How to forge learning communities: stories and adventures from a E+ Small Scale projects

As autumn is unfolding in bright colors around us, as the world seems to grow more unpredictable, and the air becomes quieter, we can find ourselves turning inwards to listen to the quiet voice of our heart.

What are you noticing? How are you harvesting old and new ideas? What ancient dormant powers are waking up inside of you, like autumn storms shaking the leaves? Are you feeling the call to bring people together? Perhaps explore together to find new ways of living, connecting with each other, or relating to the Earth? Have you wondered how to bring your idea to life and sustain this initiative, both socially and economically? Are you looking for inspiration and concrete tips and tools, and a touch of courage, so that you can take the next step when you’re ready?

Re-Forage: a project for transformative action

For the past two years, Andreea (cirkacph, DK) and Emmy (Relearn Suderbyn, SE) have explored collective empowerment through the Erasmus+ funded project called ‘Re-forage’. In the face of pressing environmental challenges, particularly among youth, the need for transformative action has never been more urgent. The main objective of Re-Forage was to empower youth(workers), to become catalysts for change in their own right. Through Re-Forage, we worked to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to navigate and address environmental challenges effectively, thereby creating a ripple effect for future generations.

A seminar of storytelling, practical tips and hands-on experience

During this seminar, Andreea and Emmy will share about their experiences: how they designed the program and got it funded, and how they built an international community of changemakers. You’ll hear tips on what worked well (and what didn’t), advice on what to pay attention to for your (potential) future project, and receive inspiration on how to get started. Our aim is to empower you with the information and tools you need to (co-)found your own (E+ Small Scale) passion project, so that the positive impact of Re-Forage can spread to more communities.

The program of the seminar will include interactive storytelling and Q&A about the Re-Forage program, as well as two hands-on ‘tasters’ to get inspired: a grounding practice you can introduce into your daily life, and a community practice to source collective wisdom and foster ‘wiser action’ within a supportive learning culture.

Who is this for?

This seminar is open to everyone who is interested in empowering (young) changemakers and/or contributing a seed of hopeful action for the socio-ecological crises we face. We welcome youth, NGOs, youth workers, coaches and healthcare professionals, municipalities, educational institutions, (social) entrepreneurs and (aspiring) witches, people of all ages looking for hope and courage, and those wanting to spread hope and courage.

How to prepare

We look forward to creating an impactful seminar with you. For this purpose, we ask you to prepare two to three things:

Ask yourself: what is your intention with joining the seminar? What do you hope to learn, and how do you plan to apply that knowledge afterwards in your life/project? If possible, take a few minutes to visit a nearby garden, park or forest. Choose something that represents your intention: a plant, a fungus, or an object. Don’t think too long, let your hands/feet guide you. Take a photo of it, or if it is non-living and safe to touch, bring the ‘treasure’ with you. During the seminar, everyone will be invited to share their photo or treasure.

For the seminar itself: prepare a cup of tea, coffee or a favorite drink and bring it to the seminar. This will be the focus of the grounding exercise.

Optional: For the community practice activity, we are looking for several people to present a project (idea) and a specific question or challenge that you’d like to get input for. During the seminar, you'd get about 3 minutes to 'pitch' your project (idea) and share about a current challenge that you'd like to get support with. This could be to brainstorm solutions to a problem you're experiencing, help you make a decision, get clarity on something, or anything else that would help you get forward in your project. This can be a truly empowering experience and a unique opportunity to advance your project (idea)!
If you’re interested, please send an email to emmy@suderbyn.se before 1st of November with a 2-3 sentence summary of your project (idea) and 1-2 sentences on the current challenge you’d like some support with. We will inform you on 5.10 if your project (idea) has been nominated.

You’re welcome to drop in from 17:45 onwards, we will start at 18:00 sharp and end at 20:00. Since this will be an interactive event with movement activities and breakout rooms, please be ready to have your camera on from the beginning.

Frequently Asked Questions

I need to walk my cat / pick up my child / open the door for the plumber, can I come late or leave early? Will this seminar be recorded?
We understand that all of us have different commitments going on, including on Tuesday evenings. Great that you’re interested and figuring out how to join us. Since this will be a community event, it’s important to us that the group feels as safe as possible. Therefore we can unfortunately not admit latecomers. If you need to leave early, please let us know in advance so we can take this into account when creating breakout groups. For the same reason, the seminar will not be recorded.

I currently don’t work as a youth worker  / Erasmus+ project coordinator / live in Scandinavia. Can I still join?
Yes! This seminar is open for anyone who is interested within the EU, regardless of professional background or experience.

We look forward to welcoming you on the 10th November. If you have any questions, please reach out to emmy@suderbyn.se.