It's Your Turn - Encouraging Entrepreneurship and Business Start-ups for Young People Living in Rural Areas

Can entrepreneurship, inclusion, and digital skills be the key to transformation for young people in rural areas?

The It's Your Turn project is answering exactly this question. This Erasmus+ project, proudly partnered by our organization from the Netherlands, aims to unlock the potential of young people and youth workers living in rural areas. The project took place in Türkiye between March 2–9, 2025, bringing together participants from Türkiye, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

In today’s world, where youth unemployment is rising and young people in rural areas especially face challenges in accessing opportunities, YouthTurn aims to support young people in building their own businesses and making a difference in their communities. Bringing together participants from five different countries, this project focuses not only on personal development but also on social transformation.

The It's Your Turn project is a capacity-building and empowerment initiative targeting young people aged 18–30 living in rural areas and youth workers aged 18–40. The overall aim of the project is to equip participants with knowledge and skills in areas such as entrepreneurship, digital competence, and civic engagement. Aligned with the European Youth Goals, another important objective is to help young people develop sustainable business ideas and bring them to life.

Some of the activities organized throughout the project included:

4 Core Entrepreneurship Seminars (Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, E-commerce and Digital Marketing, Financial Literacy, Social Entrepreneurship)

4 Creative Workshops (Idea generation, case studies, incubation activities, projects focused on social impact)

Field Visits to observe rural enterprises on-site

Internship Programs to gain real-world experience in professional settings

Business Fair, where participants had the opportunity to present their own business ideas

Cultural Night, enabling participants to share and celebrate their national cultures and connect with others

Throughout the entire process, participants not only gained theoretical knowledge but also took important steps toward developing practical projects, collaborating in teams, and making a difference in their communities.

Why Is It Important?

It's Your Turn is a project that helps young people realize their potential and encourages them to become active citizens, creative entrepreneurs, and community leaders. For young people living in rural areas, accessing education and employment opportunities can be a major challenge. However, through this project, participants:

Gained concrete skills in entrepreneurship

Increased awareness about the opportunities offered by the EU

Engaged in cultural exchange with peers from different countries

Learned new techniques in digital tools and marketing

Developed and presented their own business ideas

Our organization is proud to be a part of this project, which is not just an educational program but the beginning of a movement. Through this initiative that empowers young people, revitalizes rural communities, and strengthens the capacity of youth workers, rural youth across Europe are now looking to the future with greater hope.

As an organization, we will continue working to disseminate the outcomes of this project and make them sustainable. We hope to see more projects like this one, creating a world where young people not only shape today but also build the future.