Call for participants: “Leadership in Regenerative Learning Communities»

[Update from 10th March 2023: all places have been covered. You can still apply if you want to enter the waiting list.]

Biodiversa is offering 4 places for the training course «Leadership in Regenerative Learning Communities», which will take place in the Educational Hub of Vale da Lama Farm (www.valedalama.net), a Regenerative Organic Farm located in the Algarve, South Portugal, from 19th to 26th April 2023.

LRLC is an educational project directed at youth workers from rural and semi-urban areas. It aims to deepen solutions and practices within the scope of environmental education/action, coming from a regenerative development paradigm.

The project is coordinated by Projecto Novas Descobertas (www.projectonovasdescobertas.org), and Biodiversa is one of the partner organisations, together with Keti Keta (PT), Boodville (ES), Palma Nana (IT) and Kalistratia (IT). There will be a total of 26 participants.

About you

Are you?

 – A youth worker with fewer opportunities*;
– Over 18 years old;
– Officially living in Spain;
– Fluent in English;
– Interested or with experience in Education/Action for Regeneration;
– Developing work in rural and/or semi-rural areas (this is preferable, but not compulsory).

About the place and learning opportunities

The facilities include camping area, indoor showers and toilets, indoor/ outdoor classroom/multipurpose space and indoor/ outdoor dining area. WiFi, charging stations, tools and didactic materials are also available. 

It’s close to the sea and Ria do Alvor nature reserve, an amazing estuary where a lot of our Ecosystem Regeneration Learning activities take place.

The spaces, practices and routines of Vale da Lama Farm offer the possibility for practical examples of Regenerative Agriculture and Permaculture solutions.

Costs

The project is funded by the Erasmus + program of the European Commission.

All project-related costs (accommodation, food, course materials, etc) will be provided to you free of charge.

Your travel costs will be refunded, up to 275 EUR. To be coherent with our values, we will ask you to find the most environmentally friendly means of transportation possible (avoid or minimize air travel) and to offset the CO2 emissions of your trip at your own cost if you do take a plane.

How to apply

If you got excited when reading this project description and you fit the profile, write us an email at asociacionbiodiversa@gmail.com explaining briefly how you meet the selection criteria, what excites you about this project and what you intend to get out of it.

Please state your full name and the title of this project in the email subject, and remember to tell us where you live (it must be somewhere in Spain). Your phone number can also be useful, as we may be calling some of you during the selection process.

The selection will be made on a rolling basis, so if you’re interested, apply as soon as possible!

Preference will be given to Biodiversa members, those of you who already cooperated with us somehow, and those of you living in or close to us here in Asturias.

* People with fewer opportunities means people who, for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons, a migrant background, or for reasons such as disability and educational difficulties or for any other reasons, including those that can give rise to discrimination under article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union, face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the Erasmus + programme)

Anuncio publicitario

«Live Sustainably»: testimonies, resources, gratitude and… 3rd edition?

We asked participants in the training course what they learned during the week. Here are some of their answers:

Concepts about sustainability that I did not know, an internal perspective to start the change from ourselves. thousands of resources to continue growing outwards and inwards. – Silvia, Spain

I was able to fulfil my expectations and was able to create a beautiful connection with people. It was also important for me to be in tune with myself, others and nature. Throughout the training I got to realise that I still have power inside me and that the fire that I thought was extinguished, is still here. – Fi, Portugal

I learned that: I am not alone, I can meet amazing people. There is a lot of positive energy to share and receive. Doing things with heart is one of the most important things. – Maja, Slovenia

I learned how to connect more to nature and take it as a self learning. I also learned methods, tools that I will use in my youth work. – Mica, Germany/Romania

I learned to listen to others, to myself and to nature. To be more gentle with myself and allow myself to feel the way I feel about the world around me. To look at things from a different perspective. – Mathilde, France

I learned to better respect my environment and have a better understanding of everything that is surrounding me. – Tiago, Portugal

