HEARTLAND aims to address adult educators and other helping professionals with high risk of burn out to develop their competences through creativity and art embedded into the activities and the intellectual outputs of the 24 month collaboration. 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. Also experiencing the covid pandemic outbreak in spring 2020 and its effects on people in general but on health- and social care workers in specific ( post traumatic effects) we decided to further develop our toolkit HEART with a higher emphasis on creative tools: art and culture: common issue exhibition - to give a response of what the global world faces as a mutual challenge. To tackle above issues, a transnational partnership composed of 5 partners (PPs) concerned about burnout and resilience and art in the field of education of 5 countries developed the HEARTLAND project. Two PPs are experts in adult education using outdoor experiential educational methods Elmenyakademia (HUN) - who is the coordinator organization and additionally addresses solution focus coaching methods - and Outward Bound Romania (RO) who has expertise in psychoeducational tools due to academic connections as well), one PPs is adult education expert using artistic methodologies (LE PT), MARTA (LV) carries out courses for adults focusing on crisis management and mental first aid and PTS growth and Badgecraft Ireland has waste cross-sectorial practical, theoretical and research expertise in the topic of on-line learning modules for adult learners. To reach our objectives, the HEARTLAND partnership uses a methodology based on transnational, holistic and positive approach and the synergy of 7 methods, focusing on the resilience processing through arts of our main target groups: the adult learners, educators and social- and health care workers and their organizations Europe-wide. To achieve our goals, we’ll develop an Extended collection of Easy to Learn and Resilience Tools and Processes (including a Self-directed learning portfolio) and an innovative ExtendedCombined Modular Resilience Curriculum - Training Scheme to offer an innovative creative educational material at individual (personal and professional) level. These two outputs will use an innovative methodology, the HEARTLAND methodology (the synergy of 7 methodologies) covering the whole human potential addressing all: body, soul and mind and giving answers for crisis situations. The above 2 outputs will be channeled into a 5 module on-line course material in order to ensure Europe-wide application of HEARTLAND methodology as such. In addition, we’ll also work out Organizational Resilience Recommendations and Adaptation Strategy that offer alternatives for social- and health care workers and their institutions at grass root level. Moreover, the impact of the methodology will be summarized in an Assessment Report. As for the long-term work engagement of HPs and social- and health care workers we introduce a new innovative output - culural eventing: common issue exhibition IO6 "Our Evereday Heroes" in order to raise awareness about resilience of HPs within pandemic situation and in general. The event also supports HPs to raise their voice and to address their management and policy makers on the field. During HEARTLAND activities 2 staff trainings, 6 field tests, 1 discussion workshop and 2 international and 4 national dissemination events will be held for HEARTLAND staff/volunteers and social- and health care workers and for other external stakeholders. Thanks to the implemented project activities, we will directly reach 460 persons active in the field of adult learning and we’ll contribute to increase their competences to face burn-out, thus, their resilience, professional satisfaction, the quality of their work will increase. 5 organizations will have a more modern, dynamic, committed and resilient work environment and higher understanind of how arts and culture can have a positive impact on that. 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 a personal (professional) level will be backed by the “personal resilience shields” , on-line learning modules and exhibition webpage as best practice.This, plus the creative holistic approach used, covering the development needs at individual and organizational levels, are also expected to enhance the impact and sustainability of project results.
HEARTLAND was designed to address burnout among adult educators and other helping professionals. The project aimed to develop their competences through the use of creativity and art in various activities and intellectual outputs over a 24-month collaboration. The project utilized extended combined methodological tools (O1), new innovative modular curricula (O2), and online learning modules (O3) to develop skills in expression through arts and digital competences, as well as resilience skills essential to tackling burnout. The target groups of the project were individuals who work in high-stress workplaces or have been affected by the previous 2nd wave pandemic, such as those who have been impacted by lockdowns in social institutions or crisis in hospitals. The project aimed to develop skills and competences through creative and artistic methods to promote resilience. It also aimed to raise awareness of positive influences of resilience within the NFL context in general and the combination of the 7 HL methodologies. All learning activities were aimed at promoting resilience. The project included a field testing which served not only for dissemination of HL tools in general but also testing and finalization of intellectual output.
The Heartland project was committed to enhancing the resilience skills of adult educators and helping professionals by implementing 3 innovative intellectual outputs (IOs) that aim for long-term positive impact on their well-being. Our needs survey revealed that 42% of 243 AEs/HPs claimed they are at high risk of burnout. For 62%, there were no burnout prevention tools in their workplaces, while 71% believed that non-formal education and art expression tools would aid their resilience. HL guaranteed the realization of IOs through a five-day C1 Training Course, where we developed the HL toolkit for the partners' staff. We designed HL online courses, and conducted field tests by each partner. HL O1, O2, and O3, designed for the target group, were shared in Heartland Seminar and HL SOURCE Conference. Our HL toolkit collection widens AEs knowledge about personal/professional growth, giving practical tools and skills that can be applied to a wide variety of resilience development scenarios online (O3) from emergency states, such as the previous pandemic, and its long-term effects, to general well-being in work/life through art and creativity. To support our work, we conducted several needs assessments among our target groups.