Outdoor Youth Work is a training course mobility carried out under the Youth Accreditation project in 2025. It started from a simple problem: in an increasingly digital and urbanised world, young people are becoming disconnected from nature, while youth workers often underuse the outdoors as a space for non-formal learning. Together with our French hosting partner, we identified that many youth workers see nature as “somewhere else”—a distant forest or mountain requiring specialised equipment. This perception limits the use of local parks, green spaces and rural environments for education, wellbeing and personal development. By bringing participants together in Grenoble—a city where urban life meets the Alpine landscape—the course helps youth workers gain the confidence and practical methods needed to transform any outdoor space into a creative and structured learning environment.
The goal of the mobility was to support youth workers integrate the outdoors in their regular work with young people, regardless of their geographic setting, and shift their perspective from seeing the outdoors as a "trip destination" to seeing it as a non-formal learning space where all the elements can creatively be used to design inclusive, low-cost activities that support the mental and physical well-being of young people.
By the end of the project:
24 youth workers explored and experimented with creative ways of using the outdoors as a non-formal learning space.
Strengthened participants’ professional practice by connecting outdoor education with the European Training Strategy (ETS) and its nine competence areas.
Empowered partner organisations to exchange good practices and integrate outdoor education methods into their regular youth work.
The project brought together 24 participants from Armenia, Belgium, Czechia, France, Hungary, Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia. The group included youth workers, youth leaders, Scout leaders, teachers, educators, facilitators, volunteers, and aspiring NGO managers with experience in working with young people. They shared a common interest in integrating more outdoor activities and non-formal learning methods into their youth work.
All activities were participatory and based on non-formal education, ensuring that participants actively contributed with ideas, collaborated with peers, and learned through direct experience rather than passive instruction.
Throughout the training course, the 24 participants were supported by two trainers, who created a safe, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment.
Participants took part in non-formal activities aimed at building trust, getting to know one another and creating a supportive group environment. Together, they developed a shared Code of Conduct, formed daily reflection groups and joined different committees with specific roles throughout the mobility. This encouraged active participation, shared ownership and responsibility for the learning process.
This stage encouraged participants to look at their own youth work practices and discover how the outdoors could become part of them. They compared the realities of working with young people in urban and rural areas, explored Grenoble through a “Mission Impossible” challenge, and questioned what we really need to take learning outside. Participants also reflected on their competences using the European Training Strategy, experienced the Five Pathways to Nature Connection, and explored key principles for creating safe and inclusive outdoor activities. Finally, they worked in teams to “cook” their own outdoor workshops, test them with the group, and improve them through peer feedback.
In the final phase, participants brought together the outdoor workshops they had created into a practical digital handbook and developed dissemination plans to share the project’s methods and results within their organisations and local communities.
The training course ended with a reflection on their learning, the completion of the third part of the Youthpass Certificate, a final evaluation, and a farewell.
📍 Cheile Bicazului | 📆 25th July 2025 |💡9 attendees
Catalina and Eliza organized a group outing to try the Via Ferrata Astragalus in Cheile Bicazului. The group split into two teams: one completed the A/B/C sections, while the other continued all the way to the D route. Along the way, they compared this via ferrata with the one in Izvoare that they had previously experienced. The participants noticed that Astragalus was longer and a bit more challenging, which made the activity both exciting and a great opportunity to build on what they had already learned.
📍 Online | 📆 3rd August 2025 |💡1123 views
Stefan, together with Andrei, Alin and Codruț carried out an online dissemination activity through an Instagram story. In the story, Stefan presented his experience—and that of his colleagues—during the Erasmus project in Izvoare. The content highlighted what they did during the mobility, what they learned, and what they gained from participating in the project. The Instagram story reached a wide audience, gathering over 1,100 total views and engaging 685 unique users, nearly half of whom were not followers—showing that the dissemination went beyond the immediate community.
📍 Izvoare | 📆 24th August 2025 |💡52 attendees
Andreea attended a youth exchange as a group leader, where she had the opportunity to present the project to the young participants. During the session, she shared the recap video of the youth exchange, providing a visual overview of the activities and experiences involved. The session created an open and engaging atmosphere, allowing Andreea to explain the benefits of the project, share her personal experiences, and encourage discussion among the participants. Overall, it was a valuable chance to inspire young people, promote learning through experience, and foster curiosity about similar opportunities.
