Nature in education,
Education in nature.

Nature in Education. Education in Nature

"Nature in Education. Education in Nature" is the title of a project carried out under the Erasmus+ program. The project involved participants from 8 countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Ukraine. The event took place in May at the Agritourism Center “Hajstra” in Huta Polańska, located in the Low Beskids, in southern Poland (Jasło County). The Low Beskids is known as one of the most naturally wild areas in Poland, situated close to the Polish-Slovak border. It is a very ecological and attractive area, ideal for relaxation after workshops, jogging, Nordic walking, or recreational walks.

The training course lasted 10 days and involved 32 participants. They were youth workers, leaders, and educators engaged in ecological and nature education as well as nature therapy. The course instructors are motivated to pass on their acquired knowledge and experiences to the youth and their organizations.

The program was very rich and included many activities, collaboration at the center, study visits, and cultural evenings. The workshops were based on non-formal education. The educational methods included nature and forest education, elements of survival, forest therapy – including so-called forest bathing – basics of hippotherapy and dog therapy, and art therapy. Moreover, the project promotes educational and sustainable tourism (soft tourism), which is environmentally friendly. An important topic of the course was preventing burnout among educators and maintaining mental health among youth.

Participants had the opportunity to learn good practices, methods and exchange experiences in engaging in ecological activities. There was also time for mutual acquaintance, integration, and discovering the cultures of other countries and nations.

Partner organizations have many years of experience working with young people. They promote principles of ecological tourism, nature conservation, sustainable development, and healthy lifestyle among the younger generation. They know how to implement practical nature-related solutions that are then applied by youth in their local communities.

The project was organized by the Polish Initiative Foundation from Łężyny, located in the Nowy Żmigród municipality.

Project Partners

• ARTECO Pavletić (Croatia),
• Asociación de Vecinos/as de Meaus (Spain),
• Cuzisti Implicati Organization (Romania),
• Evolving YOUth (Latvia),
• Health Growth – Center for Personal and Cultural Development for Children and Youngsters (Bulgaria),
• Non-Governmental Organization «ACTION» (Ukraine),
• WeSound (Italy).