The aim of HEART (Holistic Experiential education and Artistic approaches for Resilience and work engagement Tools for adult educators) is to increase the quality of adult education and training by developing AE's competences, awareness and knowledge linked to work engagement using a new training method to be developed (the synergy of outdoor experiential education and art methodologies) and by creating a more committed, engaging and professional environment inside their organisations. The phenomenon of burnout within helping professions - including educators - has been known since the 1970s, and by now a solid research and practical intervention basis exists linked to it. However, burnout continues to be a severe issue until today. According to our experience drawn from previous projects and activities with educators, and based on desk research, educators continue to have insufficient knowledge and awareness of the burnout syndrome and its potential prevention techniques, especially about those that can also be used within an organisational setting. However, timely interventions are essential to prevent burnout, otherwise its later stages would involve physical, emotional and mental exhaustion from which it is difficult to recover (Schaufeli and Greenglass 2011). At the same time, educators’ organisations and their managers also lack awareness, knowledge and prevention/intervention strategies and practices. To tackle above issues, a transnational partnership composed of 6 partners (PPs) concerned about burnout and work engagement in the field of education of 5 countries developed the HEART project. Two PPs are experts in adult education using outdoor experiential educational methods (Elmenyakademia (HUN) - who is the coordinator organization- and Outward Bound Romania (RO)), two PPs are adult education experts using artistic methodologies (Tamalpa UK (UK) using the Tamalpa Life Art Process and Citta del Sole (IT) using the Integrated Method Marchio-Patti), Corpo de Hoje (PT) carries out courses for adults focusing on Art and Lelekkel az Egeszsegert (HUN) has waste cross-sectorial practical, theoretical and research expertise in the topic of burnout prevention. To reach our objectives, the HEART partnership uses a methodology based on transnational, holistic and positive approach and the synergy of outdoor experiential education and artistic methods, focusing on the work engagement of our main target groups: the educators and their organizations Europe-wide. To achieve our goals, we’ll develop a Collection of Easy to Learn and Use Work Engagement Tools and Processes (including a Self-directed learning portfolio) and an innovative Combined Modular Work Engagement Curricula - Training Scheme to offer an innovative educational material at individual (personal and professional) level. These two outputs will use an innovative methodology, the HEART methodology (the synergy of outdoor experiential education and artistic methodologies) covering the whole human potential addressing all: body, soul and mind. In addition, we’ll also work out Organizational Work Engagement Recommendations that offer managers alternatives at organizational. Moreover, the impact of the methodology will be summarized in an Assessment Report. During HEART activities 3 field experiments, 5 field tests, 1 discussion workshop and 2 dissemination events will be held for HEART staff/volunteers and external stakeholders. Thanks to the implemented project activities, we will directly reach 372 persons active in the field of education and we’ll contribute to increase their competences to face burn-out, thus, their work engagement, professional satisfaction, the quality of their work and their employability will increase. 6 organizations will have a more modern, dynamic, committed and professional work environment with increased consciousness in strategic planning of professional development of staff in line with individual needs and organisational objectives. Moreover, we aim to share and disseminate our results at a European level as well. On a long run we plan to familiarize 30 adult educator organizations (incl. min. 900 persons) from the partner organizations’ countries with the developed outputs and methodologies Europe-wide. Additionally, we plan to introduce our outputs and results in 10 additional countries. Sustainability on personal (professional) level will be backed by the “personal work engagement development plan” that is to be prepared by each participant. Additionally, the organization specific strategies and the more general recommendations set out will have a focus on free of charge measures as well, i.e. on those that require rather a shift in mentality of the management and the engagement of it than financial investment. This, plus the holistic approach used, covering the development needs at individual and organizational levels, are also expected to enhance the impact and sustainability of project results.
The aim of HEART (Holistic Experiential education and Artistic approaches for Resilience and work engagement Tools for adult educators) was to increase the quality of adult education and training by developing AE's competencies, awareness, and knowledge linked to work engagement using a new training method to be developed (the synergy of outdoor experiential education and art methodologies) and by creating a more committed, engaging and professional environment inside their organizations. The phenomenon of burnout within helping professions - including educators - has been known since the 1970s, and by now solid research and practical intervention basis exists linked to it. However, burnout continues to be a severe issue until today. According to our experience drawn from previous projects and activities with educators, and based on desk research, educators continue to have insufficient knowledge and awareness of the burnout syndrome and its potential prevention techniques, especially about those that can also be used within an organizational setting. However, timely interventions are essential to prevent burnout, otherwise, its later stages would involve physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from which it is difficult to recover (Schaufeli and Greenglass 2011). At the same time, educators’ organizations and their managers also lack awareness, knowledge, and prevention/intervention strategies and practices. To tackle the above issues, a transnational partnership composed of 6 partners (PPs) concerned about burnout and work engagement in the field of education of 5 countries developed the HEART project. Two PPs are experts in adult education using outdoor experiential educational methods (Elmenyakademia (HUN) - who is the coordinator organization- and Outward Bound Romania (RO)), two PPs are adult education experts using artistic methodologies (Alive Arts (UK) using the ARC Process and Citta del Sole (IT) using the Integrated Method Marchio-Patti), Centro em Movimento (PT) carries out courses for adults focusing on Art and Lelekkel az Egeszsegert (HUN) has waste cross-sectorial practical, theoretical and research expertise in the topic of burnout prevention. To reach our objectives, the HEART partnership uses a methodology based on a transnational, holistic, and positive approach and the synergy of outdoor experiential education and artistic methods, focusing on the work engagement of our main target groups: the educators and their organizations Europe-wide. To achieve our goals, we developed a Collection of Easy to Learn and Use Work Engagement Tools and Processes (including a Self-directed learning portfolio) and an innovative Combined Modular Work Engagement Curricula - Training Scheme to offer innovative educational material at the individual (personal and professional) level. These two outputs are based on an innovative methodology, the HEART methodology (the synergy of outdoor experiential education and artistic methodologies) covering the whole human potential addressing all: body, soul, and mind. In addition, we developed the Organizational Work Engagement Recommendations that offer managers alternatives at organizational. Moreover, the impact of the methodology will be summarized in an Assessment Report. During HEART activities 3 field experiments, 5 field tests, 1 discussion workshop, and 2 multiplicator events were held for HEART staff/volunteers and external stakeholders. Thanks to the implemented project activities, we directly reached 391 persons active in the field of education and we increased their competencies to face burnout, thus, their work engagement, professional satisfaction, the quality of their work, and their employability increased. 6 organizations developed a more modern, dynamic, committed and professional work environment with increased consciousness in strategic planning of professional development of staff in line with individual needs and organizational objectives. Moreover, we shared and disseminated our results at a European level as well. We introduced our outputs and results in 10 additional countries (Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Slovakia, Latvia, Croatia, Poland, Danish, Venezuela). The organization-specific strategies and the more general recommendations frame the work on the organizational level. This, plus the holistic approach used, covering the development needs at individual and organizational levels, was also expected to enhance the impact and sustainability of project results.