Training course: Think Like Nature: Emotional Intelligence with Forest School

Location: Ironbridge, Coalport, UK

Dates: 30 May – 6 June 2017

Number of participants: 24

Participating countries: United Kingdom (5 participants), Lithuania (3 participants), Italy (3 participants), Hungary (3 participants), Turkey (2 participants), Malta (2 participants), Romania (3 participants), Spain (3 participants)

Organizer: Abroadship.org

Application form: apply here

Deadline to apply: 14 April 2017

Date of Selection: 21 April 2017

Inquiries about this training course: Justinas at hello@abroadship.org

Costs:

100% accommodation, food and program materials are covered by the grant from Erasmus+
80% traveling costs are covered, up to the maximum reimbursements:
- €0/participant for UK;
- €270/participant for Lithuania, Italy, Hungary, Spain;
- €360/participant for Romania, Malta, Turkey.
There is no participation fee
For traveling reimbursement, it is mandatory to keep and bring all your tickets and invoices, boarding passes and receipts (originals). Without these documents, traveling costs cannot be reimbursed.

Think Like Nature: Emotional Intelligence with Forest School

Download infopack here: Think Like Nature – Emotional Intelligence with Forest School – UK – training course – abroadship.org

Click to access Think-Like-Nature-UK-no-face.pdf

Think Like Nature project is a long-term approach to education for children, young people, families and adults, maximising the benefits of learning with the help of nature. Whilst its roots are planted firmly in the theory of how children learn, Think Like Nature puts the learner at the heart of their learning experience. From this fundamental platform, we want to offer youth workers and subsequently children and young people the opportunity to engage with the rich natural diversity of the woodland environment to help build confidence, sensitivity, resilience and curiosity. We believe in the holistic learning process that aims to raise self-awareness and self-esteem in participants. As a result, sessions will take place in a woodland environment, where the landscape itself adds to the experience of learning. An outdoor element offers leadership and team problem solving challenges that allow to practice new behaviors in a supportive collaborative environment.

The ultimate goal of this project is to equip and inspire youth workers and youth leaders, educators, partners and other involved parties (especially communities) with a set of innovative methods and tools as part of the “Think Like Nature” framework, so that to develop competences, enhance work with target groups and further spread the non-formal methods. We want to deconstruct, reconstruct and test with the participants the framework, which is based on non-formal nature- and community- inclusive methods. This project is practical, based on real problems and needs, offerng competences and skills that are applicable and transferable in participant’s personal life and work with youth.

Objectives

Raise the awareness of youth workers on the influence and importance of nature and outdoor activities as part of the education.
Promote a non-formal nature-inclusive education as an important way to grow emotional and social intelligence, leading to self-development and stronger community sense.
Equip participants with the new concepts, innovative tools and methods of “Think Like Nature” framework
Facilitate discussions and activities to find out together methods, actions and events, which can boost youth’s self-awareness, self-esteem, self-development and consequently community development with the help of nature.
Empower youth workers and leaders to learn, share and be able to teach others on “forest school” methodologies. We expect participants to apply the learned methodologies, both theoretically and practically, in their communities at home.
Develop participants’ competences and skills in learning systems of collaborative consumption, co-distribution, co-working, co-sharing and accompany them with practical examples when and where they can be used.
Create a collaborative environment, where “Think Like Nature” framework will be both extensively discussed by participants, but also new projects to further deepen, develop or extend the topic be developed during and after the project.
Meet the representatives of forest school projects in UK, find out about the context, aims and also processes of their projects and learn from their practical approaches how to apply forest schooling.

Who Should attend?

You are above 18 years old and from one of the partner countries: UK, Romania, Spain, Lithuania, Italy, Malta, Turkey;
You have a diverse background, which could be a source of inspiration for others;
You are eager to gain new competences for your NGO in the field of sustainability, personal and community development with the help of non-formal method application outdoors;
You are youth educator, worker, project leader, facilitator, trainer, NGO representative, teacher, volunteer, staff member or other multipliers, who are already involved in non-formal youth education, outdoors education, environmental and community projects, and social work.
You want to learn “forest school” method;
You seek to find new ways how to approach and motivate youth to be active and contribute to their community;
You want to share experience and help others to see new perspective and opportunities in their environment;

Programme

DAY 0 (May 30): Arrival day

DAY 1 (May 31): Intro, getting to know each other, both inside and outside, teambuilding, youthpass, Pecha Kucha NGO

DAY 2 (June 1): Concept “Forest School”, introduction to the area, tools talk, intercultural sharing

DAY 3 (June 2): Building shelters, camp fire, visiting local NGO, intercultural sharing II

DAY 4 (June 3): Forest schooling I, building trust, improvisation theater

DAY 5 (June 4): Forest schooling II, free night

DAY 6 (June 5): Tribes, joint project work, open space

DAY 7 (June 6): Departure day

Delivery Style

Methodology is a combination of:

“learning by experience” – learning from experiencing different activities and putting them into practice;
“learning to play, playing to learn” – connected with learning through games, from actions and playful environment;
“media practices” – having youth as media creators.

Methods Used

group dynamic processes;
teamwork activities;
lectures and facilitated processes;
group simulations and demonstration tutorials;
dynamic workshops and presentations;
online work and assignments;
intercultural sharings and learnings;
learning by doing in a group setting or individual processes.

