Youth Exchange: East Or West – Outdoors is the Best

Location: Scotland

Dates: 12-20 July 2018

Number of participants: 35

Participating countries: United Kingdom, Georgia, Poland, Portugal, Italy, Ukraine, Armenia

Age: each country send 4 participants + 1 youth leader. Participants are aged 18-30 and youth leader has no age limit

Organizer: Abroadship.org

Apply here: application form

Your applications will be reviewed and you will be selected by sending organisation from your country, so if any particular question, please inquire at following emails:

Deadline to apply: 25 May 2018

Date of Selection: immediately, or latest 1 June 2018

Inquiries about this project: Justinas at hello@abroadship.org

Costs:

• 100% accommodation, food and program materials are covered by the grant from Erasmus+
• 80% traveling costs (only preapproved and the most economical – no first class, no taxi, no special seats, insurances, etc) are covered. Maximum traveling costs:
  • €80/participant for UK
  • €170/participant for Poland
  • €270/participant for Portugal, Italy, Ukraine
  • €400/participant for Georgia
  • €620/participant for Armenia
• 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.
• Reimbursements will be sent via partner organisations after the project once (and if) participants take part in full duration of the programme, fill the evaluation forms, present all the traveling documents

East Or West – Outdoors is the Best #2 Scotland

Download here: East or West – Outdoors is The Best – Scotland – youth exchange – abroadship.org

Click to access East-or-West-Outdoors-is-The-Best-Scotland.pdf

Context

Nowadays youngsters spend more and more time indoors, which leads to a passive and what is a bigger concern – apathetic style of life. Contemporary youth is the first e-generation, which grew up in the environment of computers, i-pods, Internet, Facebook, playstations and can stay in front of the computer 12 hours non-stop. This generation avoids going out and having fun with simple things like hiking and camping in the nature.

With this project we would like to bring you outdoors, give a chance to re-discover, re-invent and be surprised by outdoor world of nature. We seek to address the importance of spending time outdoors: exploring the nature, to show that spending time and learning outdoors is a great way to keep fit both mentally and physically

Based on long standing scouting experience, we designed a unique programme of outdoor experiential learning that enables and increases personal (me), social (we) and environmental (all) interactions, exchange of experiences and understanding among people of various backgrounds, nationalities or beliefs, beyond cultural and traditional barriers. This programme also promotes cultural diversity by involving European and non European participants.

Overall Focus

Project “East or West – Outdoors is the Best” is a multilateral 2 phased youth exchange project aimed to promote healthy behaviours, in particular through promotion of sports and outdoor activities as a mean to reach a healthy lifestyle.

• To uncover the main principles of outdoor education and to use the experience as a learning tool with the main focus on outdoor activities
• Through personal experience to increase motivation and involvement of youth in organising activities in the nature
• Promote healthy life style and sport activities
• To experience camping and living outdoors
• To increase multicultural competences among participants

Who Should Attend

The background of participants is 18-30 years old youth, who are motivated to look from indoors to outdoors perspective, change the lenses of inside camera, take an eagle approach, who are willing to challenge and (re)discover himself/herself and at the same time to incorporate the views of others (developing intercultural empathy) and acknowledge environmental responsibility. It is for youth that are open minded to explore sensitive topics via outdoor setting, who are eager to hike, camp and interact with other minds alike.

Programme of East or West – Outdoors is the Best

DAY 0: Arrival to Glasgow, Scotland and traveling to Isle of Skye

DAY 1-5: Morning activities. Hiking famous Skye Trail in the afternoon. 5 days of wild camping

DAY 6-7: Intensive programme in Glasgow. Evaluation, E+, Youthpass, Closing

DAY 8: Packing and leaving

Delivery Style

• “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;
• “Learning through outdoor sports” – learning about sensitive topics while being outdoors, hiking and doing sports
• “Learning with nature” – being aware of the environment and its stimulus to brains, mental and physical condition

Methods Used

• Experiential learning through hiking
• Group dynamic processes, simulations and teamwork activities
• Inputs from experts through non-formal education lectures and facilitated processes
• Dynamic workshops and presentations
• Outdoor environmental work and assignments
• Intercultural sharings, learnings and reflections
• Learning by doing in a group setting or individual processes.

Financial Costs

• 100% accommodation, food and program materials are covered by the grant from Erasmus+
• 80% traveling costs (only preapproved and the most economical – no first class, no taxi, no special seats, insurances, etc) are covered. Maximum traveling costs:
  • €80/participant for UK
  • €170/participant for Poland
  • €270/participant for Portugal, Italy, Ukraine
  • €400/participant for Georgia
  • €620/participant for Armenia
• 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.
• Reimbursements will be sent via partner organisations after the project once (and if) participants take part in full duration of the programme, fill the evaluation forms, present all the traveling documents

Where

We will stay first 5 nights outdoors, wild camping every day in a different wild place on a famous Isle of Skye trail in Scotland and 3 last nights we will stay in a hostel in Glasgow.

Participants will be living in tents shared by 2 people. Organizers will provide tents and mats, but participants should bring their own sleeping bags

How to Get There

• We will send the traveling information once you are accepted to participate.
• Fly to Glasgow airport using azair.com to get the cheapest flight.
• We will arrange the traveling from Glasgow to Isle of Skye. Or will inform if there are any changes.
• Travel will be reimbursed only for the most economical means of transportation (see fin conditions).
• Traveling options must be confirmed at hello@abroadship.org prior to the purchase of tickets.

When to Get There

Arrival Day: 12 July

Programme: 13-19 July, in total 7 full days

Departure Day: 20th July

Days allowed to stay in United Kingdom: Thi is a great time to explore Scotland (Glasgow or Edinburgh?) and England (London?). We will not have a lot of free time during the programme, thus if you want to explore country, please arrange extra days. You are allowed to come max 5 days before the YE or leave after max 5 days after the YE, but the total amount of the days that are not part of the programme is max 5 days. If you decide to stay more than 5 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 (we will cover just flights on different days).

Practicals – What to Bring!

• Please bring a large backpack with 1/2 or 2/3 free space, so that you could get on the plane without extra luggage – because we will give you a tent, mat and food to carry on the hike. And for that you need space! Super important! Come light as a feather.
• It is a country of rain and wind, so prepare well with raincoat for yourself and your backpack! Bring waterproof sturdy and very comfy shoes to hike.
• Sleeping bag and towel
• Your personal things, sport clothes, warm clothes for the evenings, swimwear, sunny clothing for warm days.
• Sun cream
• Head lamp-torch
• Insurance – this is critical! Please arrange insurance, because we do not provide and are not liable for any incidents
• Bring camera – lots of great shots to make
• Prepare endurance, Good spirit and Positive vibes!

Weather

In July temperature in Isle of Skye (Scotland) reaches the peak of the year, but still is pretty low, ranging from 7 (coldest nights) to 23 (hotest days) degrees – it will be hot and cold, rainy and windy. Average temperature is between 11 and 16 degrees. Expect to take a swim in a freezing Loch, melt from the sun, suffer and endure the high winds and overwhelming rain to exprience Nordic Scotish way of living.

Check the weather forecast here.

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?

Fill this application form: https://goo.gl/forms/btwh4AxAYsBHDzS72

In order to apply for East or West – Outdoors is the Best project, you must be over 18-30 years old (except for group leaders) and a citizen of one of the partner countries.  Contact the partner organisation from the list below if you need any support.

Follow up

There is an option to join the next youth exchange or training course, organized by us, as a group leader. Check Abroadship.org.

Contact

For information about practical matters, accommodation or how to get to the place, please contact Abroadship.org at hello@abroadship.org