About the Project

UNDER – Underground Navigators Exploring and Revealing is a European project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme under the KA210-VET action for small-scale partnerships in vocational education and training. It brings together four partner organizations from Malta, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Hungary with the shared goal of enhancing skills, promoting inclusion, and supporting sustainable tourism linked to underground heritage sites.

The project focuses on a specific and often overlooked area of cultural heritage: underground spaces such as caves, tunnels, cisterns, and archaeological sites. These places hold immense historical and cultural value, yet the people who work to preserve and promote them often lack access to structured training, professional development, and international collaboration.

UNDER addresses this gap by creating learning and career development opportunities for young workers aged 24–30 who are employed in underground site associations — often as guides, cultural operators, or communication staff. Through work-based learning experiences, expert workshops, field visits, and transnational exchange, the project helps participants strengthen their skills and broaden their perspectives.

At the same time, UNDER fosters connections between small cultural organizations, enabling them to share best practices, build capacity, and develop long-term cooperation. By promoting a bottom-up, inclusive approach, the project also supports social inclusion, community engagement, and youth empowerment, particularly in rural and less connected areas.

Ultimately, UNDER aims to contribute to the preservation of European cultural identity, the promotion of sustainable tourism, and the strengthening of civic values across borders.