Think Like Nature Team

Project initiated by:

Martin Harrison (UK)
Bhunesh napal (UK)
Adrià Sonet (Spain)
Eva Dumitrescu (Romania)
Edward Gabriel Moise (Romania)
Katlier Brigi (Romania)
Justinas Brikys (UK).

Joined the project:

Chris Wishard (UK)
Ionut Badica (Romania)
Claudian Dobos (Romania)

Trainers of this TC:

Martin Harrison (UK) – Level 3 certified Forest School leader, having written and led sessions with people from aged 3 to 18 years old. Having 5 years experience as a community officer with nature conservation charity. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, and worked for 5 years as a Countryside Ranger in the North West of England.
Chris Wishard (UK) – Level 4 certified Forest School leader at Urbanoutdoorlearning.com. Chris at Urban Outdoor Learning started working with young people in 1995 and has been working in the environmental sector since 2000. He has extensive experience of working with adults & children of all ages.
Justinas Brikys (UK) – Justinas is an entrepreneur and founder of Abroadship.org, a centre of learning through mobility, which is an applicant organisation of Think Like Nature project. He is based in London, lives on a boat and enjoys alternative lifestyle. Justinas is excited to transfer his passion for outdoors in the training course

Financial Costs

100% accommodation, food and program materials are covered by the grant from Erasmus+
80% traveling costs are covered, up to the maximum reimbursements:
- €0/participant for UK;
- €270/participant for Lithuania, Italy, Hungary, Spain;
- €360/participant for Romania, Malta, Turkey.
There is no participation fee
For traveling reimbursement, it is mandatory to keep and bring all your tickets and invoices, boarding passes and receipts (originals). Without these documents, traveling costs cannot be reimbursed.

Where

The training course will happen in Ironbridge, Coalport, UK. Find the map of the location here.

Participants will live in rooms of 4 or 5 persons.

Space

Please find the pictures of the accommodation and surroundings at Booking.com.

How to Get There

FROM London:
(1) use skyscanner.net to fly to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stanstead, Luton
(2) use easybus.co.uk to take a bus to London Victoria couch station – costs around £5 one way, takes 1.5 hours
(3) use nationalexpress.com to take a bus from Victoria couch station to Telford – costs around £6-8 one way, takes 4 hours,
(4) we will organize a taxi or a bus from Telford to Coalport for you to save the costs and time on traveling – cost around £5 one way, takes 30 min

FROM Birmingham
(1) use skyscanner.net to fly to Birmingham
(2) use nationalexpress.com to take a bus to Telford – costs around £10, takes 2 hours,
(3) we will organize a taxi or a bus from Telford to Coalport for you to save the costs and time on traveling – cost around £5 one way, takes 30 min

Travel will be reimbursed only up to the limits (see Financial costs slide)

Traveling options must be confirmed at hello@abroadship.org prior to the purchase of tickets.

When to Get There

Arrival Day: 30th May

Programme: 31st May – 5th June, in total 6 full days

Departure Day: 6th June, after breakfast

Allowed to stay in UK days: You are allowed to come max 4 days before the TC or leave after max 4 days after the TC, but the total amount of the days that are not part of the programme is max 4 days (so it can be 2 days before and 2 days after for instance, in total 4 days). If you decide to stay more than 4 days longer than the official programme, you will have to cover the traveling expenses yourself. During these extra days, you have to find your own accommodation and no other expenses are covered.

Practicals – What to Bring!

Casual, warm and sports clothes for outdoor (take into consideration rainy weather) and indoor;
Small backpack (not necessary, but very practical for the outdoor production);
Comfortable walking shoes;
Bring Passport, because ID cards are not accepted in UK;
Medicines;
Insurance – this is critical! Please bring European Health Card and Insure in other ways;
Recommend to open an account and bring with you Revolut card – this will save you tons on money conversions to GBP.

Weather

n May/June temperature in the area ranges from 6 to 16 degrees, sushine lasts about 6 hours and of course of course of course (not so) beautiful rain is a constant friend and a mandatory discussion object in all conversations

Medicine, Allergies and Diet

If you have illness, physical limitations and/or use medicine we need to know about, please inform us. If you are vegetarian or have special diet, let us know, indicating what you can and cannot eat, so that we can arrange the suitable food.

How to Apply?

In order to apply for TC “Emotional Intelligence with Forest School”, you must be over 18 years old and a citizen of one of the partner countries. Please fill the application form: https://goo.gl/forms/fU5P2h7zGmOp6SiD3. If you have a question in terms of application, please contact partner organisation:

Abroadship.org	UK	hello@abroadship.org
Rooted	Malta	matticamilleri@gmail.com
Lycian Pathfinders Youth Group	Turkey	Lycian.pathfinders@gmail.com
Apkabink Europa	Lithuania	eurohugs@gmail.com
Comitato d’Intesa	Italy	comitato.intesa@csvbelluno.it
ReCreativity	Hungary	anna.sipos1@gmail.com
La Víbria Intercultura	Spain	vibria_intercultural@yahoo.es
Romania in Transition	Romania	ionut.n.badica@gmail.com

What is next?

This is a three phase project. Next stages are:

16 days long training course “Think Like Nature: Sustainability with Permaculture” in Romania, 26 August – 10 September, 2017
7 days long training course “Lifestyle with Alternative Sustainable Communities” in Spain, September/October