To enable youth workers to facilitate these kinds of projects, we realized a need for further training. To be able to facilitate authentic and embodied workshops and projects for youth in regenerative practices and lifestyles by engaging in a training that offers insights and learning from beyond the scope of one community. In the words of Otto Scharmer, teacher of Theory-U transformational leadership education at MIT online: “the intervention is only as good as the internal climate of the intervener.”
Specifically, the aim of the current project is to empower youth workers to facilitate meaningful engagement between youth and regenerative lifestyles and practices.
The goals of the proposed project are:
Empower youth workers to be inspiring changemakers, cultivating leadership skills, and creating impact on local, regional, national, and international levels through providing non-formal and informal learning
Instill embodied learning practices in the daily life and work of youth workers
Strengthen the network of youth workers, build strong culturally diverse communities, and foster a sense of tolerance, collaboration, and resilience
Peer-to-peer learning on topics related to regeneration
Explore and share eco-community living practices, promoting environmental awareness and sustainable development
Activities
Activity: KA1 Erasmus+ Youth Training. Location: Avnø Oasis, Denmark - Planned for fall 2025 - Sending organizations: Catfarm Education (France), Adventures of Valparaiso (Netherlands), Gaia Education (Belgium) - 30 participants - 7 days excluding travel.
- Content sessions guided by facilitators:*
Sessions on engagement and empowerment, using various tools to enhance participant involvement and agency.
The program is structured around Gaia's four dimensions (social, ecological, worldview, and economic), providing a holistic approach to sustainable development and systemic change.
- Content sessions guided by youth workers:*
Participants with varied expertise in regenerative practices are selected. Youth workers prepare by studying permaculture, regeneration, and social permaculture to confidently facilitate sessions.
- Embodiment sessions:*
Sessions on physical awareness and expressive motion, using somatic practices to enhance bodily consciousness and mind-body connection.
- Daily reflections*
Three mentor groups reflect daily on their learning journey, examining their experiences at the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.
- Evening sessions*
These involve storytelling, sharing of eco-villages and projects, community integration, and cultural exchange.
Impact
Participating youth workers will gain essential competencies for creating more engaged facilitation and youth work practices. They will learn facilitation approaches, including nature-based practices, to promote resilience among young people. Through training sessions, workshops, and practical activities, they will develop a deeper understanding of regenerative practices and lifestyles and gain practical skills to address them effectively. Youth workers will receive training on non-formal education activities and facilitation tools tailored to the needs of young people. The project will additionally focus on soft skills, such as empathy, communication, and leadership. They will learn how to create a supportive and inclusive environment where young people feel valued, heard, and empowered to seek help when needed. These skills are essential for building trusting relationships with young people and facilitating their learning journeys.
Coordinator: Stichting Adventures of the Valparaiso
• Start date 01-05-2025 • End date 30-04-2026
• Catfarm Education 🇫🇷 France • Gaia Education Europe AISBL 🇧🇪 Belgium • Vitalitetsfonden 🇩🇰 Denmark
2024-3-NL02-KA153-YOU-000282017