📍 Miercurea-Ciuc | 📆 20th September 2025 |💡15 attendees
Andreea attended a youth exchange as a group leader, where she had the opportunity to present the project to the young participants. During the session, she shared the recap video of the youth exchange, providing a visual overview of the activities and experiences involved. The session created an open and engaging atmosphere, allowing Andreea to explain the benefits of the project, share her personal experiences, and encourage discussion among the participants. Overall, it was a valuable chance to inspire young people, promote learning through experience, and foster curiosity about similar opportunities.
📍 Tatabanya | 📆 26th August 2025 |💡5 attendees
Efim organized a small-group session to introduce four young people to via ferrata. He showed them the different parts of the via ferrata system, explained their purpose, and demonstrated how to wear the equipment safely.
Once everyone felt confident, the group successfully completed two routes of B/C and C/D difficulty. During a break, they also talked about Erasmus+ opportunities and how to find projects to join.
The activity was relaxed, informative, and gave the participants both practical experience and new ideas for future opportunities.
📍 Online | 📆 30th August 2025 |💡225 views
Klara shared her experiences from the project through an Instagram story, reaching her online community with insights and highlights. In addition, she plans to introduce the via ferrata experience to her close friends and family, bringing the project’s activities into a more personal and hands-on setting.
📍 Novy Jicin | 📆 19th September 2025 |💡25 attendees
Lucie, Lucie, and Adam decided to share their experiences by putting together their own presentation. They presented it to a class of 25 third-year high school students (around 18 years old) and their teacher. During the session, they talked about what they did during the project, told a few stories from their experience. The students listened with interest and seemed genuinely curious about the activities. They also explained how students can apply for similar opportunities, especially Erasmus+ projects, which might be a great fit for this age group. Overall, the presentation went really well. The three of them felt they managed to share all their experiences and give useful recommendations, and the students seemed happy and engaged throughout.
📍 Beroun | 📆 30th September 2025 |💡120 attendees
Karolina, Emily, and Adam delivered a presentation in their school’s auditorium to share the outcomes of the project. During the session, they introduced their peers to the various activities completed throughout the project, highlighting key learning experiences and memorable moments. A special focus was placed on the via ferrata component, where they explained what it is, how it works, and why it was an important part of their experience. The presentation helped raise awareness about the project, encouraged student interest, and promoted the value of outdoor and experiential learning.
📍 Svilajnac | 📆 9th September 2025 |💡80 attendees
Vanja together with Emilija, prepared a presentation about their youth exchange in Izvoare. The presentation included photos of sessions and activities, as well as explanations of concepts such as via ferrata and the Youthpass. They delivered the presentation to four classes, each with 20–30 students, with each session lasting around 20–30 minutes. The activity provided peers with an engaging overview of the exchange experience and practical information about the project.
📍 Zrenjanin | 📆 10th September 2025 |💡26 attendees
Milica created and delivered a 45-minute PowerPoint presentation to their peers, with the headteacher and principal also joining the session. They shared everything about the project’s activities, experiences of building friendships, and the Erasmus+ program. The presentation was full of photos, making it lively and easy to follow. At the end, Milica gave their peers links to the project’s Instagram page and Telegram group, encouraging them to stay connected and explore more about the project.
📍 Kragujevac | 📆 25th September 2025 |💡17 attendees
Lana, together with Nevena, organized a presentation to share their experiences. They began by introducing Erasmus+ youth exchanges, explaining the opportunities they offer and how students can get involved. The presentation then focused on via ferrata, covering the concept, necessary equipment, safety rules, levels of difficulty, and potential risks. They also shared personal stories to give students a real sense of the experience. Finally, they provided useful links for Erasmus+ opportunities, suggested via ferrata routes in Serbia, and agreed with their professor to collaborate on a future project with a similar concept.
📍 Online | 📆 27th September 2025 |💡102 views
The dissemination was carried out through a short video posted on social media by Anasasija. The video, created using photos from the project, showcased the experiences of the participant and their sister, highlighting some of their favorite memories and activities. It included images from the via ferrata, the hike to Zetea, and the beautiful nature of Izvoare. It concluded group photos of all participants and organizers, celebrating the wonderful people who made the project special.
📍 Online | 📆 30th September 2025 |💡274 views
Ivana shared several Instagram stories about the youth exchange, highlighting the activities and the via ferrata experience. She also included extra information for those who might want to try via ferrata on their own. Although the start of the school year and different schedules made it impossible to organize a group outing with her friends, she still plans to do it in the future.
📍 Skalica | 📆 17h September 2025 |💡20 attendees
The Slovak group gathered to present the project they had attended, sharing insights about the main topic and explaining how an Erasmus+ project looks and works in practice. They also introduced the Youthpass, discussing its purpose and the opportunities it offers to young people. The session helped their peers better understand the experience and the benefits of taking part in international youth projects.
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