Youths in Wonderland When nature and human beings meet each others everything become possible 24-30 Agust, 20 Youngsters (18-30 years) from all backgrounds from France, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia Le Viel Audon, Ardèche (France) The conception of the project Youth in Wonderland came out from the aknowledgement of the lack of connection between youth and the sourrounding natural environment. Youths in Wonderland aims to restablished this connection and encourage the youth to transfer what they have observed in a pristine place such as Le Viel Audon to other urban/rural contexts. From the 70’s, a handful of “utopists” rebuilt the abandoned hamlet of Le Viel Audon, with the help of 10000 volunteers, and created an association that started by organising international volunteer work programmes for young people and in its evolution created a farm and a center for the education to sustainable development and cooperation. Therefore Le Viel Audon will not just the place of hosting but the main source for rethinking the nature and working together. The objectives are: For the Youth • Understanding the profound reasons for the need of ecological approach, through a direct experience with nature. • Encouraging sustainable lifestyles, and the transfer of good practices to other surroundings (urban or rural) • Breaking the barriers between scientific knowledge and 5 senses approach • Transmiting a learning method based on observation and direct experience. • Favouring the meeting of nationalities, on the base of universal relationship between human beings and their environment. • Encouraging the team spirit, by working together on the natural resources that are around us. • Stimulating critical thinking and creativity by cooperating on outdoor activities For the Youth workers •initiating a project dynamic based on youth mobility , non-formal learning methods, and ecological approac The proposed activities will be: • « Into the Wild » Games (rally photo, orienting exercises) • A baker day • Solar cooking • Ecological gardening • Walking paths in the secret natural spots (during day time and night time) • Designing your own Wonderland project And also : team building activities, intercultural nights, visit of the farm, visit of Balazuc The used methodology: based on the four pillars of education (learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, learning to be) our methodology is focused on observation of the nature (from the system to smaller elements of the system), understanding through direct experience (gardening and cooking as learning tools) stimulation of curiosity and creativity Personal empowerment through development of autonomy and sense of initiative Learning in peers (sharing and comparing) Switching from collective to individual analysis Non-verbal comunication Personal expression through exercises and group evaluation Expected results and impact envisaged: As for the participants Participation to others youth mobility projects Facilitation to be intergated in the social and working dimension Improvement of the comunication in english and other non-mother languages Implementation of personal mini project in line with Youth in wonderland themes As for the the partner organisations: Reuse of innovative and tailor-made non-formal tools employed during the exchange Transfer of good environmental practices Strenghtening of the partnership within the organisation and conception of new cooperation projects The long term benefits: Aquisition of a large range of competences by the participants in the social dimension, in the personal development, in the practical and theoretical disciplines along with an enhanced ecocitizen awareness Initiating a new european dynamic at the local level (Ardeche)