<< Objectives >>The “Inner Pathways toward a regenerative future. Mindful Activism in Youth Work” is an international project, comprising of 2 Training Courses for youth workers, youth leaders and educators to equip them with methodology, skills, knowledge and attitudes to guide and support young active citizens to lead themselves as well as their communities in a resilient, empowered and mindful way in response to current environmental, social and systemic challenges in Europe and in the world. This project is a direct outcome of the Erasmus + strategic partnership KA2 project “Inner Pathways toward Sustainability” (www.innerpathways.eu), where together with some of the partner organisations we have developed an approach to balancing self-care and action in individuals as well as mutual care in group dynamics. It responds to the increasing need for mindful activism among young people, and the approach has already proven to have a strong positive impact. We recognize the need for youth workers and youth leaders to learn these tools to support young people in becoming more resilient in order to make lasting positive changes. There is also the need for more knowledge and innovative tools for designing sustainable, social and systemic actions for nonviolent change. This project is a continuation of the Strategic Partnership, in order to promote the tools and reach out to new organisations and target groups in partner countries. Based on the 3 pillars of the European Youth strategy 2019-2027 - Engage, Connect, Empower and the European Youth Goals: Goal 11: “A Sustainable and Green Europe” and Goal 5 “Mental Health and Wellbeing”, this project aims at developing personal and professional leadership capacities of youth workers, leaders and educators for supporting and guiding people in taking an active and responsible role in responding to the current environmental, social and pandemic challenges.Participants will explore the “Inner Pathways approach” as a form of mindful activism. They will also learn about preparing young people for leadership challenges, increase competences in facilitating group processes and learn about designing meaningful innovative actions.Specific objectives of the project are: To provide a learning environment for youth workers, leaders and educators to explore and develop an understanding of the current global crisis and local challenges, offering space for self-reflection to identify one’s motivation to act. To support youth workers, leaders and educators with innovative tools and approaches of Inner Pathways, such as Mindful Activism and Regenerative Cultures, enabling them to become more resilient and mindful for more sustainable engagement and active participation.To empower youth workers, leaders and educators to become active and confident facilitators of their activist youth groups by strengthening their leadership capacities as well as providing them with methods relevant for group-based co-creation.To increase the understanding of youth workers, leaders and educators on how people can foster their capacity for self-care as well as maintaining the well-being of their communities.To equip youth workers, leaders and educators with tools for supporting young people in designing innovative actions in the fields of environmental, social and systemic change.To create international support networks, inspire and motivate youth workers, leaders and educators to continue supporting and guiding young people in their groups.<< Activities >>The project comprises of two activities: Training Courses.Activity 1: TC “From Inner Work to Outer Action” is planned to take place at the ASHA Centre, between 26/04 and 03/05 2021, bringing together 30 participants from 9 different partner organisations from the UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, Portugal and Turkey. Activity 2: TC “ Facilitating and hosting our communities” is planned to take place at the ASHA Centre, in August 2021, also bringing together 30 participants from 9 partners organisations, from the same youth groups. The direct follow up of this project is the implementation of the Inner Pathways approach in youth work in the groups and partner organisations they are involved in, integrating it organically in their youth work, daily lives application and non-formal learning activities.The activities in this project are planned for youth leaders, youth workers, educators working directly with young people in youth groups, organisations and initiatives that are actively involved in working towards environmental, social or systemic change, who are interested in developing their key personal and professional competences as regenerative leaders of their groups and communities. Who are interested in learning and understanding new, regenerative ways of active participation and innovative approaches to support young people engaged in the movements, initiatives and groups focused on bringing transformation in society. They would have the knowledge and understanding of the needs of the youth in the local context, the motivation and ability to participate in the full duration of the activity (including preparation, full participation in the training course and follow-up phase) as well as the capacity to transfer the competences gained to multiply the results of this Training Course within their groups/organisations.<< Impact >>This project will mainly impact the following groups: participants of the “Inner Pathways toward regenerative future” project, participating organisations, youth and local youth groups and communities that the participants work with.We expect that by participating in this project, youth workers, youth leaders and educators will develop their personal and professional capacities to support and guide young people in their active participation for environmental, social and systemic change.Participants will be equipped with mindfulness, nature and self-reflection based tools to support the effectiveness of young people’s active participation in the short- and long-run; will develop awareness and common understanding of the current global crisis and local challenges; increase their capacity to become active and confident facilitators of their activist youth groups, supporting young people in becoming more resilient to keep raising their voices and standing up for what they believe in to make the change happen in the long run; have better understanding of the characteristics of mindful activism and using regeneration as a key approach to approach themselves, the young people, the group and the cause; be able to themselves respond to the current state of the world with resilience and clarity in order to hold space and be able to fully support and guide young people on their path toward bringing change; and improve their ability to design actions based on the Inner Pathways approach. In the longer term, we expect that these outcomes will lead to increased resilience, increased personal and professional sustainability and a more impactful youth voice through higher levels of youth active participation. We expect that participants will bring back to the partner organisations and their groups their improved skills, knowledge and attitudes which will support the building and sustaining resilient, regenerative movements for environmental, social and political change. Where youth leaders, youth workers and educators connected to the partner organisations will be well equipped to support young people in having their voice heard for what matters to them. They will increase their ability to respond to current social and environmental challenges and will also be supported by a strong network of organisations that work together towards a more sustainable, just and peaceful society now and in the future, using the Inner Pathways approach. We believe that the inner awareness within social change organizations can truly enhance the effectiveness of groups working toward a just and sustainable world. In the long run, we expect that bringing attention towards these important topics of youth active participation, youth wellbeing and youth community building, promoting values of empathy, care and regeneration would be noticed by relevant decision-makers on a policy level, and the needs and challenges of youth and youth educators will be addressed with more attention. As tangible results of the project we expect: - Minimum 9 Competence Transfer Meetings (per Activity) within the partner organizations and the youth groups, reaching min. 5 people from each organisation/group- Minimum 9 campaigns/multiplication activities (per Activity) made by the participants-reaching minimum of 15 persons each- Minimum 9 stories of inspiration, change and action (per Activity) published on the innerpathways.eu website and partner organisations websites and social media - Minimum 5 audio podcasts of minimum 10 minutes each (per Activity), recorded by participants and added to Inner Pathways project podcast channel and shared through online channels of partner organisations - An informal European support network of organizations, youth leaders, youth workers and educators that are using Mindful Activism and Inner Pathways approach for increasing the level of active participation & green sustainable actions, gathering at least 80 members - 50 pictures from the project on Facebook with a hashtag #Innerpathways Young people wish to have a meaningful life, to contribute to the world they live in. To live in safe and healthy communities and the reality that provides safe, sustainable and just worlds for all now and in the future. However the situation might look grim at the moment, we believe that the Inner Pathways approach can support young people and those who guide them towards taking a mindful action towards a healthier, more regenerative future for themselves, others and the planet.

The project SEEDling: rethinking Sustainability trough Environmental EDucation has been a training course on how to promote social entrpreneurship among young people and who work with them, starting from the local ressources.The aim was to improve the capacity of bringing the ideas to reality through a project.Starting from the concern of the necessary change of paradigm in the entrepreneurship world, to be more inclusive with people interested in social and environmental issues, we wgave tools to the participants to start their own projects.We do believe in the power of small actions, and the need of promoting entrepreneurial spirit among young people, as the main stakeholder in the future legacy.Finally, the only way we know to make the previous come true is through education, so this was a chance to come, learn and share.The place where it was implemented is Medinaceli (Soria), a small village in central Spain placed 150km far from Madrid. It's a natural and cultural priviledge place where the landscape will be our ally to get inspired.During one week ( 19th -24th September), and using non formal education methods based on community building and open air activities we prepared the arena for a rich exchange of ideas, practises and living examples of alternative approaches to work, life and education. It was, more than anything else, an experiential learning project, where participants were able to live in a community based group, using local resources and lightweight lifestyles.We explored the idea of decreasing the environmental costs of our activities and growing in social relations, mutual learning and happiness. Some of the activities planned were: walking in the nature, entrepreneurship workshops, coaching, community learning and council, among others.The target group included 28 participants among Youth workers, Trainers, Youth leaders, Youth Policy Makers, Volunteers, anybody who could be interested in the topic and find it useful for personal and professional development.With this project we aimed to raise awareness on some of the main aspects of the continuing changing society, give tools to the participants to self develop their sense of initiative, and enhance the networking process.The benefits of this action rely on the capacity of the paticipants to put in practise and multiply the contents of the course once back home, and also the power of networking between the organizatoins involved.

"As non-formal education takes a prominent role in the EU, the field of environmental education shares a growing interest in alternative methodologies that prove to be accessible, consistent and scientifically founded.In the long term, with better trained environmental educators it will be easier to meet the objectives of Europe 2020, especially in the strategic framework of Education.""S4L Soil for Life - Science and Skills for Environmental Education"" has been an experiential learning course, based on holistic pedagogies, mainly focused on exchanging, developing and improving the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to meet current challenges of climate change, environmental sustainability , multicultural education and active citizenship in the European context.For 7 days, through a residential program, a group of workers in the field of youth, environmental educators, unemployed science university students and NGO volunteers with youth projects; in total, 33 people from 8 countries have:* - Exchanged innovative experiences on environmental education* - Implemented Holistic models of environmental education* - Practiced experiential methods to help understand scientific knowledge, tracing links between formal, non-formal and informal learning.* - Developed attitudes and skills for healthy, sustainable and community life.* - Discussed and identified factors that ensure the quality of non-formal environmental education* - Documented and reflected on the learning outcomes, by co-creating a fanzine about the course, aimed at the disseminating results and openly sharing knowledge.In this sense the -S4L- experience has trained participants on how to create their own environmental education programs, based on experiential and holistic learning methodologies."

