Website: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2023-3-DE04-KA153-YOU-000171634
Start date 01-03-2024
End date 31-12-2024
Budget: 29.015,00 €
Coordinator: Citizens of Europe e.V.
Partner: European Multidisciplinary Organization for Training and internationalConsulting (AT) , ICSE & CO (IT) , Udruga za promicanje pozitivneafirmacije mladih u društvu “Impress” Daruvar (HR) , Active Green Solution (EL) , EVROPSKE CENTRUM MLADEZE BRECLAV EUROPEAN YOUTH CENTRE BRECLAV Z. S. (CZ) , OTI SLOVAKIA (SK) , Szatyor Közösség a Környezettudatos Életmód Támogatásáért Egyesület (HU) , ZNANSTVENO-RAZISKOVALNO ZDRUZENJE ZA UMETNOST, KULTURNE IN IZOBRAZEVALNE PROGRAME IN TEHNOLOGIJO EPEKA, SOCIALNO PODJETJE (SI) , Stowarzyszenie LEVEL UP (PL)
Objectives
The project “Revitalizing Ecosystems Through Experientialisation” aimed to respond to growing concerns across Europe about the rising disconnection from nature, the increasing mental health challenges among young people, and the limited tools youth workers have to address these issues holistically. In the aftermath of the pandemic, youth work had to adapt to heightened anxiety, over-digitalization, and reduced engagement in real-world community life and natural environments. At the same time, societal polarization, climate emergencies, and marginalization of vulnerable groups created further urgency. We recognized that youth workers need innovative and accessible tools to foster resilience, inclusion, and wellbeing—both their own and that of the young people they support. To sustainably achieve this, we saw the need for a transformative capacity-building process grounded in nature.
Our project responded to these challenges by embracing Experiential Outdoor Education (EOE) as a human-centered, inclusive, and sustainability-driven method for modern youth work. Through a mobility experience in nature, youth workers explored how to reconnect with the ecosystem, engage with others, and empower young people in their communities. EOE creates opportunities for authentic learning, personal growth, and self-exploration through direct interaction with the natural environment. Rooted in experiential learning, it encourages participants to challenge themselves, reflect deeply, and gain insights that traditional learning environments often fail to spark.
The urgency of adopting EOE became especially apparent during and after the pandemic. Many young people—already isolated and stressed—found themselves glued to screens, further disconnected from their bodies, communities, and environment. Studies have shown how structured outdoor experiences reduce stress, elevate motivation, and improve emotional regulation. In addition, EOE transmits powerful values like humility, mutual care, sustainable lifestyles, and a deep respect for our planet. The project drew inspiration from the belief that learning should be active, sensory, and rooted in real-life contexts—after all, as Margaret McMillan once said, “The best classroom and the richest cupboard are roofed only by the sky.”
The overarching aim was to increase the relevance and quality of youth work by equipping youth workers with meaningful, tested, and innovative methods to address the social, emotional, and environmental dimensions of young people’s lives. In doing so, the project sought to foster greater social inclusion, mental wellbeing, and environmental consciousness through EOE.
To achieve this, we pursued the following objectives:
1. Identify the real-life challenges facing young people today and explore how youth workers can effectively respond.
2. Discover EOE as an inclusive, healthy, and ecologically sound method for youth work, emphasizing its positive impact on wellbeing and mental health.
3. Highlight the role of nature as a powerful setting for learning, healing, and personal transformation.
4. Examine how youth workers can act as change agents during crises, such as the pandemic and the climate emergency.
5. Strengthen participants’ transversal competences required for impactful youth work in dynamic and uncertain environments.
6. Enhance core hard skills such as safety planning and risk management essential for leading outdoor educational activities.
7. Build the capacity of youth workers to design and implement outdoor, nature-based learning activities with strong inclusion and wellbeing outcomes.
8. Promote values including sustainability, coexistence with nature, humility, and the willingness to step outside of comfort zones.
9. Empower youth work as a preventative force in supporting the mental and social health of young people and fostering a more inclusive and resilient society.
We designed and implemented the project using a reciprocal approach, blending the principles of Experiential Learning, Outdoor Education, and Non-Formal Education into a single pedagogical framework: Experientialisation. The training mobility in Vienna was intentionally structured to mix theory and hands-on experience, enabling youth workers to live what they were learning. Through activities like a surprise camping expedition, time alone in nature, and study visits to eco-innovative urban initiatives, participants were invited to confront their routines, reflect on their role as educators, and co-create new tools for youth inclusion and wellbeing.
This deep, reflective, and practice-based experience created a space where learning became mutual and lived. Participants not only expanded their skillsets but also became more aware of their personal rhythms, strengths, and boundaries. By learning how to care for themselves, they became more capable of caring for others—especially the young people they work with. This is the core spirit of Experientialisation: building inner c
Implementation
The project included a Professional Development Mobility Activity for youth workers, held in Vienna, Austria, from October 13 to 20, 2024, including travel days. The training brought together 33 youth workers, trainers, and facilitators representing ten countries: Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia. The event was designed to provide hands-on experiential outdoor education training, focusing on three core themes: wellbeing, environment, and inclusion.
PARTICIPANT CRITERIA:
Participants were carefully selected in collaboration with each partner organization based on the following profile:
– Aged 20 years or older, with most under 35 to ensure generational alignment and peer-learning opportunities.
– Residing in and actively engaged in youth work or volunteering in one of the partner countries.
– Motivated to explore and apply Experiential Outdoor Education (EOE) within their work with young people.
