Shape Your Landscape

This project will support participants in discovering how they can turn any environment into a learning space and how they can use this approach in context of youth work and non-formal education.

Aim

To empower youth workers and other educators to use place-based education approach in their work and to support them in developing competences that will help them reimagine how different places can be used as learning spaces and resources.

Objectives

• To introduce the concept and principles of place-based education in context of youth work and non-formal education.
• To develop understanding of how youth workers and educators can use local environment to create experiences that are meaningful for learners and their communities.
• To explore how can place-based education support development of the competences within ETS framework for youth workers.
• To support participants in developing their own collaborative sessions and actions that will respond to real community challenges and needs.

Target group

The training course has been designed for youth workers, non-formal learning facilitators and teachers who are interested in place-based learning approach and are willing to learn new and creative methods for their work.

The approach and methodology

The training approach is based on principles of place-based learning, experiential learning and non-formal education. Throughout the course learners will take part in various place-based exercises thus giving them chance not only to gain knowledge about place-based learning but also to experience diverse and creative practical methods how to use it. Group discussions and theoretic inputs, field work, outdoor, artistic and movement activities, different idea generation methods and visual facilitation will be used as supportive methods. The training will also connect the ETS Competence Model for Youth Workers with the placed-based educational approach to foster an active reflection about our way of learning and teaching.

Why place-based learning in youth work?

• Takes advantage of geography to create authentic, meaningful and engaging learning for individuals and groups;
• Fosters soft skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and reflection;
• Promotes understanding of the world around us by connecting learning and the community;
• Fosters interaction with the community and in that way designs solutions to the real problems;
• Helps to address issues such as disconnection from nature and lack of active participation.

Background and theme of the training course

Communities we are involved in provide not only context for learning, but also resources to support that learning. There is so much to learn from the places we inhabit - from learning about the nature to learning about ourselves and the world as a whole. Being immersed in the world around us gives more meaning to our experiences. Our learning is then real, organic, authentic and responsive to the needs.

However, utilising the power of the place is rather exception than the rule. When we look at our formal education systems, most learning happens in closed environments. And when we look at the modern civilisation where lots of experiences happen online we can see how easy it can be to lose the sense of place, belonging and connection. When learning in fact is much more about connecting and building relationships - with our local community, wider world and our inner selves.

Place-based education and learning approaches can provide answers as to how can we ground our sense of belonging through connecting with our surroundings and environment. It empowers us to be practical, brave, realistic and aspirational and acts as the keystone in the bridge that connects our experiences with the real life.

When learning is rooted in how we relate to ourselves and each other as people, and utilises the local environment, then learning outcomes are more holistic and are applicable throughout the life. And the capacities and competences we develop as humans and learners, makes us also better educators and youth workers which also adds to the value and the quality of the support systems within which we exist.