The primary aim is Promoting Integration and physical activity among young people at risk of social exclusion through Outdoors sports. The objectives are: 1. Promoting physical activity through outdoor sports: Europe faces a dramatic rise in non-communicable diseases and disadvantaged young people are particularly at risk through inactivity. Outdoor sports are ideal for engaging them but can be difficult to access. The project will explore how to overcome accessibility barriers. 2. Reconnecting people with nature: The BOSS project showed that outdoor sports combine the positive outcomes of physical activity in nature and significantly improve mental health and well-being. They can also be used effectively to foster re-connection with nature and environmental awareness. 3. Achieving a stronger inclusion culture in the field of outdoor sport: The project will gather, promote, and share knowledge on engaging young people in outdoor sports. It will enable European level experts to meet to exchange and enhance knowledge on the subject and to disseminate it across Europe. 4. Creating an agreed mechanism to easily measure impact of engaging, connecting and empowering disadvantaged young people through outdoor sport.
The EU Youth Strategy 2017–2027 highlights the need to ENGAGE, CONNECT, and EMPOWER young people across Europe. These priorities strongly align with the project’s objective of enabling young people to learn, develop, and participate through outdoor sports and learning mobility opportunities. Partners recognised that access to such opportunities is unequal, particularly for young people facing social, economic, or geographical barriers. The project strengthened partners’ capacity and knowledge to reach those least likely to participate while improving their understanding of Erasmus+ learning mobility opportunities for youth and adults. This has significantly increased their ability to design inclusive programmes and expand participation. Through dissemination of the project’s methods and results, the outdoor sports sector is better equipped to deliver innovative activities supporting interpersonal development, intercultural connection, and participation in health-enhancing outdoor recreation. Ultimately, the project contributes to building sector expertise so that more young people can benefit from outdoor sports and mobility opportunities across Europe.