OFFICE Odranska 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | HQ Maruševečka ......3 OFFICE Odranska 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | HQ Maruševečka 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | GSM +385 91 422 22 74 | PHONE

1

OFFICE Odranska 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | HQ Maruševečka 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia |

GSM +385 91 422 22 74 | PHONE +385 1 644 56 62 | E-MAIL [email protected]

wwww.outwardboundcroatia.com

2




Report of a youth exchange „Stronger for tommorow“

that included 16 young participants from 2 social institutions – „Centre Dugave Zagreb“ from Croatia

and „Vzgojni Zavod Kranj“ from Slovenia took place in March 2017 and was organized by an NGO

Outward Bound Croatia.

Purpose of sharing the report about this project is to motivate other NGOs and youthworkers in

the rest of Europe and wider to focus on youth with fewer oppoortunities and include them in

Erasmus+ funded youth projects.

Youth exchange “Stronger for tommorow” took place in Outward Bound Croatia educational

centre in Veliki Žitnik in Croatia from 18. –25.3.2017. gathering 16 youngsters from 2 partner

organizations, 8 young people from Croatia and 8 from Slovenia. All young participants came from

social institutions (they are facing many social, economic and educational obstacles as they are

without proper parental care).

In an 8 day program, through non-formal activities of experiential outdoor education, youngsters

were equipped with important life skills that they use in their every day life after the project and

that help them in their better inclusion in the society.

Participants were supported and facilitated by experienced team leaders and accompanying persons

(social pedagogues and Outward Bound instructor) that met in an APV (advanced planning visit)

before the project, in February 2017 (3. – 5.2.2017.) in order to plan and prepare for the YE in

March.

During the YE through through non-formal and informal learning, young participants developed

important life skills – social and emotional skills and the key competences, such as team work,

cooperation, communication, leadership, self-confidence and self-esteem, problem solving,

managing in unknown situations, language competences and intercultural awareness as they

worked and lived together for 8 days in a mixed group.

By taking part in the activities of the program that included communication and team work

activities, problem solving tasks, personal and group challenges using the environment and nature

through experiential learning methods of outdoor education; taking part in a 3 days expedition

where they had to manage their food, navigation, equipment, etc.; participating challenging outdoor

activities – rock climbing, abseil - participants were completely responsible for themselves and the

group and thus developed their responsibility towards the self, the others and the environment.

After the YE participants shared their experience with other youth, peers from the social institutions

they live in and after their follow-up the whole project and impact of it on participants after the YE

was discussed and measured by both partner organizations.

Examples of how participants shared their experience from the YE

with their peers in their institutions:

3




VZGOJNI ZAVOD KRANJ

STRONGER FOR TOMORROW: FOLLOW UP BY LEA SOJER

„On Tuesday 24th of May in the late afternoon hours, our group walked to the hill slope Jošt and

stayed near scout cottage. Before we left for walk, my instructions to the group were to pick up

branches and brushwood to use it for making fire at the fireplace near cottage. With great

enthusiasm we picked wood and carried it for the biggest part of the walk. When we reached our

destination I explained the group, how fire in nature must be set, what we have to take care to avoid

fire from expanding.

Boys in our group were helping so we were able to set the fire quickly. Boys were in charge of the

axe, the girls took care of the “dinner” which we enjoyed, although it was a little bit burned. I was

guiding the group firmly, delegating tasks and I remembered that it is important to maintain order in

the group, that everybody knows his obligations, especially at the end of activity, when the fireplace

needed to be cleaned and left as it was when we arrived.

When we were walking back I remembered everything I’ve experienced in the week in Veliki Žitnik.

I will never forget the one week experience. And although it was very hard for me at some

moments I’ve become “Stronger for tomorrow”.“

Kranj, 12.06.2017 Lea Sojer

CENTAR DUGAVE ZAGREB

STRONGER FOR TOMORROW: FOLLOW UP

4




Youth Exchange „Stronger for Tomorrow“ has had a large impact on the participants who were a

part of it. During the exchange, they discovered new interests and found their potentials. It was

especially important for the children from our Centre because most of them have difficulty learning

in a conventional environment so it helped them to gain confidence and develop new learning skills

and styles. It is because of this they decided they would share the experience with other children

and young people with similar experiences. So, they made series of workshops in other department

of the Centre where they showed approximately 40 children and young people what and how they

learned about themselves and others during the Exchange. They also put extra focus on the

importance of Youthpass which they received after the Youth Exchange and did a small researching

project with the groups on how it can be useful for them to take part in a similar activity in the

future. The methods used during these workshops were: lecture, internet research, exercises,

storytelling.

