Organic impact

Start & End Date: 01.08.2016-30.11.2016
Place: Kavadarci
Participating Countries: Germany, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania
Project Partners: Udruženje People to People Serbia (RS), Zdruzenie na mladi Kreativ Skopje (MK), Team for Youth Association (RO)
Number of Participants: 28 participants

Grant Giver: Erasmus+
Key Action: KA1, Learning Mobility of Individuals
Action Type: Youth mobility
Grant Amount: 12,304 EUR

“Organic Impact” is an 10 day youth exchange funded by the Eramus+ Youth in Action programme on developing young people personal development and competence using organic farming, especially those from marginalized, vulnerable and underprivileged backgrounds. The youth exchange will use non-formal methods and activities to help participants connect the use of organic farming with inter-cultural learning, breaking down barriers to inclusion, experiential learning, development of critical thinking, developing teamwork and citizenship. The participants will take part in a huge amount of experiential learning themselves through the use of outdoor adventure activities and farming such as Guerrilla Farming, Digging, Recycling, Hiking, etc.

The main focus of the youth exchange will be experiencing nature and organic farming as a learning tool and form of self-development. The educational programme will aim to develop young people’s abilities to use organic farming, outdoor pursuits and nature as a learning tool, formally, informally and non-formally as well as a method of pushing their comfort levels and developing their confidence. Using these methods to raise awareness about environmental issues, human separation from the natural world and explore the possibilities to act toward sustainable living culture as well as tools for breaking cultural, social and geographical barriers. By exchanging their own experiences on this project, participants will get first-hand practice in inter-cultural learning.

In addition, the project is also aimed at strengthening the support structure for young learners from Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Germany through involving professional youth workers in shadowing experiences in the involved organizations. In other words, the project combines staff and learner activities in order to provide a structured and comprehensive learning process for learners in the chosen areas.

To reach the aims of the project, we designed one activity:
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[ap_tab title=”Youth Exchange in Kavadarci”]Youth Exchange held from the 5th till 14th of October in Kavadarci, Macedonia.

It’s a youth exchange that gives opportunity to experiencing nature and organic farming as a learning tool and form of self-development. the educational programme will aim to develop young people’s abilities to use organic farming, outdoor pursuits and nature as a learning tool, formally, informally and non-formally as well as a method of pushing their comfort levels and developing their confidence.

Number of participants: 28

Profile of participants: Learners and staff from Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Germany, aged 18 to 30.
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Methodology

“Organic Impact” is a project for providing young people with practical experience of working in the field of entrepreneurship, management, sustainable development and agriculture. The project aims to support the professional development and employability of young learners from Romania, Serbia, Germany and Macedonia through involving them in structured learning processes in cooperation with all the partner organizations. In addition, the project is also aimed at strengthening the support structure for young learners from Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Germany through involving professional youth workers in shadowing experiences in the involved organizations. In other words, the project combines staff and learner activities in order to provide a structured and comprehensive learning process for learners in the chosen areas.

This project will include activities of practical and non-formal educational training for learners and staff from Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Germany which will take place in Macedonia.

Impact

We believe that “Organic Impact” will be a fun and effective way to achieve understanding for the cultural diversity in Europe by sharing personal cultural backgrounds in sustainable living culture, outdoor experience and attitudes towards environmental issues. The impact however will not be limited to the Inter-cultural learning process only but also it will provide basic knowledge for using the great outdoors as an education tool for a variety of subject areas such as self-employment and entrepreneurship, development of critical thinking, organic farming skills, use of natural and recycled materials, etc.

We will be working together towards through teamwork to create a handbook and video called “Organic Impact” that will be published as a tool for young people across Europe and the Globe. It will present the competencies, improvements and skills the diverse group has developed as well as be a positive example for the use of nature, farming and the outdoors in youth work. Displaying how the group managed to use teamwork, outdoor experience, organic farming and as well as natural resources to not only create interesting and innovative ideas, but to develop new skills, experience and a unique story.

One of the outcomes of the youth exchange will be list of recommendations for volunteer green projects. The recommendations will be designed in form of check list for environmental protection, outdoor activities for healthy living, organic farming and sustainable living that young people feel strongly about.“Organic Impact” is a project for providing young people with practical experience of working in the field of entrepreneurship, management, sustainable development and agriculture. The project aims to support the professional development and employability of young learners from Romania, Serbia, Germany and Macedonia through involving them in structured learning processes in cooperation with all the partner organizations.

Gallery

 

Testimonials

[ap_testimonial image=”https://scontent.ftxl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14199251_1256895634322142_1399797226313979613_n.jpg?oh=949ce4014539ee614ff384e24b87985d&oe=59856420″ image_shape=”undefined” client=”Valentas Kriauciunas” designation=”Participant of Activity. 1″]
It was great
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[ap_testimonial image=”https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/c40.0.160.160/p160x160/16195818_1470761306281448_1768909087944256914_n.jpg?oh=3faa2cd9cbe790a9b1945844f064b6d8&oe=59BE34D2″ image_shape=”undefined” client=”Steveli Säde” designation=”Participant of Activity. 3″]
This project was awesome. Right there I “met” street workout. I got new knowledge and friends from Europe! The best part was our team exercise – water rafting. I had a looottt of fun with everybody and I learned that even if you cant talk in English, it’s still easy and possible to communicate 🙂
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Dissemination Materials

Not available at the moment.