Our project aimed to increase the motivation for learning and school participation through outdoor activities, enabling transformation and change in the context of each organization. We proposed that students who have socio-emotional problems that affect their progress in education participate in as many outdoor learning activities as possible to bring them closer to school. We proposed that teachers reconsider their teaching strategies and use outdoor learning activities in class. We proposed that at the level of the partner schools we include such activities in the extracurricular activities calendar. The objectives of the project were: 1. Improving the socio-emotional state of 200 students of the partner schools involved in outdoor learning activities, Outdoor Education, during 01.03.2022- 01.03.2023; 2. Developing the outdoor teaching skills of the 8 teachers from the 2 partner organizations through job-shadowing activities until 01.02.2023; 3. Increasing the number of non-formal activities used in the formal education framework proposed at the school level in at least 4-5 subjects until 01.03.2023.
The reason we applied for this project is that we found a problematic situation that affects the development of students from cognitive, social, emotional, affective, and psycho-motor points of view. Online alienation, screen addiction, low share of non-formal activities proposed at our school level, self-marginalization of children in the online context, overloading students through expository lessons and homework, lack of teachers 'skills in outdoor activities, decreased students' interest in learning and school participation activate. Through this project, we wanted to enhance their learning progress and improve their basic skills in communicating in a foreign language. We also consider that the following factors: low motivation for learning, the precarious situation of students, parents who have gone abroad, and online activities during the pandemic, contributed to the poor results obtained in the 2020-2021 school year. For example, Out of 256 primary and secondary level students, 12 students repeated the school year, 54 students obtained poor results at school, at the end of the school year there were 1787 unexcused absences, and 80% of the number of students received social aid from the state.