The time to act is now. Start from yourself. – Brigjilda, Azerbaijan

I learned new ways to create activities and a sustainable lifestyle, new practices related to nature… and I got many resources to continue improving this knowledge. – Mota, Spain

Technical sustainable aspects. Being part of something bigger than me. Connect with my surroundings. – Afonso, Portugal

The most valuable experience was to pay attention to the professionalism and knowledge of the 3 trainers that I really appreciated. I will take this with me, in the heart, as an example. It empowered me to have trust in my inner voice and act more. – Andreea, Romania

Resources

During the training course, we collected many educational resources in a Padlet, which is freely available to all here: https://padlet.com/szatyorprojects/LS_2022

Gratitude

Much gratitude to everyone who made this experience possible!: Szatyor Association, particularly Era and Kolja, and their wonderful volunteers Paula and Valentina; Bara, Géza and the rest of the team at Biofalu, the venue which hosted our training; all 23 participants, and our 4 legged companion Kifli.

3rd edition?

If you, reader, are working in the international youth education field and are interested in hosting the 3rd edition of «Live Sustainably», don’t hesitate to get in touch and, together, we will make it happen!

«Live Sustainably» training course in 3 words

We asked participants in our latest course to describe the training experience in 3 words.

This is what we got!

Live Sustainably II: results

The second edition of “Live Sustainably” took place in Máriahalom, Hungary, from 9th to 17th August 2022.

The training course lasted 8 intense days in which 23 participants from 10 different countries discovered, explored and discussed ways to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

We deep-dived into topics and concepts such as the three divides, the transformative learning model, critical thinking, systems thinking, eco-anxiety, eco-competences, greenwashing…

We experienced forest bathing, becoming animal, deep listening, speaking from the heart, intention-setting, connecting with nature…

We used Deep Ecology, the Work that Reconnects, the Way of Council, the learning tribes, journalling… as ways to guide and aid our shared learning experience.

Evaluation results:

We asked participants to give a score out of 10 to different aspects of the training, and these are the average scores that we got:

How useful was this training course for you?: 8,7

How much were the objectives of this course achieved?

• To provide participants with the possibility to understand more the current environmental situation locally and globally. 7,3
• To improve competences (knowledge, attitudes and abilities) to be able to choose a more respectful life with the planetary boundaries and to facilitate effectively a change of habits towards sustainability among the young people you work with. 8,6
• To equip educators/youth workers with methods and practices to be able to facilitate group processes with young people on sustainability-related issues. 8,6
• To encourage critical thinking to learn to unmask frequent phenomena such as “greenwashing” (fake sustainability). 9
• To share resources and tools to inform and raise awareness of young people about the importance of caring for the environment, inspire and motivate them to modify their lifestyles towards more sustainable ones. 9,1
• To join an international group of youth workers interested in promoting sustainability among the youth they work with. 9,4

How did the methods and tools that we used on this training course support your learning process? 8,5

How satisfied are you with the work of the trainers? 9,2

We, the trainers team, are humbled and overjoyed by the fantastic evaluation results that we’ve got!!

We thank the participants for their trust and involvement and we already look forward to a third edition of “Live Sustainably”!.

From left to right: Erika Karman, Ági Berecz and Esther Vallado, the 3 trainers in «Live Sustainably» second edition.

«Live Sustainably» second edition: about to start

The second edition of our acclaimed training course «Live Sustainably: How to live the present without compromising the future» is about to start (9th-17th August), this time in Máriahalom, a fantastic location in Hungary.

The first edition of the training was hosted in Asturias by Biodiversa in September 2019.

We are very happy to have one of our training courses happen again in another country and very thankful to Szatyor Association for taking it over!

«Greening International Youth Work» kick-off meeting

During the weekend of 13th and 14th June 2022, we met in the Naturefriends office in Berlin to officially launch the Strategic Partnership «Greening International Youth Work».

The members of this project are:

• Naturfreunde Jugend (project promoter)
• Association Sénégalaise des Amis de la Nature (ASAN) (partner)
• International Young Naturefriends (IYNF) (partner)
• Gruppo Italiano Amici della Natura (G.I.A.N.) (partner)

and, of course, Biodiversa!

