My name is Laura Franco and currently I am an IVY volunteer at the EUROPARC Federation. Taking part in the IVY programme has been a meaningful experience for me so far. Through my involvement in the GREENHEALTH project, I am starting to understand more concretely how cooperation between different European regions works and how these collaborations can have a real impact on people’s lives.
GREENHEALTH is an Interreg Europe project focused on improving regional policies by strengthening the link between the environment, health and well-being. It explores how greener spaces, biodiversity and more sustainable choices can support healthier communities and improve quality of life. What I find especially interesting is how this idea is shared across different regions, with each partner bringing their own perspective and experience.
In my role as a volunteer, I support communication activities and help share the project’s work. I contribute to creating content, spreading information and making the project’s goals more visible. This has allowed me to better understand not only the project itself, but also how important communication is in making these initiatives effective.
Recently, I had the opportunity to support the organisation of the 7th Transnational Meeting of the GREENHEALTH project in Regensburg, Germany. It was a very valuable experience, as I could see more closely how these international meetings are organised and how partners come together to exchange ideas and move the project forward. The two days were full of discussions and moments of exchange, where different partners shared good practices and reflected on how to improve policies in their own regions.
At the same time, there were also more informal and enjoyable moments, like a walk through the parks of Regensburg and a guided tour of the city, which made the experience even more engaging and helped create a stronger connection between participants.
Overall, this experience is helping me grow both personally and professionally. I feel that I am contributing, even in a small way, to something that promotes healthier, more sustainable and more liveable communities across Europe, and that makes this experience even more valuable to me.
– Laura, IVY Project Parter at Europarc federation, for the Interreg Europe project GREENHEALTH – Sustainable protected areas as a key value for human well
