Empower your Nature

Aims & objectives

CONTEXT
In youth work, the main psychological impact after the pandemic is high stress, anxiety, loneliness, depression, alcohol, drug use, and self-injury or suicidal behavior. Finally, rural areas, especially the islands in Greece, have few opportunities for on-the-job training with young people, creating even more challenges in their work.

OBJECTIVES
1. The development of professional competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) through the use of non-formal methods of education, especially activities based on consciousness and contact with nature.

2. A better understanding of the conditions and achieving greater social inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities, through methods based on contact with nature and expanding consciousness.

3. A better understanding of young people with fewer opportunities' psychological, social and economic characteristics.

4. An increase in the motivation to work with young people with fewer opportunities.

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

The project involved 27 participants from Serbia, Cyprus, Romania, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Germany and the Republic of North Macedonia, 18+ years old.

They were trainers, educators, youth workers and leaders working with young people, especially those with fewer opportunities.

Training methods used & main activities

The methods used during the training focused on human connection and nature-based learning, including guided wonders in nature, daily meditation, self-reflection, team work, guided conversation around several aspects of oneself, nature-based art creation and body movement.

Outcomes of the activity

The training achieved to develop the participants' professional competencies, their capacity to connect and support the learning process of individuals, and their capacity to support people with fewer opportunities, especially supporting their mental health.

Booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iYXc6qaTe_OV-r3irHYWYQuak-jF5bma/view

Publications:
1. https://hellenicyouthparticipation.com/blogpost.php?Blog_id=80
2. https://hellenicyouthparticipation.com/blogpost.php?Blog_id=81
3. https://hellenicyouthparticipation.com/blogpost.php?Blog_id=82

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

As a trainer in this TC, I supported:
-the writing of the application,
-the creation & planning of daily activities,
-the facilitation of introductory sessions,
-the learning process of the participants, guiding reflection time,
-the adaptation of the activities to the participants' needs and learning process.

I worked on this training for 7 days as a full time trainer.