JUGAR Y NATURALEZA POR EL APRENDIZAJE.DISEÑANDO JUNTOS ESTRATEGIAS DE INCLUSIÓN

<< Background >>AIFED applied for this project because it wanted to bring together three values that had never been combined in a single project in the organization: inclusion, sport and the environment. These are three very important elements today for health, for living in a more inclusive world that takes care of its environment. The project also sought to promote the training capabilities of the organizations involved, so that they could continue to contribute to being actors of change who actively work for the better inclusion of people at risk of exclusion. In addition, relationships between different organizations were fostered, facilitating an exchange of knowledge. AIFED decided to present this project after studying the current situation in which many organizations found themselves after the pandemic: diminished project management capacities, due to their previous inexperience, scarce economic resources, or difficulty in finding experienced partners willing to help them. In addition, the pandemic left many citizens in difficulty, especially young people, who are unable to find work (a higher number in the case of young people from social minorities).<< Objectives >>Several relevant objectives were achieved through the implementation of the project. First, a synergistic and beneficial collaboration was achieved to foster self-learning by the members of the participating organizations to improve the techniques they use to train young people in inclusion and diversity. This was achieved through the use of fundamental values derived from the practice of sports and the protection of the environment (teamwork, empathy, tolerance, working for the common good, feeling of equality, assuming one's own responsibilities, assertiveness). Likewise, common practices of sustainable and environmental development were established, which have served as a guide for all participating associations. This made it possible to lay the foundations for a new educational methodology for young people, based on principles and values drawn from sport and respect for the environment. Finally, the education and inclusion of social minorities were guaranteed to increase their opportunities for personal, educational and labor self-development through the training of educators from the participating organizations. << Implementation >>The project implemented three transnational activities in which all partner organizations worked as a team to develop the manual and the new methodology for educating youth in inclusion with values drawn from sport and nature. The activities aimed to achieve the main objectives of the project and to better understand how to develop the methodology of the manual. In fact, all the activities were held with young people, outdoors, practicing sports and always thinking about finding a way to respect the environment. Some of the activities focused precisely on how to respect or improve the environment through or by playing sports. Each association participated in the project activities with 5 participants. In addition, some local activities (seminars) were carried out, where young people and youth workers also participated in order to put into practice the knowledge and skills learned during the mobilities.<< Results >>The project proposed had one main outcome, i.e. the development of a complete manual with the methodology designed during the project to educate young people on inclusion in natural spaces and through sport. In addition, the project proposed some secondary outcomes, such as the strengthening of relationships between organizations to foster cooperation in future projects, the support of self-learning among peers, the enrichment of the associations' networks by making the developed manual available to them, and finally the promotion of the inclusion of young people at risk of social exclusion. Indirectly, this project also had an effect on all participants, who found themselves in new situations, practicing sports they had never practiced before and becoming interested in the environment from a different point of view.