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Aims & objectives

Aim of the project: To improve quality of inclusive youth work by raising youth workers competencies to use outdoor activities and experiential learning methods.

Objectives:
O1 – To give the participants opportunity to experience outdoor education activities;
O2 - To improve understanding how to support young people‘s learning process;
O3 - To increase knowledge of the theoretical and pedagogical background of outdoor education and experiential learning methods.
O4 – To develop teamwork, leadership, international learning and cooperation competencies of the participants
O5 – To learn to design proper outdoor activities with young people (how to set a goals, how to facilitate).

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

The team was composed of 2 trainers (Latvian and Lithuanian), 1 facilitator (Lithuanian) and 1 support staff person (Lithuanian).
The target group: 24 youth workers and youth leaders from Romania, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania.

Training methods used & main activities

The logic of the training course was to experience the experiential learning themselves and then to reflect on the experience, to conceptualise the knowledge, to learn theories, to try to run an educational activity our-selves and to gain confidence to run this type of activities at home.

Outcomes of the activity

At the and of this project we not only had youth workers with improved competencies, but also a new tool for the tool boxes of people working with youth. These are the cards with ready to use methods that are easy to use outdoor and in nature. The cards were made open source and shared with
wider community of youth workers and youth leaders.

The project contributed to the improvement of quality of youth work, variety of methods used in it, strengthening of competencies of youth workers and youth leaders. It also created an opportunity for youth workers and youth leaders from different European countries to meet, develop and in the future implement international youth projects.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Co-creating the concept of the project and the programme, preparing the application form. Running introductory and input (non-formal education principles, guidelines for developing educational activities, feedback, etc.) sessions, participating and supporting the team in planning and adjusting all the workshops of the programme. Co-writing the report.

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.