Let us tell you about an insightful journey of four participants from North Macedonia throughout the Training Course titled “Outdoor Education for Well-being, Environment, and Inclusion”! This course took place from the 18th August to the 25th August 2023, in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria. The topic of the project was outdoor education and its impact in improving youth well-being, youth engagement in environmental activities and taking care of our planet Earth, and youth inclusion and the importance of active involvement.
Some of the workshops focused on identifying necessary improvements in knowledge, skills, and behaviors for youth workers to better support young people in fostering a more inclusive, healthy, and engaged society. We brainstormed potential solutions to address these issues and contribute by promoting inclusion, well-being, and active engagement among the youth. We also had the opportunity to visit a botanical garden with all its beauty, with a variety of striking plants and fragrances, and were introduced to the methods and strategies employed by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). These visits were truly enlightening! Throughout all of the workshops, energizer activities, and facilitator’s expertise, we discovered that outdoor education is a vital tool in non-formal educational settings, fostering practical skills and teamwork, as well as environmental consciousness and critical thinking.
And we of course struck a balance between the learning sessions and enjoyment! Our adventures included visits to Prater, the Belvedere Palace, the historic Austrian Parliament, as well as countless moments spent in nature, and much more! Vienna’s splendid charm made it the ideal place for this course. 🙂
