We put a handful of clay in people’s hands, not just to make, but to speak and listen with their whole selves.
Voices of the Earth strengthens everyday youth work by training practitioners to combine Clay · Communication · Community in one practical toolkit.
We will:
(a) equip youth workers with safe, low-cost clay/earth activities (no kiln, local materials) that double as tools for reflection, emotional literacy and group cohesion,
(b) improve facilitation, listening, feedback and de-escalation so youth groups can speak, be heard and repair tensions,
(c) embed inclusive practice - with at least 50% participants with fewer opportunities (rural, LGBTI+, NEET, migrants), through “Access & Adapt” options in every method, and
(d) ensure transfer to real programs via Youthpass, a peer-reviewed Earth Talks toolkit, and a commitment that each participant runs one local 3C Earth Voices session within 90 days.
Why this matters: youth workers often face hot moments (conflict, anxiety, low trust) with few embodied, creative tools that are also safe, green and affordable. Our approach treats clay as medium, metaphor, and material, helping young people express, co-create, and decide together, and building skills that stick long after the workshop ends.
Activities
We will deliver an 8-day international Training Course for Youth Workers at Catfarm Education (France) for 40 participants from 6 countries. They are the front-line staff and volunteers who design and deliver learning with young people (no prior clay skills are required, we request basic English for safety). The programme blends:
• Clay labs (air-dry and ephemeral, dust-safe, accessible variants) that turn making into dialogue.
• Communication labs (active listening, reframing, feedback rituals, NVC-informed language, micro de-escalation).
• Community labs (co-agreements, consent-based mini-decisions, restorative micro-circles, role rotation).
• Peer-facilitation sprints where participants lead, assist and observe, using a shared rubric (clarity, safety, inclusion, timing, debrief).
• A public Open Dialogue & Clay Co-creation with local guests (Catcafé invitation) that models a low-impact, consent-aware community moment which will serve as a learning of an replicable learning format.
• A Toolkit Jam producing mini-chapters + method cards with 30/60/90-minute variants, safety notes and Access & Adapt options.
• Before arrival, we run an online pre-meet; after the course, we host three peer calls (weeks ≈4/8/12) to coach first replications. Participants receive open access to New ReGeneration’s Mentor Virtual Academy (www.nerregeneration.org) and a Gaia Education resource bundle to deepen practice without cost barriers.
Impact
The immediate results include a trained cohort of 3C facilitators who can safely run clay-supported reflection and dialogue, hold consent-based group processes, and document learning with Youthpass. Tangible outputs are the Earth Talks toolkit (ready-to-run cards + mini-chapters) released under an open license CCBY 4.0 and hosted by the Applicant and Gaia Education, next, 2 short how-to capsules (captioned, consent-checked) and a “Run This Next Week” adopter guide for quick uptake for future users that weren’t part of the project.
We target ≥500 views/downloads in 6 months, ≥40 local 3C sessions within 90 days, at least one internal try-out per partner, and dissemination through partner websites, newsletters and SALTO-YOUTH Toolbox, reaching practitioners beyond the consortium.
The wider impact lands in daily youth work: sessions become safer, greener, and more inclusive (no-kiln methods, local materials, clear risk checks, language scaffolds); youth workers gain confidence under pressure (feedback, de-escalation, micro-repair); and FO young people meet activities that genuinely fit their access needs. Organisations keep the change through simple SOPs (Code of Conduct, micro-risk checklist, Green Box guidance) and translation-ready files they can integrate into induction. By connecting graduates to New ReGeneration Virtual Academy pathways (www.newregeneration.org) and Gaia Education resources, and by seeding a follow-on KA152 Youth Exchange, we ensure the work grows after the grant, moving from a one-off course to a living practice across countries.
Sustainability is ensured through adoption of SOPs (Code of Conduct, micro-risk, Green Box) and continued learning pathways via New ReGeneration (www.newregeneration.org) and Gaia Education resources.
Location: Catfarm community - France
Dates: April 29th 2026 to 8th May 2026
Coordinator: Stichting Adventures of the Valparaiso: Netherlands
Partners: France: Catfarm Education | Greece: Kinoniki Sineteristiki Epihirisi (COB) | Belgium: Gaia Education Europe | Portugal: Associação Waking Life | Spain: Verbena Espacio Creativo
2025-3-NL02-KA153-YOU-000375321