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In and Out - Outdoor Experiential Learning

2021-2-PL01-KA153-YOU-0000404972021Mobility of youth workersfinalized
Countries: PL|UA|TR|LT|CZ|DE|MD|GE · Grant: €25,290
Key competences developmentQuality and innovation of youth workNew learning and teaching methods and approaches

Objectives

The main aim of youth work was to help young people reach their full potential and develop as individuals. An important and rarely discussed topic is the challenges that youth work has been facing since 2020 since the pandemic broke out, when most youth organisations had to cancel many of their educational programmes for 2020-2021 due to the lack of readiness of organisations and youth workers to adapt to the internet and to organise activities with and for young people, because youth organisations were not aware of many digital tools. And even some online-adapted youth organisations seem to have many barriers to young people's digital engagement, their low access to technology and digital poverty, and of course low engagement of young people in online activities compared to live activities. The drop in engagement levels (the statistics state 70%) gives a clear picture of the importance of face-to-face youth work, especially with marginalised and disadvantaged young people. Young people now face all sorts of challenges related to education, employment prospects, health and wellbeing, personal and social development. It is now important for the youth sector to be in a stronger position to meet the current and emerging needs of young people in the face of pandemic challenges - youth organisations need to be ready for change at any time and prepare to offer a new approach to youth work, combining traditional indor informal methods and outdoor experiential learning to create a safe and inspiring learning environment. The aim of this training was to improve the competences of youth workers, educators and youth leaders who work with young people on a daily basis, in order to improve the quality of youth work they provide to young people in their communities, experiencing the power of learning in nature and outdoors for personal and social development, and to motivate them to use this approach more often in their work. The objectives of the training were: 1. to explore and build a shared understanding of the potential of informal 'learning in nature' and 'learning from nature' as an effective way of working with young people - as a tool to promote young people's personal development, collaboration with peers and greater attachment to community and the outdoors. 2. to provide a space for youth workers to experience different outdoor methods and techniques and to reflect on ways to integrate these methods and techniques into their daily work with young people, including young people with fewer opportunities, young people from marginalised backgrounds; 3. to develop participants' competences in designing, planning, implementing and evaluating outdoor activities and experiential learning. 4 To develop and implement concrete follow-up activities (at least 8) using the experiences gained during this training course in their local youth work reality. The training course will be based on the Outdoor Experiential Learning approach to personal and professional development. All this will be implemented in a unique natural environment in Poland, in the Podkarpacie region, which will give participants the opportunity to experience the power of learning in/out of nature and in the fresh air.

Project partners (8)