Outdoing

The idea behind

The great outdoors is a perfect place to organize activities for young people – it helps them focus, be more present, and, contrary to popular belief, be less distracted. The problem addressed by this project is that too many times, nature seems to be a place reserved for ‘sporty’ people, a place for a niche group who are fit – this project aims to break that stereotype by developing youth workers’ competencies in delivering good quality programs in nature, for young people who are at the risk of exclusion because of physical conditions.

The main needs and issues which we are trying to address with this project are:

young people who are physically challenged have limited access to outdoor activities, although their condition many times allows and encourages them to be active

the youth workers have limited competences and selftrust to work with inclusion groups

Objectives:

Provide 18 youth workers with a theoretical approach as to why nature should be used when working with young people, by giving them access to at least 3 relevant resources on theory of outdoor education

Provide a space to 18 youth workers for exchanging good practices, experiences and resources about the use of nature with physical-exclusion groups, by bringing them together for the Training

Raise awareness of local and international community about the impact and effects that nature can have on youths who are excluded because of their physical condition, through press releases and other documents

Develop the participants’ confidence and initiatives of working with physical-exclusion groups, through a hands-on approach and involving them in direct work with excluded young people measuring their availability and motivation before and after the project

Develop the participants’ skills in the creation of non-formal educational programs implemented in nature, aimed at physical-exclusion groups, by supporting them in creating activities dedicated to this topic, which can later be used in their organisations

Methodology:

The project will make use of the principles of non-formal education (eg: participant centered approach, group seen as a learning resource, adaptability of the program, holistic approach, trainers are facilitators of the learning process etc) and of experiential education. There will be elements of low-ropes (this is the name given for activities that challenge participants to walk on a line situated between two trees, 0.5 meters from the ground, for example). The schedule will include a hands-on approach and putting things to practice.

If you are interested to apply for this training, please fill in the following form:

https://forms.gle/kQ6fK9J2jgNr5W3d8