A Youth Worker from Türkiye in Berlin: Ömer’s Exchange at Green Muse

As part of the ECHOES – Youth Voices for Climate Action in European Elections project, Ömer Koçan, a youth worker from EFTA (Education and Future Technologies Association) in Türkiye, travelled to Berlin for a ten-day international exchange at Green Muse, from 18 to 28 February 2025.

The visit was built around Green Muse’s Climate Change Affects Agriculture (CCAA) training programme and gave Ömer the opportunity to immerse himself in a hands-on, creativity-driven approach to climate education — quite different from the more technology-focused model he was used to at home.

He supported teambuilding and communication sessions, contributed to climate ethics debates through the Table Switch format, and took part in a forest-based eco-art workshop using recyclable materials — an experience that illustrated how emotional and sensory engagement can deepen young people’s relationship with sustainability. A field visit to a local zero-waste market and permaculture garden rounded out the programme with a community-rooted perspective on circular economy practices.

For Ömer, one of the key takeaways was discovering that climate awareness doesn’t have to be delivered through data and logic alone — it can be taught through empathy, storytelling, and art. He also contributed to ECHOES’ social media outputs, developing his skills in youth-friendly digital content creation, and engaged in Youthpass reflection sessions that helped him document his learning across intercultural communication, facilitation, and civic engagement.

He returned to Türkiye inspired to integrate artistic and digital tools into climate-related activities with Turkish youth workers, and with a network of new contacts from Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Greece to build on.