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Ecological Approach to Facilitating Non Formal Learning Activities

2023-1-PL01-KA153-YOU-0001441432023Mobility of youth workersfinalizedGood practice
Countries: PL|RO|TR|ES|IT|IE|EE|CZ · Grant: €37,412
Green skillsNew learning and teaching methods and approachesQuality and innovation of youth work

Objectives

By implementing the project, we aimed to achieve several objectives related to enhancing youth work and promoting eco-conscious practices. The primary goals were: Enhancing youth work impact by equipping youth workers with eco-facilitation tools and principles. Integrating eco-friendly practices into youth work and learning activities for young people. Fostering eco-conscious attitudes and values among youth workers to empower young people, promoting stronger connections with their communities and the natural world, while balancing personal well-being with environmental well-being. The project was grounded in ecopsychology, a branch of psychology established in the 1990s, which posits that mental health and well-being can be improved by fostering healthy relationships with the environment and the community. Through this perspective, eco-facilitation was developed as a profession to enhance the impact of youth work by applying its principles and tools. The training course successfully transferred these eco-facilitation principles to youth workers already active in areas such as mentoring, learning facilitation, counselling, or therapy. It addressed issues such as isolation and self-centered worldviews by introducing methods that connected participants to the community and the biosphere. Participants underwent preparatory activities, including tests in positive psychology and nature connectedness, followed by non-formal education activities. Through these efforts, they learned to integrate eco-based techniques into their youth work and shared their learning outcomes with youth groups and communities. The final phase involved creating action plans aimed at incorporating ecopsychology-based activities into youth work to meet the following needs: Addressing climate anxiety affecting young people. Strengthening the impact of youth work at local, European, and global levels. Promoting sustainable and ecological attitudes and values. The project also emphasized principles such as competition removal, partnership, and cooperation, mutuality in learning processes, and the inclusion of active imagination and experiential cycles. It offered participants freedom to choose their level of challenge, ensured autonomy in adopting the tools, and allowed non-verbal methods of self-expression. These elements were complemented by the use of rituals and rites of passage, fostering an understanding of the bigger picture and the roots of ecological practices. Ultimately, the project achieved its aim of enhancing the effectiveness of youth work through eco-facilitation and promoting a balance between individual well-being and environmental sustainability.

Project partners (8)