engagement and environmental awareness

• 🌍 European cooperation and youth mobility activities

The project supports youth organisations and schools in becoming more attractive, participatory, and effective by providing digital tools, educational resources, and hands‑on methodologies that motivate young people to take action.

Project Objectives

The main objectives of GRYW are to:

• Strengthen grassroots rural youth work through innovative and digital approaches

• Empower youth organisations and youth workers with NFE and gamification competences

• Increase active participation of young people in community life

• Address key rural youth issues such as youth participation, environmental challenges, and local community needs

• Ensure European added value through transnational cooperation and mobility

Key Activities

👥 Local Youth Groups & Grassroots Actions

Within the project, partner organisations and schools will form local youth groups that will:

• Take part in 12 local meetings / grassroots activities per group

• Implement actions between June and October 2026

• Focus on creativity, teamwork, community engagement, and problem‑solving

Through these activities, young people will actively shape ideas and actions that respond to real needs in their local communities.

✈️ Youth Exchange in Georgia (November 2026)

Based on active participation and engagement during the local activities:

• Selected participants will take part in an international Youth Exchange in Georgia

• Young people from different countries will meet, collaborate, and exchange experiences

• Participants will receive Youthpass certificates recognising their learning outcomes

This mobility activity offers a unique European learning experience and strengthens intercultural understanding.

👩‍🏫 Training for Educators & Youth Workers

To ensure high‑quality implementation:

• Educators and youth workers involved in the project will participate in an international training course in Armenia (May 2026)

• The training focuses on Non‑Formal Education methods and gamification, enabling participants to confidently deliver local activities with young people

Project Results & Deliverables

The GRYW project will produce:

📘 Research Paper (30 pages) An analysis of rural youth work practices, challenges, and needs across partner countries.

📗 NFE Curriculum & Guidebook A practical programme with at least 12 structured activities for grassroots youth work.

🎮 Gamification Platform A digital tool (website and mobile‑friendly version) including:

• Project and activity management

• Participant tracking

• Scores, badges, and leaderboards

• Learning progress dashboards

🎓 Online Course (MOOC) A free e‑learning programme for youth workers, covering:

• Youth work fundamentals

• Non‑Formal Education

• Gamification in youth work

Dissemination & Impact

The project aims to create impact beyond the partnership by:

• Organising local and international dissemination events

• Sharing results through websites, social media, and European platforms

• Encouraging other organisations to adopt and reuse the project tools and methodologies

GRYW is expected to engage at least 225 young people across partner countries and contribute to stronger, more inclusive rural communities.

Partnership

The project brings together organisations from:

• Georgia (Coordinator – Umbrella)

• Cyprus (ACPELIA)

• Armenia

• Turkey

• Ukraine

• Belgium (European network)

This diverse partnership ensures knowledge exchange, innovation, and strong European cooperation.

GRYW at ACPELIA

Through GRYW, ACPELIA strengthens its mission to promote:

• Youth participation and empowerment

• Non‑formal education and inclusion

• Digital innovation in youth work

• European cooperation and mobility

The project supports ACPELIA’s long‑term vision of creating active, informed, and engaged young citizens, especially in rural and local communities.

GRYW turns participation into play, learning into action, and local youth work into a European experience.

If you want to be part of our team in this project complete the following link: