Back to basics – green skills Erasmus Project

Project Title

Back to basics – green skills

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Rural development and urbanisation

Project Summary

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND
– A fast changing globalized world with challenges in economy, ecology and energy, and on top of that migration and democratic challenges. More imminently an unsustainable economy based on fossil fuel and debt. Growing unemployment, continuing urbanisation, lack of housing, looming climate change with draught, wildfires and possible food scarcity.
These are common European societal problems. We live on one continent. Even though many solutions must be local, we need to cooperate as Europeans. Rivers, coast, roads, weather, climate…. and trade… binds us together.

We need to focus on how we treat/use natural resources. Environmental issues affects economy, migration and democracy.
We believe that, as Europe develops, there will be major challenges in the area of environment and food production. A big part of the solution must be local and also small scale, by active citizens. The project will bring east and west, as well as north and south together.

In these challenging times we would like to show young people how they can become more independent.
We strive not only to promote participants employability in our field of expertise, but we also hope to inspire entrepreneurs in the ”green economy”. We feel we have to take a holistic approach, empowering all aspects of their identity, not only give them some “technical skills”.

PARTICIPANTS
We will involve primarily 20 participants from three nations/organizations. A mix of more senior experienced youth workers/trainers and some junior youth workers, all with passion and competence in practical “green skills”, as well as experience of community building, project management and leadership/facilitating. All with a connection to eco-communities. We will be discussing methods and content relevant for target groups.

OBJECTIVES
– Strengthening our organisations and networks. Develop eco-communities / learning centers for sustainability and green skills.
Moving towards the SDG goals.
– Strengthen the local community / country side.
– Develop methods of community building, motivation and teaching. Putting forward non-formal learning methods.
– Fulfill participants expectations of feeling meaningful, feeling creative, feeling part of a group, strengthening their identity, being social, desire for personal growth, equipping them with skills needed in society (employability).

ACTIVITIES
During 13 months, in a series of activities we will develop our methods and core content:
1) Practical “green” skills.
2) Community building and personal development.
3) Leadership and project management.
Also
4) Study visit, open space…

We will have one physical planning meeting for administrators, and one evaluating/summarizing administrator meeting at the end. There will be mainly three physical meeting, of one week, in each of the participating countries. Here we will display and develop our core content and fine tune our methods.
Certain things will be dealt with in online meetings, like: personal presentation and initial bonding. Theory and background information.
The skills and attitudes we aim to produce is very “hands on” and practical. This is direct action on a local small scale level. We will show our target group how to solve basic human needs.

METHOD
We will be doing what we teach.
We are working out of eco-communities – venues that will inspire and motivate. Here we will study the simple solutions to basic needs like: water, shelter, heating, sewage, food production, conservation, soil management, compost, recycling of resources. Many approaches taken from Permaculture, but also older traditions.
We will also share the power of community, the effects of team building on the identity. The feeling of purpose and meaning when working in a team.
Our approach is: holistic, non-formal, participatory, life long learning, design thinking, storytelling method… working on an attitude of strengthening the creative identity.

IMPACT
– More competence within each organisation.
– Trust and efficiency between us.
– Broader shared network.
– Better leaders / teachers.
– More members and more activities as a bi effect of this project.
– Sharpened strategic and tactical thinking on admin/ project management level.

Individual level:
– Empowered, confident, motivated and active individuals.
– Increased competence in the areas of green skills, project management, leadership, teaching, community building.
This project will be summarizing our work the last decade. It is operating where we are the most passionate and the most competent. We want to formally organize our Non formal work.
Summarize our strengths in series of educational activities, in order to document and disseminate. Producing new human resources. By developing competences and creating networks between young people we will empower them in entrepreneurial skills and attitude, ultimately having a positive impact on climate change and environment. Small steps. Spreading best practices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 42587 Eur

Project Coordinator

Hästekasen Gård Förening & Country: SE

Project Partners

• AMURT Portugal
• FUNDACJA EDUKACYJNA NAUSIKA