"""The Hero's Journey"" with subtitle Rite of Passage Approaches and Techniques in Contemporary Youthwork"" is an experiential and an educational 7 days long training course for 25 youth workers from 7 different countries (BE, CZ, DE, HU, IT, SI, UK). It will take place in Czech Republic on 30. 9. - 8. 10. 2014. Main topic of the TC are rites of passage and their potential in contemporary youthwork. Participants will have a chance to experience and learn how to use rites of passage and especially The Hero’s Journey model in their work in order to be able to guide young people through adolescence to healthy adulthood. It can support youngsters to be more confident in entering the demanding world of adults. Struggling to find and hold a job will be easier for them and they could more successfully develop their own identity.The training course will have an experiential part - passing and reflecting on various techniques of rites of passage, educational part - deepening theoretical background and discovering how to use all the knowledge and skills back home, in contemporary youthwork, and strong emphasis on supporting learning process, so that youthworkers can use full potential of the training course. Red threat of the TC will be Joseph Campbell's model of personal growth and dealing with challenges in life - The Hero's Journey.In general we would like to promote approaches and techniques based on rites of passage and initiations which cultivate resilience among young people, support the professional discussion on these topics and create support network of professionals interested."

Many issues of the modern society are taking place because people have become increasingly isolated and disconnected from one another. The latest available EU Youth Report (2015) has shown that the division between youth groups is growing:not all young people have similar access to the same opportunities and those who are disadvantaged tend to face more obstacles.Social and professional exclusion resulting from the economic crisis and its impact on the labour market is a real threat for young Europeans, as the gap between those with more and those with fewer opportunities has widened.The main problem identified in the youth sector that we want to address through our project is the following: limited knowledge,competences and tools as well as lack of motivation in working with youth with fewer opportunities and young people socially and professionally excluded.Therefore,the project “Journey towards connection”aimed at developing the resources and competencies of youth workers to create transformational and sustainable learning environments for supporting youth inclusion in social and professional life as well as sharing how strengthening the connection to the body and nature can foster social connectedness and inclusion. The specific objectives were: 1.To increase the knowledge related to social connectedness and professional inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities for 24 youth workers during the project period. 2.To enhance the skills in guiding and empowering young people with fewer opportunities on the path of professional inclusion and social connectedness for 24 youth workers, during the project period. 3.To increase the motivation of 24 youth workers to work with disadvantaged youth for their social and professional inclusion, during the project period. 4.To equip 24 youth workers with innovative and quality non-formal education methods and tools that foster the inclusion of youth with fewer opportunities, during the project period. 5.To provide youth organisations and youth workers with opportunities for cooperation and peer support, fostering quality improvements in European youth workThe approach of this course,based on various concepts and studies related to the systems theory. In social sciences, this means understanding how individuals relate to each other and to the society as a whole with a core concern for improving social conditions for individuals and promoting social justice. The strength of systems theories lies in the interdependency, adaptability, and exchange of resources and energy from the different systems.This project - mobility of youth workers-brought together 24 participants and 3 trainers from 11 countries,including youth workers, educators,facilitators,change makers, local youth leaders,coaches and youth counsellors,evs coordinators,forest school teachers. “Journey towards Connection” was an 8-day training course that took place from 18th to 27th June 2019 in Bacówka nad Wierchomlą in Beskidy Mountains. We used a wide variety of embodiment and nature based methodology, experiential activities and non- formal education methods such as: teambuilding games, theory input, discussions, self-reflection, journaling, brainstorming, mentoring, deep listening and facilitation, creative movement, dance, improvisation, outdoor learning and more. The learning activities were based on: learning by doing, challenge by choice, active participation, responsibility, freedom and autonomy, peer to peer learning, trainers’ guidance and feedback.The project contributed to the professional and personal development of participants: increased their knowledge regarding new approaches to tackle inclusion issue, skills and competences to become more aware of their own resources, limitations and abilities in order to better support, guide and empower young people they are working with to access their potential. Participants increased motivation and gained deeper understanding and responsiveness to the challenges disadvantaged young people face in modern society and received better access to specialized resources regarding social and professional inclusion. Tangible results include a booklet- “Journey to Connection. Good Practices for Social Connectedness and Professional Inclusion”,video - presentation, online dissemination (photos, articles) and more than 11 follow up activities in partner organisations around Europe and 2 project applications submitted for the October 2019 deadline to National Agencies in Spain and Sweden.In a longer term, we expect that the competencies gained by 24 participants will contribute to the capacity development of 11 partner organisations from Europe and the innovations in their portfolio of activities. We hope that there will be an increase in number of youth interested in local and international activities, increased number of resources and a substantial development in social and professional inclusion among disadvantaged young people.