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School camps and non formal education seminar
Start date: Aug 1, 2016, End date: Dec 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Outdoor education and non formal education has been an important part of education for decades. Its value is however increasing as we see young people becoming detached from their natural environment and facing more challenges with the traditional school system. Outdoor centers and non formal educators have a role to play in todays school system. The centers can provide an important connection with nature and a way for kids to reconnect. They can also provide traditional educators with training and tools so that they can better use non formal education to reach there students.The school camps and outdoor centers face a challenge today. They are few and far between which makes them isolated. To be able to share ideas and grow there program they need to meet. The centers also need a platform to be able to share their knowledge outside there group. This project brings together the two elements. The first half of the project brings together outdoor and non formal educators from 5 different European countries. All the partners have a long history of outdoor education and non formal education but in their own setting. By bringing them together we are able to share knowledge and practices and make all the centers better. The second half of the project also puts a positive pressure on the first half. Because the partners are organizing a seminar for traditional educators from very different backgrounds (schools, play-schools, after school activities, higher education etc.) they have to focus their sharing in such a way that it would be beneficial to an outsider that can have little or no knowledge of outdoor or non formal education. This structures the conversation and makes the partners look at their work from a fresh perspective. The second half of the projects is a two day open seminar in outdoor education and non formal education. It brings together traditional educators and outdoor and non formal educators. The seminar will be a mix of lectures and workshops that will aim to bring outdoor and non formal education closer to the traditional school system. If the project is successful it can be a model for similar events in other European locations. The project will use non formal methods in planing and executing. Participants will take turns in directing workshops in the first and second half of the project. Each partner will sent 2-4 participants that will meat up with 10-12 participants from Iceland. The aim is to have 28 participants from 5 partners. In the second half of the project the participants will host and manage a two day walk in seminar for about 100 educators. The goal is both for the participants to practice their non formal eduction techniques and for the visiting educators to learn about non formal and outdoor education. The impact can be great for such a small project since the partners and participants directly engage with thousands of young people every year, from different backgrounds. But the potential is even greater since the second half of the projects gives the partners the opportunity to reach an even greater audience. With a positive impact on educators from the traditional school system the long term benefits can be great. Non formal education is not just something to use in the non formal setting. It can have positive applications in the traditional system where todays students have increasing difficulties engaging with the subjects.
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