The reception was amazing – all the young people in the Centre got interested in the subject so

there were even a couple of workshops with the educator who was team-leader on the YE. Since

they had many questions and were curious about the projects and possibilities, a couple of group

discussions were organized.

Some of them already applied to receive information about the future similar projects.

Summary of answers from evaluation forms of participants and

team leaders and accompanying persons:

5




Participants:

Team leaders and accompanying persons:

0

2

4

6

8

10

1 2 3

Team leaders and accompanying persons

How would you rate theoverall quality of thisprogram for teaching skillsthat are applicable toparticipants everyday lives?

6




Some impressions from team leaders and accompanying persons:

Did you learn anything specific during this project that you could use in future while working with

youngsters?

• ‘It is important to teach the children to go on in the tough situations, to get help from other

people and friends and that the best things come after hard work. ’

• ‘Many different skills, it´s not easy to describe because there are many like improving my

intuition, evolving my patience … and I will implement them in everyday life.

Why did you give the program the rating you did:

• ‘The skills taught in the program are interesting and fun and are an amazing tool to develop

self awareness, social and life skills.’

• ‘It pushed you into situation in which you must find solutions and think ‘outside the box, and

be more creative.’

Observations of team leader Marija Mažić, social pedagogue from Centar Dugave:

“Eight days can feel like a short time or it can feel like a life time. This was confirmed by the youth

from our Center who participated in the exchange program “Stronger for Tomorrow”, hosted by

Outward Bound in the Lika region of Croatia.

With all the interesting content on the course, outdoor adventures, social interaction, and group

activities, it seemed as if the days passed very quickly. By the end all participants wanted to stay

longer and they couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed. Over the eight days all the

participants learned more than anyone would expect.

The program is designed in such a way that takes participants out of their ‘comfort zone’ and into

their ‘learning zone’ by providing challenges that stretch what they thought they were capable of,

with each day offering new goals and new successes.

Over the next few days they prepared for an expedition. During this time you could see the youth

grow as they learnt practical skills and acquired new knowledge, the most dramatic changes

however was when their confidence grew during the activities.

Personally I was most impressed by the changes I observed in one particular boy when the group

spent their first night in the camp. His whole posture complete changed, he stood upright, you could

see him smiling and he was walking around the camp in a cheerful mood and offering to help others.

Before the group set off on their expedition, this particular boy was teased by other members of the

group, this resulted in conflict with others or his withdrawal and a reduction in his communication

with others. By the end of the program he had established friendships with everyone on the course

7




and had become a role model within the group. Confidence was only one of many features that was

developed within the group over our 8 day course.

We are working with specific groups of young people and our major priority is to develop their sense

of responsibility. From this perspective it is very interesting to see the 16 young people on this camp

take full responsibility for organising themselves. This was seen when they shared group tasks,

participants took ownership of their own tasks and when they offered to help others.

This program was a collision with reality for participants as they learnt about how each action they

took had consequences. If they made a fire, they would be warm and have a hot dinner. If they made

a good bivouac, they would be comfortable and have a safe place to sleep. The approach had

tremendous results with the group. The raised awareness of the consequences of their behaviour will

serve them in the near future as it provided them with the intrinsic motivation to be the best version

of themselves, which they displayed on this program.

Instructors were subtle but impressive leaders through the whole process. They gave participants

enough knowledge to prepare them for situations in the program and gave them independence to

learn and grow as they applied the knowledge without assistance. Even if this meant letting

participants make mistakes. During these times when things were going wrong were especially

important because the participants were able to cope with challenges by themselves, overcoming

their fears and uncertainties.

Participants who attended the program are both empowered by the role they had in the program

and have developed optimism from their experience. Memories and impressions from this program

(and for us who joined them) will be with participants for a long time. Every day we are exploring

what possibilities we have for participating in more Outward Bound programs and how we will

present what we learnt on our program to others at the Center and the wider community.”

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Documents

OFFICE Odranska 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | HQ Maruševečka ......3 OFFICE Odranska 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | HQ Maruševečka 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia | GSM +385 91 422 22 74 | PHONE