Across Europe, youth entrepreneurship is gaining momentum, not just as a tool for employability but as a platform for social innovation and community impact. The Erasmus+ Programme has played a central role in supporting this movement, funding diverse projects that empower young people to develop the skills, confidence and creativity needed to launch meaningful initiatives.

Among these, two projects stand out as inspiring examples: DEGSE, exploring digital escape rooms for social entrepreneurship and ArtiYOUth showing how entrepreneurship education can be accessible, hands-on and socially relevant, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. When viewed alongside, they illustrate the rich potential for synergies across Erasmus+ initiatives working toward a shared goal: unlocking the entrepreneurial spirit of youth to create a better world.

From simulation to solution: DEGSE in action

DEGSE (Digital Escape Rooms for Social Entrepreneurship) introduces young people to the world of social entrepreneurship through interactive escape games. Designed to make learning both immersive and purposeful, DEGSE invites players to step into the role of changemakers solving real-world-inspired social challenges. Youth learn to identify societal needs, develop sustainable solutions and experience the pressures and responsibilities of leading social ventures. DEGSE’s approach is underpinned by a strong pedagogical foundation, making it a powerful tool in both formal and non-formal education. This innovative project aims at helping learners not just imagine change, but understand how to make it happen.

From craft to change: ArtiYOUth in context

ArtiYOUth combines entrepreneurial education with artisanship training, helping marginalized youth gain practical skills that can lead to self-employment or community-based ventures. Participants engage in workshops that teach not only how to make and market handmade products, but also how to think like entrepreneurs – identifying needs, solving problems and building sustainable income models.

This approach resonates strongly with the mission of DEGSE, which uses game-based learning to introduce young people to the core principles of social entrepreneurship. While DEGSE operates in a digital, narrative-driven environment, ArtiYOUth grounds those same competencies, like creativity, decision-making and critical thinking, in real-world, tactile experiences.

Building a collaborative landscape

ArtiYOUth is just one of many Erasmus+ projects that could intersect meaningfully with DEGSE. Others focus on topics like circular economy, youth-led cooperatives, green entrepreneurship, digital startups and inclusion through creative industries. Together, these initiatives form a pan-European learning ecosystem where diverse approaches to youth entrepreneurship can reinforce and extend each other.

Some examples of synergy:

• DEGSE can introduce the mindset of social entrepreneurship, while projects like ArtiYOUth provide practical, low-barrier paths to turn that mindset into action.
• Youth who complete DEGSE’s digital escape rooms might be directed toward other Erasmus+ projects for mentoring, prototyping or local networking.
• Educators and youth workers can combine methodologies – blending game-based learning (DEGSE) with hands-on, craft-based entrepreneurial exploration (e.g. ArtiYOUth).

Toward a European tapestry of impact

The power of Erasmus+ lies not only in the innovation of individual projects but in their collective potential. By creating bridges between initiatives like DEGSE and ArtiYOUth, we can build a complementary and scalable ecosystem that supports youth from inspiration to implementation.

This ecosystem is particularly vital for young people with fewer opportunities – those who often face exclusion from traditional education or employment. Whether through a digital game or a handmade product, Erasmus+ projects help these youth see themselves as active agents of change, capable of shaping their futures and contributing to their communities.

The next step: collaboration

As we continue to develop DEGSE and its tools for immersive, game-based learning, we invite other Erasmus+ initiatives to connect, collaborate and co-create. Projects like ArtiYOUth show what’s possible when creativity meets opportunity. Together, we can scale that possibility across Europe and beyond, turning Erasmus+ into not just a funding programme, but a movement for youth-driven transformation.