– Demonstrated interest in the training topics, such as mental health, inclusion, sustainability, and nature-based education.
– Possessed prior experience with non-formal education, though not necessarily in outdoor settings.
– Capable of multiplying the results of the mobility in their local communities through follow-up activities.
– Willing to share experiences and learnings, including challenges, best practices, and innovative methods.
– Open to collaborating in an intercultural group and engaging in mutual learning.
– Committed to European values, diversity, and inclusion.
Each country selected 2 to 4 participants (in addition to three countries having one facilitator involved), forming well-balanced and diverse national groups. Within each group, there was at least one participant officially identified as a person with fewer opportunities, primarily due to economic or cultural barriers. In total, 10 participants were reported under this category, though several more faced structural or situational disadvantages informally. For example, the Austrian and German groups consisted mostly of participants from migration backgrounds who had never taken part in any international learning experience before.
SELECTION & DIVERSITY:
Participants brought with them rich and varied experiences, shaped by different geographic, economic, and cultural realities. Although their contexts differed, many common challenges emerged—particularly around youth inclusion, mental wellbeing, and environmental disconnection. These differences became sources of learning and exchange, as the group collectively explored the “how” and “what” of experiential outdoor education across contexts.
The mobility also served as a space to address real barriers to inclusion. Activities encouraged the sharing of lived experiences, and participants reflected together on the structural challenges youth face in their respective communities. This process fostered empathy, trust, and a sense of unity across nationalities, laying the foundation for potential long-term collaborations.
DEMOGRAPHICS:
In total, the project involved 32 active participants, including facilitators and trainers. Of these:
– 18 identified as women, and 15 as men.
– Ages ranged from 18 to 45, with an average age of approximately 25 years.
– 8 participants had a migration background, including origins Egypt, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Syria, Ukraine, among others.
– For 11 participants, this was their first experience with Erasmus+, and for several, it marked their first time traveling abroad.
In addition to the core participants, the mobility featured local engagement elements, such as open workshops, informal outdoor evenings, and an intercultural night. These events welcomed additional youth workers and young people from the Vienna area, further enhancing the project’s outreach and community integration.
The diverse composition and inclusive design of the mobility contributed significantly to the quality of the group dynamics. Through progressive learning steps, a cohesive and supportive learning community emerged—one in which all voices were heard, and all contributions were valued.
Results
On the first day of the mobility, we began by reconnecting participants with the overarching aim and objectives of the project during an opening session. This moment of collective reflection allowed everyone to set their own personal learning goals, surface initial expectations, and identify potential challenges they might encounter throughout the training. It created space for open dialogue and established a shared purpose across the group.
To monitor learning progress and group dynamics, we implemented daily reflection circles in mixed international groups of 4–5 participants. These provided opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, emotional check-ins, and feedback sharing. Participants explored what they had experienced, what it meant to them, and how they could apply it. After each round of reflections, groups shared insights with the wider team, which allowed us to make practical adjustments and respond to emerging needs.
In parallel, national team leaders met daily to evaluate the flow of the program, review logistics, and assess outcomes. This structured space helped maintain quality and consistency across the experience. At the mid-point of the training, we organized a mid-term evaluation using creative methods such as mapping and visual metaphors to gauge learning, emotional states, and group dynamics. The final evaluation took place on the last day through a qualitative feedback form, which explored personal growth, knowledge gained, group process, and suggestions for future improvements.
Participants also engaged with a reflective journaling method called the RIVER, where they recorded daily learning moments, personal transformations, and future intentions. The journals were reviewed anonymously by group leaders and shared with the team for additional insight into the deeper impact of the program.
In addition to structured evaluations, we ran an informal “expectations vs. reality” assessment using flipcharts with prompts. Of the 33 participants (including facilitators), 30 indicated the program exceeded their expectations. Two participants stated it met expectations, and one noted it fell slightly short due to expecting more light-hearted exercises and less intensive group interaction. This honest feedback contributed to our continuous learning and future planning.
To continue our engagement, we held a post-mobility reflection session two months later with country group representatives. This provided space for collective feedback, a check-in on the implementation of follow-up activities, and insights into how the learning had been integrated locally. The feedback confirmed that most participants had already applied tools, methods, or reflections from the training in their youth work, some even launching new local initiatives.
The project’s success is reflected not only in the evaluations but also in several tangible results developed during and after the training:
1. EOE Resource Library: We curated a rich, open-access Padlet collection of resources and materials related to Experiential Outdoor Education. This living library allows youth workers to explore, select, and implement meaningful activities within their local communities. It also helps organizations embed outdoor education practices into their daily work with youth, promoting wellbeing and inclusion. The Padlet has been widely shared and will continue to evolve with contributions from participants.
2. Local Implementation Plans: Participants co-created eight long-term initiative plans during the training, each tailored to their local youth work context. These ranged from outdoor workshops and nature-based inclusion events to regular wellbeing walks with marginalized youth. Several of these plans were implemented within two months of returning home and have become part of their ongoing practice.
3. Training Booklet: We compiled a training booklet that captures the methodology, tools, and session designs from the mobility. This resource empowers participants to replicate and adapt the experience for young people, peer educators, or fellow youth workers. It not only serves as a memory tool but also strengthens the role of participants as multipliers and community educators.
4. Project Blog: The training journey, reflections, and post-training actions were captured in a project blog, which documents the process in a human and accessible way. This blog was used as a key dissemination tool and reached a wide audience of youth workers, educators, and organizations within the network. It is continuously updated with testimonials, follow-up actions, and visual material.
