Wired for Wonder is a youth exchange mobility carried out under the Youth Accreditation project in 2025. Our youth exchange started from a simple problem: many young people across Europe don’t know about affordable outdoor sports—like via ferrata—that are right on their doorstep. This low level of awareness limits their chances to stay active, improve wellbeing, and discover the benefits of nature. At the same time, stress, anxiety, obesity, and sedentary habits are on the rise.
We also saw that young people often don’t know about the local climbing routes, trails, or community programs that could get them started. That’s why this Erasmus+ Youth Exchange introduces participants to via ferrata—an accessible sport that mixes hiking and climbing with the help of fixed cables and ladders. Beyond the activity itself, the project promotes healthy living, cross-cultural exchange, and youth empowerment.
The goal of the mobility was to raise awareness of alternative sports like via ferrata, promote physical and mental wellbeing, and support young people to become ambassadors for active, healthy lifestyles.
By the end of the mobility:
40 young people (ages 16–21) from Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, and Serbia were introduced to via ferrata as a safe, exciting, and affordable sport, and were equipped with the tools to promote it and similar sports at home.
Enhanced participants’ personal growth by building resilience, leadership, teamwork, and risk management skills through direct participation in outdoor challenges.
Fostered intercultural understanding and inclusion through non-formal education methods such as group reflection, storytelling, and intercultural evenings.
Built the partner organizations’ capacity to organize impactful, sport-based non-formal education activities that leverage nature as a learning environment.
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.