From left to right: Mamadou Mbodji (from ASAN and Vicepresident of Naturefriends International), Aykut and Sina Franz (from Naturefreunde Jugend), Francesco Mangiarini (from IYNF) and Esther Vallado (from Biodiversa).

Pari joined us online, representing our Italian partner.

During the meeting we got to know each other better, we shared our expectations, wishes and fears for this joint venture, we came to communication agreements, reviewed the project timeline, planned the next steps, and enjoyed some leisure time together in the evenings.

It was a productive and joyful start to this exciting long-term project, which we believe will produce outcomes which will be widely used by the international youth work community from 2023 onwards.

My experience at the Youth Environmental Education Congress

By Carmelo Zamora.

«From the 13th to 17th March 2022 I was delighted and honoured to take part in the Youth Environmental Education Congress (YEEC) in Prague as a youth delegate from Spain.

YEEC is a side event from the World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC). Biodiversa supported us all the way and sent me and Nahia as Spanish participants at the congress. 

Carmelo and other participants in the congress during one of the outdoor activities.

During the congress, we delivered a message on the role of Youth in environmental sustainability education. The message was presented in the WEEC in the form of speeches, theatre, recycled poems, visual arts, comics and open space.

«Leading world educators and key actors in environmental education heard our message and now we will work on how to integrate it into their work.»

We also had the pleasure to discuss our message face to face with members of the European Commission, UNEP and the Ministry of Education and the Environment of the Czech Republic.

Throughout the week, we could also attend different workshops and interesting activities. There was a wide range of options, but I went to an activity organised by Hnutí Brontosaurus where we hung about 10 birdhouses around a local park.

Carmelo places a birdhouse in a local park during one of the activities included in the congress.

Another workshop I enjoyed a lot was an excursion to the Montessori school Na Beránku, there, the different teachers of the school showed us what they are doing about environmental education.

Another of the activities we enjoyed was a fair in which different organisations, projects and educators shared their work. Personally, I was proud to be representing and sharing how the University where I study (Linköpings Universitet) contributes to the field with the master’s programme I’m currently enrolled in (master’s programme of Outdoor and Sustainability Education).»

[This event was co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union].

Youth Environmental Education Congress

The Youth Environmental Education Congress (YEEC) is organized as a side event of THE 11th WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CONGRESS (WEEC), from 13th to 17th March 2022, in Prague, Czech Republic.

The YEEC brings together active youth from across the world to inspire and support one another alongside experiencing an engaging 5-day programme. Working together, young people will deliver a message on youth needs and environmental education at the WEEC; they will discuss it with leading world educators and key actors in environmental education.

The YEEC focuses on the support and development of youth with active participation in public affairs, education, environmental, climate and sustainability issues. The program consists of interactive workshops, seminars, educational excursions and trips, round table discussions, team-building, group activities, presentations delivered by famous speakers participating at the WEEC and the final gala evening.

Biodiversa is offering 4 young people (18-26 years old at the time of the Congress) the opportunity to participate in the Congress almost free of charge. Biodiversa will cover for each selected participant:

– the participation fee (140 EUR);
– 100% of travel and accommodation costs (up to 300 EUR), if the participant avoids flying;
– 90% of travel and accommodation costs (also up to 300 EUR), if the participant travels by plane.

Reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs will be made after participation in the Congress, within the 10 days following the reception of all original receipts. Participants travelling by plane will need to compensate their CO2 emissions through Atmosfair to be eligible for reimbursement.  

If you are 18-26 years old, based in Spain, active in the fields of public affairs, education, environment, climate and sustainability and are interested in participating actively in the congress, apply for your place here now. 

Contact for questions: asociacionbiodiversa@gmail.com (att. Esther Vallado)

Deadline to apply: 27th September 2021

[This event is co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union].

Live Sustainably TC – results and impact

Judging for the incredible number and quality of results and impact that our latest training course «Live Sustainably: How to live the present without compromising the future» had and is still having, I think we can safely say that it was our most sucessful training to date.

