AURORA aimed to provide young people with opportunities to get involved in outdoor experiential learning activities, interact with their peers, and engage with nature first-hand. It aimed to increase young people’s inclusion and well-being, foster behavioural change through environmental awareness, and expand partners’ knowledge and capacity to offer more outdoor learning activities. It also promoted innovation in outdoor learning by integrating sustainable digital tools and new technologies. The achieved objectives are the following: PO1: Provide outdoor experiential learning opportunities PO2: Increase social inclusion, well-being and personal development PO3: Foster behavioural change and empowerment PO4: Promote innovation and expand partner capacity PO5: Create sustainable digital tools to inspire interest in nature
After the pandemic, we noticed an increase in social anxiety, unhealthy habits and dependence on digital media in our groups of young people. This was more noticeable among disadvantaged youth who tended to isolate themselves more from their peers and support networks. Outdoor learning approaches have been proven very effective in addressing the contemporary challenges young people face, including issues related to mental health, alienation, demotivation and self-improvement. Outdoor learning has been found to have a positive impact on physical and mental well-being, foster curiosity and cultivate an appreciation for one's surroundings, as well as reconnect people with nature to increase their living standards, especially after the pandemic. Moreover, all partners wanted to encourage youth to exchange ideas on combating climate change and address eco-anxiety while actively contributing to sustainable development goals. We needed to expose more young people to the wonders of nature and outdoor learning, which have the potential to further empower disadvantaged youth, mitigating mental health challenges, combat social isolation and ultimately enhance the well-being and future prospects of the young people we collectively serve.