The Greenhouse: Training for Activists Alumni Edition
October 7 - October 11
The Greenhouse: Training for Activists is a unique opportunity to connect, learn and grow as part of a new generation of green and green-minded Europeans leading change in their communities. In this alumni edition of the training, the Green European Foundation will bring together 15-20 alumni of previous Greenhouse cohorts in Lithuania for 5 days of advanced political reflection, debate, and peer-learning in early October.
About The Alumni Training:
The Greenhouse is the Green European Foundation’s activist training initiative dedicated to offering political education on Europe, capacity building for the green movement at large, and fostering engagement and participation of young leaders and activists across the continent – to support a strong and vibrant European democracy. Since the first two open editions in Lativa (August 2025) and Italy (March 2026), the Greenhouse Community has grown to 56 alumni from 24 countries. The feedback from the trainings was clear: participants wanted more spaces to meet each other again, engage in political debate, forge stronger links with European-level discussions and own organising contexts, and a deeper sense of connection to a shared European Green project. In 2026, we are consolidating our Greenhouse alumni offer by piloting a dedicated Alumni Training that offers space for Greenhouse alumni to sharpen their ideological grounding, deepen their understanding of the European Green landscape, debate strategic questions facing the Green movement, and build lasting relationships across cohorts and borders. The training will take place 07-11 October in Lithuania (venue tbc).
What you can expect
- Advanced political reflection and debate – going deeper into the foundational ideological and strategic questions shaping European Green politics today, and exploring how they play out across different national contexts.
- High-level political input – interactive sessions and debates with experienced Green politicians, movement organisers, and political ecology thinkers.
- Exploring the European Green project – a deep dive into what the European Green project can mean in practice and how Green actors can shape political realities across local, national, and European levels.
- A participant-led learning experience – inspired by the principles of non-formal education, the Alumni Training will rely on your active contribution. You’ll be invited to reflect on the political questions emerging from your own context before arriving, helping shape discussions and peer learning throughout the programme.
- Connecting across cohorts – bringing together alumni from the first two editions of the Greenhouse Training and strenthening relationships across Europe.
- Small-scale and personalised approach – focus on responding to needs and providing resources and guidance for you to take the next step in your political journey.
Why Lithuania
The pilot takes place in Lithuania – a country sitting at the frontier of questions defining Green politics in Europe right now: democracy, security, and the social and environmental transformation of the continent’s Eastern flank. The training is developed and organised in close cooperation with our Lithuanian partners to offer dedicated insights into the Lithuanian Green political context while exploring what these challenges mean for Green politics across Europe and the wider European Green movement.
Who should apply
Please note: If you have not previously participated in one of our Greenhouse Trainings, you are not eligible to apply. The next open edition of The Greenhouse: Training for Activists will take place in Spring 2027.
This call is open to alumni of previous Greenhouse editions. Alongside your enthusiasm, we’ll take into account:
- Leadership potential in the broadest sense – organising, strategy, movement-building, policy, ideas: we are looking for those wanting to shape the direction of the European Green movement in all its diversity
- A desire to take the next step in your political journey, grounded in your local organising context and driven by a clear motivation to strengthen your engagement with the European dimension of the Green movement
- The added value that participation would bring to your personal and political development.
- How your profile, interests, and experience complements those of others in the room
- A demonstrated commitment to staying engaged with the Greenhouse Community and the European Green ecosystem
- Gender balance and geographical diversity
Practicalities
- Date and Time: 7–11 October 2026
- Location: Lithuania (venue to be confirmed)
- Language: English
- Participants: 15–20 Greenhouse alumni from across Europe
- Costs: Travel, accommodation, and catering covered
- Participation fee: €250 without VAT. This contribution supports GEF’s training mission and helps sustain programmes like the Greenhouse. If the participation fee prevents you from attending, please let us know in your application. GEF will work with its partners to ensure that financial circumstances are not a barrier to participation.
- Applications open: 3–15 July 2026
Questions? Reach out to training@gef.eu
This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.