This was largely due to the work and commitment of us involved in the design and preparation of the experience, and in the skillfull conceptualisation and delivery of the educational programme, but also largely due to the fantastic participants that we had, which took the «Live Sustainably» experience to the next level, both professionally and personally.

Here’s a quick review of what happened after the training:

– Lovro, from Croatia, submitted his first Erasmus + project, which was approved in the 3rd round of this year: a youth exchange on plastic awareness for 36 young people, called «Say No to plastic». 3 of the partners on this project were also our partners in «Live Sustainably».

– Lilla, from Hungary organised and lead one educational hike per month since the end of the training (September, October, November). Where: in Budapest and surroundings. Target group: Erasmus students. During the walks they collected rubbish and Lilla conducted several activities that she learned during our training.

– Rocío, from Spain, made this cool video of the training: https://youtu.be/SbYnqZI1YoQ

– 4 participants published posts on their blogs with very positive reviews of the training: 

Filipa, from Portugal: https://www.vidaeconsciente.com/l/live-sustainably/

Lovro, from Croatia: https://bit.ly/2PyAPWt

Yolanta, from Poland/Spain: http://europaaqui.org/una-semana-para-empezar-a-cambiar-el-mundo/

Holly, from the UK: https://bit.ly/2tkgj2X

– We created the Youthworkers for Sustainability Network and, within it, to keep learning from each other, a series of webinars that everyone is contributing to and Filipa is managing:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tVHE_dSR7AIzsZ_JMXS0Cs2nQS2SNjzgNYro6RcKgCo/edit?usp=sharing

– Filipa, from Portugal, became a Circular Economy Club Organiser and, in this framework, organised 1 workshop and 3 lectures on sustainability: https://www.circulareconomyclub.com/members/filipa_gouveia/events/?ayi_paged=1

She also organised and run the project «Eco School». It happened on 20th November in a school in the city of Peso da régua, Portugal, for students from 14 to 16 years old. It comprised several activities: a bulk store owner shared an «eco talk» debate with the students. They discussed some documentaries (Earth, Baraka, Roten, Cowspiracy, Minimalism, The true cost) and then they (Filipa and the store owner) gave a workshop, to teach students and teachers to make their own natural cleaning products. Some teacher also run some activities.

Filipa running the workshop

Public attending the workshop

 

And on 2nd December she organised an “eco-talk” with Esther Vallado, the educational programme designer and lead trainer of «Live Sustainably»: https://youtu.be/jILSfcPj_dY, where they re-visit one of the most valued inputs during the training: the systems thinking iceberg.

– Jolanta, from Poland/Spain organised a weekend training for environmental mediators, from 30th November till 1st December, for participants between 16 and 24 years old.

 

– Estelle, from France, proposed to the cultural centre of the town where she lives the screening of one of the documentaries that we watched during the training.

– And the portuguese team is organising the 1st Gathering for Sustainability (1º Encontro pela Sustentabilidade). It will be an open space technology event (methodology that they learnt during the training) with the main objective of creating a Portuguese network of people and groups linked to sustainability through sharing and debate, creating collective intelligence, which will also include cleaning a forest plot and planting trees in an area devastated by Hurricane Leslie. The project has received the support of the city council of the city where Bruno, one of the participants, lives.

Very proud of our participants and of the success of this course!!

Live Sustainably: how to live the present without compromising the future

Participants in Live Sustainably

Dear readers,

The residential part of «Live Sustainably» is over. From now, we go on with the «Youthworkers for Sustainability Network». (We will publish more information about that in the near future.)

It’s been intense and demanding, as well as extremely satisfactory and rewarding. There are many things we could say about the experience, but some of the participants have already summarised it quite well. We leave you with the links to their reviews, in Portuguese/English and Spanish:

https://www.vidaeconsciente.com/l/live-sustainably/

http://europaaqui.org/una-semana-para-empezar-a-cambiar-el-mundo/

Many thanks to the authors Filipa Gouveia and Jolanta Pieniak.

Enjoy!