Nature of EVS was a long-term project which aimed to explore innovative methodologies in EVS (community-based approaches, The Way of Council, The Hero’s Journey, nature-based methods etc.) and to support quality and accessibility of EVS projects through supporting different actors involved EVS both in their personal and professional development. OUR AIM: The aim of our project was to explore the potential and depth of European Voluntary Service (EVS) as a journey for personal transformation and complex growth of all the actors involved with the focus on sustainability and service to ourselves, communities and environment. Key activities were 2 training courses (mobilities of youth workers), each for 25 youth workers, trainers, project coordinators and mentors active in EVS. The outcome of the project (next to the learning outcomes for the participants and networking of the participating organisations) was the development of innovative methodologies and tools for all actors involved in EVS - coaching cards, descriptions of inspirational methods, blog articles. We hosted 50 participants in total from 16 countries and partner organisations, plus 4 trainers and 1 support staff (total number of participants: 50 people). WHERE and WHEN? 24th - 31th July 2015 (including travel days) in Czech Republic 9th - 16th November 2015 (including travel days) in Italy Together with our partner organisations we defined 4 objectives for the overall project, and then we defined more specific objectives for each of our residential weeks, which are described in section G of this application. GENERAL OBJECTIVES: 1) To create an inspiring learning environment for sharing good practices, inspiration and motivation, for networking and to create a collection of tools with EVS as a common topic. 2) To inspire participants to see the EVS experience as a unique transformational experience and a rite of passage for the volunteers; and an opportunity for personal and organisational development for all the actors involved. 3) To explore concepts such as "community life" and "service", and the added value they can bring in EVS. 4) To personally experience some innovative methodologies (e.g. The Way of Council, Threshold Walk, The Hero’s Journey, Pesso-Boyden therapy, nature-based methods etc.) and to use this to get new inspiration for future EVS work. NATURE OF EVS project was linked mostly with these three aims of Erasmus+ mobility projects: - to support the professional development of those who work in education, training and youth with a view to innovating and improving the quality of teaching, training and youth work across Europe; -to increase the capacities, attractiveness and international dimension of organisations active in the education, training and youth fields so that they are able to offer activities and programmes that better respond to the needs of individuals, within and outside Europe; -to raise participants' awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries, offer Specific Objectives for TC #1 - Individual Journey 1) To understand EVS as a personal development journey, and to compare+connect this journey to traditional myths and heroes' legends. 2) To experience a variety of nature based educational methods as inspiration to make EVS projects more meaningful. 3) To learn about elements of traditional cultural patterns and psychological models and gain skills to implement them into EVS projects. Specific Objectives for TC #2 - Community Aspect 1) To experience community based activities as tools for making EVS more powerful and beneficial learning process. 2) To gain inspiration by sharing and seeing different examples and approaches to EVS and how the element of community can be a included 3) To experience different realities of EVS actors, their motivations and potential goals; to create a space to share strengths, advantages and risks, as learning opportunities. The training courses were based on non-formal education and experiential learning. Participants experienced different community settings close to the nature and more traditional ways of living, and the team used these elements as important components of our learning processes. The tangible outcomes are: Production of useful tool for working with EVS volunteers - EVS coaching cards. These were printed in 10 copies and will be used on EVS trainings by the team, in their respective pools of trainers - Czech and Italian EVS trainer pool, and copies were send also to other EVS actors. Information about the project and its outcomes can be found online, both in SALTO database and detailed articles describing the training courses and main highlights were written by one of the team members, Carmine Rodi Falanga. CZECH EDITION: article - https://carminerodi.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/nature-of-evs/, Salto: http://trainings.salto-youth.net/4969 ITALIAN EDITION: article - https://carminerodi.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/nature-of-evs-sermugnano/, Salt