The strategic partnership project "SAIL DEEPER: Sailing Associations’ International Learning to Develop and Exchange Educational Programs Engaging Regions" aims to improve the quality of youth work in partner organizations by exchanging their sail training methodology and youth work practices on board and on shore. During the period of 17 months three partners – Sail Training Association Latvia, ATYLA International Training Ship Foundation (Spain) and Sail Trainees of Finland SNUPU – will evaluate and improve their sail training methodology, they will train their crew competences on inclusive youth work and non-formal education in sail training, and they will also develop and test three local sailing-related off-season programs for youth. The objectives of the project are: ▲ to exchange the best practices of partners sail training programs for young people (during sailing season and off-season; on local, national and international environment and with different social background), and to collect these methodologies for wider use; ▲ to deepen the competences of partners' members to work with young people using outdoor, experiential and non-formal education, also working with youth with less opportunities and disabilities; ▲ to develop an off-sailing season program for local youth using non-formal education approach and seamanship that will allow youth to develop life-long learning competences and useful practical skills. The main activities will take place on national level where the national teams will design and implement educational sailing-related off-season program for youth that will be created based on non-formal education approach and best practices learned from international partners. The programs will be implemented by national project teams (7–10 members) during the winter period in collaboration with local youth organizations. Off-season programs will involve at least 150 local young people (50 in every country), including 10% or 15 young people with fewer opportunities. To learn different sail training approaches and methods from the international project partners and to develop their personal competences on sail training and social inclusive youth work, 20 members of partner organizations will participate in two international short-term joint staff training courses and field visits: ▲ SAIL DEEPER: SOCIAL INCLUSION in August 2019 in Finland, on sail training ship HELENA, ▲ SAIL DEEPER: NON-FORMAL EDUCATION ABOARD in April 2020, in Spain, on sail training ship ATYLA. Joint staff-trainings in international environment optimizes training resources and develops participants’ intercultural competence and ability to adapt on different sail training vessels. These activities also builds strong international network to provide future opportunities for young people and professional crew in partner organizations. At the end of the project the EVALUATION MEETING in September 2020, in Latvia will take place to evaluate the project and disseminate its results. Three representatives from each partner will participate in final meeting. The project is an important development step for all partner organizations improving their youth work both on board while sailing and on shore during the off-season, especially working with youth with fewer opportunities and applying non-formal education methods on board.
The project aimed to improve the quality of youth work in partner organizations by providing international learning and experience exchange platform for partners to improve their sail training services and youth work on board and widen their collaboration network increasing their impact in youth field. The objectives were: 1) to exchange best practices of partners sail training programs for young people (during sailing season and off-season; on local, national and international environment and with different social background), and to collect these methodologies for wider use; 2) to deepen the competences of partners' members to work with young people using outdoor, experiential and non-formal education, also working with youth with less opportunities and disabilities; 3) to develop an off-sailing season (winter) program for local youth using non-formal education approach and seamanship that would allow youth to develop life-long learning competences and useful practical skills (for example, navigation, carpentry etc.) that might help them to find their interests and develop some life skills or even choose their professional path.
The project was created to recognize and promote quality youthwork in 3 sail training organizations by training crew members’ competences on working with youth on board and on shore using non-formal, outdoor and adventure education and by exchanging best practices and learning from each other, and by developing off-season (winter) program in collaboration with local partners. The project exchanged good practices all partners have working towards youth involvement, active participation and personal development. We learned from each other and worked together to solve our common issues: 1) we trained our competent crew that could deliver high quality sail training programs for young people with non-formal education and social inclusion approach; 2) we developed 3 winter programs with activities for local youth during sailing off-season; 3) we developed our awareness of methodology – we analyzed our approaches working on board, raised awareness and shared methodology our organizations use working with young people on their soft and hard skills' development. We added the principles of non-formal education, social inclusion and intercultural learning. We collected methods in video series to spread non-formal education on board.
The strategic partnership project "SAIL DEEPER: Sailing Associations’ International Learning to Develop and Exchange Educational Programs Engaging Regions" aims to improve the quality of youth work in partner organizations by exchanging their sail training methodology and youth work practices on board and on shore. During the period of 17 months three partners – Sail Training Association Latvia, ATYLA International Training Ship Foundation (Spain) and Sail Trainees of Finland SNUPU – will evaluate and improve their sail training methodology, they will train their crew competences on inclusive youth work and non-formal education in sail training, and they will also develop and test three local sailing-related off-season programs for youth. The objectives of the project are: ▲ to exchange the best practices of partners sail training programs for young people (during sailing season and off-season; on local, national and international environment and with different social background), and to collect these methodologies for wider use; ▲ to deepen the competences of partners' members to work with young people using outdoor, experiential and non-formal education, also working with youth with less opportunities and disabilities; ▲ to develop an off-sailing season program for local youth using non-formal education approach and seamanship that will allow youth to develop life-long learning competences and useful practical skills. The main activities will take place on national level where the national teams will design and implement educational sailing-related off-season program for youth that will be created based on non-formal education approach and best practices learned from international partners. The programs will be implemented by national project teams (7–10 members) during the winter period in collaboration with local youth organizations. Off-season programs will involve at least 150 local young people (50 in every country), including 10% or 15 young people with fewer opportunities. To learn different sail training approaches and methods from the international project partners and to develop their personal competences on sail training and social inclusive youth work, 20 members of partner organizations will participate in two international short-term joint staff training courses and field visits: ▲ SAIL DEEPER: SOCIAL INCLUSION in August 2019 in Finland, on sail training ship HELENA, ▲ SAIL DEEPER: NON-FORMAL EDUCATION ABOARD in April 2020, in Spain, on sail training ship ATYLA. Joint staff-trainings in international environment optimizes training resources and develops participants’ intercultural competence and ability to adapt on different sail training vessels. These activities also builds strong international network to provide future opportunities for young people and professional crew in partner organizations. At the end of the project the EVALUATION MEETING in September 2020, in Latvia will take place to evaluate the project and disseminate its results. Three representatives from each partner will participate in final meeting. The project is an important development step for all partner organizations improving their youth work both on board while sailing and on shore during the off-season, especially working with youth with fewer opportunities and applying non-formal education methods on board.