The Finnish Line
Start date: Nov 1, 2015,
End date: Oct 31, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
"The Finnish Line" was a nine day long European Youth Exchange (Erasmus + KA1) that took place in the small town Nykarleby in Finland. The theme was health, including both physical and mental health. Finland was hosting and Portugal (Azores), Romania and Slovenia were participating actively. Total number of participants was 34, between 14 and 19 years old, most of them youths with fewer opportunities.
The title stands for a healthy line of living that we worked for during the project. The project was also one goal on our journey through life and around the world.
We did a combination of practical activities where young people worked in teams trying out different sports and “close to nature”-activities complemented with workshops that in different ways dealed with physical and mental health, self-esteem and trust. Our main objectives were to create greater awareness of health issues, possibilities and alternatives, to work for inclusion of youths with fewer opportunities while promoting cultural diversity, to encourage development of participants' social skills, knowledge, creativity and their overall self-development. To become aware of, learn more about and improve different aspects of inner health; self-esteem, trust, understanding and mental relaxing.
Trough challenges in outdoor activities we could compare our lives and the situations we live in. We designed the activities to give us exercise, making us think about healthy living, get close to the nature and to each other's cultures and of course to have fun. We went winter swimming, had a Labyrinth theatre, laid down on the ice in a silent evening, had Finnish Olympic games, worked on our trust and fears, made up and performed drama, learned to learn by juggling, made new friends for life, played, laughed, cried, sweated, shouted, were silent, thought and learned and lived! We learned by doing and used non formal education methods.
We believe the project have a long term impact on all participants so that we are now more active, open-minded and have a framework for a healthy lifestyle that makes us able to choose a healthy way of life. We have improved our self-esteem, our acceptance of other people, and we now value different cultures more.