The Community Learning Point project aimed to enhance community-based learning by developing tools that promote active learning, critical thinking, and social engagement. The project achieved the intended results as answers to our needs. This in a twofold manner. 1. The creation of the interactive manual which critically lays out how to use ‘space’ as an enriching educational element in our personal and community learning.This manual includes concrete suggestions, solutions, ideas and references to explore more in depth. The manual is intended to inspire youth workers to think out of the box and be creative in the way of learning. Translated into 5 languages to enlarge the reach and dissemination. 2. The creation of an educational board game with a combination of existing methods structured in a way to make a complete action plan. The use of gamification makes it easier to think open and free. This methodological approach, focusing on need assessment, stakeholders roles, proactive engagement, structured construction of action plans which cover also the -often ignored/forgotten- spaces and areas important to effectively implement the changes in personal and community life. Available in 5 different languages.
This project answered our identified needs for integrating innovatively and efficiently the use of ‘space’ as an active learning tool, and this in all its dimensions. With results applicable in different sectors: non-formal & formal education, as well as informal and family contexts. Our partnership, composed by different format youth work actors: grass root youth work, social youth welfare, institutional youth work, schools and youth work service providers, joined experience and expertise to answer the following: Main needs identified and answered: conscious use of space and spatial elements as educational tools; activities in the wider local communities, more efficiently answering identified problems/challenges; a tool to connect different stakeholders in the community towards a common action plan. Additionally, this project provided the different partners the empowering process to act within their community in an innovative and different approach, hereby re-considering the previous underuse of ‘space’ as a strong educational tool, impacting directly the learners involved within their ‘learning space’.