European Network of Outdoor Centres Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Network of Outdoor Centres

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits)

Project Summary

ENOC (European Network of Outdoor Centers) pursued the goal to further develop the European cooperation of outdoor centers in Europe and to initiate a steady network of organisations working in the field of outdoor adventure and experiential education. This specific strategic partnership put its focus during the project span on the topic “Aesthetic Education” in youth work. For this purpose, a practical handbook was developed which contains a collection of best practice activities combined with several articles dealing with different aspects of and approaches to aesthetic education.

The project started with a kick off meeting in Marburg/Germany in order to set a common ground of the understanding of the aesthetics. At the same time all organisations presented their work with youth groups, backgrounds, target groups and own professional approaches (again with focus on aesthetic education). By this the cornerstone was laid for the development of a train-the-trainer seminar, which was carried out in a next step for a total of 20 professionals from all organisations involved.

The implementation of the train-the-trainer seminar (Radenci/Slovenia) made it possible to carry out best practice activities of each involved partner organisation and to systemize them and reflect on it in accordance with its possible uses and limits in the work with youth groups. Subsequently, each partner took the new practical impulses back into the individual working contexts during an intensive testing phase of best practice. All new experiences with those activities were briefly documented. At the same time all partners were engaged in spreading best practice approaches and didactics of aesthetic education within the own organisation. From time to time also multiplying events were held in order to inform others about the project and to share experiences in the field of aesthetic education.

A second project meeting of all partners in Ambleside/England was used to evaluate this testing and implementation phase in detail. This resulted in a collection of best practice activities, which was – in a next step – prepared uniformly to transfer those with a didactical processing into the planned handbook. A content concept for this publication was also developed. Besides the best practice activities it was decided to include a number of articles into the handbook contributed by some experts involved in the strategic partnership project.

As part of the final meeting (again in Marburg/Germany) the results were brought together and experience gained from working with aesthetic education was again collected, exchanged and discussed. The whole group also visited an independent project that has a lot of experience with aesthetic education in various fields. In addition, new/previously unmentioned approaches to aesthetic education were discussed. Extensive consideration was given to the continuation of the collaboration. The partners debated on ideas/proposals for expanding the network and talked about opportunities to continue with the work on aesthetic education (e.g. developing a teaching seminar and implementing youth meeting activities). During this process also other core issues could be identified that are elementary for the work in educational and outdoor centers (including health and wellbeing, environment & sustainability, personal / social development).

The partners: Institutions from Germany (bsj Marburg), England (Brathay Trust), Slovenia (CŠOD), Finland (Metsäkartano) and Poland (Centrum Edukacji Nieformalnej i Outdooru ) were involved in the partnership project. All organisations have a long tradition and great expertise in adventure and outdoor education. They carry out extensive practice in the outdoor centres of their own countries with a large number of youth and adult groups, as well as families, companies and other groups. The involved organisations are also members of the EOE network (European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning).

Results and effects: The project led to an intensive examination of processes of aesthetic education and stimulated a strong professional exchange between the organisations involved. Although all partners can be seen as institutions with great expertise in aesthetic education, the project has shown a high need for professionalisation in this area. Experience processes in the implementation phase have shown that target group-specific access is fundamental, especially in the field of aesthetic education, and that specialists are faced with major didactic challenges to implement this practice when working with large and sometimes heterogeneous groups in outdoor centres.

The intensive examination of the potential of aesthetic education, but also of the corresponding success factors, has led to professional development within the organisations and has made aesthetic education a central part of the work of all partner organisations. In addition to the reached impact and development of the topic itself, the network now is represented by a website and established different ways (social media, leaflets) to address other potential partners, to promote the products and results of the project (best practice handbook) and to advertise for the benefits of engaging with ENOC.

A huge impact will come from the new handbook, which will serve as a tool for professionals across Europe and beyond and also can raise the importance of the often underrepresented field of aesthetic education in schools and formal learning settings as well as in many informal/non formal learning settings, too. This, in turn, means that thousands of participants of the programmes of outdoor centres benefit from the project results and the growing European network that brings raising opportunities for the youth as well as for practitioners and involved organisations in general.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 62195 Eur

Project Coordinator

Verein zur Förderung bewegungs- und sportorientierter Jugendsozialarbeit & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Nuorisokeskus Metsäkartano
• Centrum Edukacji Nieformalnej i Outdooru
• CSOD
• Brathay Trust