Youth work and non-formal learning can enhance young people’s creativity and innovation, through
experimental nature, participatory approaches, and peer-learning in times of pandemic and beyond
Project nr: 2020-1-BE05-KA227-YOU-003131
Intro
Project Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive impact on education and youth work, with
new ways of
teaching and learning requiring innovative, creative and inclusive solutions.
The youth work in partner countries of this consortium is in a very problematic
situation due to pandemic impact. At the beginning of the crisis (nearly) all youth work
facilities had to close. A lot of youth work was then carried out on a digital basis.
Following the research report, “Effects of Covid-19 across youth work and youth activities”, done by
the Pool of European Youth Researchers of the
Partnership between the EC and the Council of Europe in the field of youth, the main challenge of
delivering youth services digitally during pandemic,
is reluctance of young people to engage digitally as a major challenge and they prefer live peer
activities..
The principles of youth work (non-formal and informal learning, joy, fun, playfulness etc.)
are difficult to exert under circumstances of social distancing and mask obligation. This is why we
discover with our partners,
by conducting also an internal survey, that more and more youngsters, they and their local partners
are targeting, are using less
and less of the given youth work offers as they are not currently fitting to their needs and wishes.
The drop in engagement levels
paints a stark picture and demonstrates just how important face-to-face youth work is, young people
would like to use their creativity
and apply social skills.
Taking into account the above-mentioned challenges youth work is currently experiencing, and
brainstorming on how youth work and non-formal
learning can enhance young people’s creativity and innovation, through their experimental nature,
participatory approaches,
and peer-learning in times of pandemic, our consortium came to the project idea of using the
educational potential of
outdoor escape rooms with thematic of traditional fairy tales and myths.
Using the thematic of traditional fairy tales and myths brings more creativity, helps young people
and youth workers to explore cultural
aspects of their own national and European identity and naturally unites youth work and creativity
sectors.
The outdoor aspect of the escape rooms also brings more possibilities in terms of complying with the
covid 19 measures (more people and more
activities are allowed to participate in the open-air).
In this partnership we want also to use created outdoor escape rooms as youth learning pathways to be
included on the Cities of Learning platform -
a transnational initiative to make learning open, accessible and inclusive to all and especially to
learners who have fewer opportunities in our localities.
This framework is built on opportunities of digital technology to create access to learning
opportunities, to engage learners in flexible pathways,
to validate and recognise learning and achievements, and create new ways of meaningful cooperation
between learning providers, business organisations
and government.
Art Escape Project:
This project aims to enhance skills development and competencies of youth workers in the creation and
managing outdoor escape rooms
with thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths, that reinforce creativity, as well as to boost
quality,
innovation and recognition of youth work that support the creative potential of youth, thus
contributing to the recovery
resilience of the cultural and creative sectors.
The objectives of the project are to:
Develop capacities of youth workers to create outdoor educational activities with a cultural and
creative component for young people to help them
to acquire skills and competencies for supporting their creative potential;
Build a guide and e-course on HOP platform, which enables youth workers to create their own
outdoor escape rooms with thematic on traditional
fairy tales and myths;
Create learning pathways/playlists of outdoor escape rooms with traditional fairy tales and
myths thematic in partner countries to be places at
Cities of Learning Platform (www.citiesoflearning.eu);
Stimulate social inclusion through the arts, by fostering innovative participatory and
intercultural dialogue approaches linking youth
stakeholders with organisations in the cultural and creative sectors;
engage young people in identifying learning opportunities and shaping the understanding of
learning according to their needs, interests and passions;
Target groups:
Two main target groups of the project:
Youth workers, youth leaders, educators, representatives of creative sector working with young
people;
Young people;
Project Intelectual Outputs:
In order to achieve the defined objectives, three intellectual outputs will be produced and will be
available as an open educational resources
(OERs) during and after the completion of the project:
IO1 - A step by step guide on creation of Outdoor Escape Rooms with thematic on traditional
fairy tales and myths including outdoor escape rooms
scenarios;
We believe that this IO1 will give solutions and improve our work as youth workers, give
motivation since
it will be a new method and inspire youth workers to develop it even more.
IO2 - E-course on HOP platform on the How to Create Outdoor Escape rooms with thematic on
traditional fairy tales and myths;
The impact on the learners is high, given that the content will provide the basis for
understanding the creation of the outdoor escape rooms
with theme on traditional fairy tales and myths from A to Z .IO2 has a great transferability
potential, as it could be useful in schools and
vocational education and training institutions. This output is complementary to output IO1
IO3 - Learning pathways/playlists of outdoor escape rooms
In this IO we will launch 4 platforms in Belgium, Greece, Finland and Portugal (In Cyprus the
platform is already launched).
Design, test and implement learning pathways for 5 selected outdoor escape rooms created.
Activities
Art Escape develops educational tools for youth workers, educators, teachers to promote cultural
heritage and creativity through designing
and facilitating Outdoor Escape Rooms in our local communities.
Activities:
A step by step guide on the creation of Outdoor Escape Rooms with a thematic on traditional
fairy tales and myths including
outdoor escape rooms scenarios;
Creating and offering an online learning course on how to create Outdoor Escape Rooms;
Creating and offering learning pathways/playlists of outdoor escape rooms in the Cities of
Learning platform;
Training activity for youth workers and representatives of the art sector on how to manage the
Outdoor Escape Rooms; with a
thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths;
Training activity to receive feedback and suggestions from the 16 pax on how they managed with
the pilot
testing of the Outdoor Escape Rooms with thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths.
Partner consortium. CODEC – Association for European Cooperation Development and Communication
(Belgium) –
lead partner, PlanBe Plan It Be It (Cyprus), Nuoriso – Ja Matkailukeskus Hyvarilaoy (Finland),
Sindesmos Sistima
Kai Genia (Greece), JumpIN Hub – Associação para a Inovação e Empreendedorismo (Portugal) and
Badgecraft Ireland.
The project is funded by the European Union through the ERASMUS+ programme.
About Us
This project is about using the educational potential of Outdoor Escape Rooms with the thematic of
traditional fairy tales and myths.
In this project, the partners in five Cities and Regions of Learning – Hoogstraten (Belgium), Nurmes
(Finland), Cyprus, Porto (Portugal), Komotini (Greece) aim to enhance the skills development and
competences of youth workers in the creation and managing outdoor escape rooms with thematic on
traditional fairy tales and myths, that reinforce creativity, as well as to boost quality,
innovation and recognition of youth work that support the creative potential of youth, thus
contributing to the recovery resilience of the cultural and creative sectors. We use the Cities of
Learning platform for young people, youth workers and educators to be able to create and find
Outdoor Escape experiences and get their learning validated and recognised with the use of Open
Badges.
This strategic partnership is part of a long-term collaboration between several Cities and
Regions of Learning.
A step by step guide on creation of Outdoor Escape Rooms with thematic on traditional
fairy tales and myths including outdoor escape rooms scenarious
Youth workers through non-formal learning aims to increase the creativity and innovation of young people
through their experimental nature, participatory approaches and learning. Since the world is changing
at a furious pace, this also means that there is a demand for new ways and methods of engaging
young people in developing skills and preserving legends and myths.
Traditional myths and fairy tales comprise a topic that to this day, remains popular among youth and due to
its out-of-the-ordinary thematic is expected to trigger the inquisitive nature that is naturally present in young
participants. These themes bring more creativity, help young people and youth workers to explore the
cultural aspects of their own national and European identity and naturally bring together the youth work
and creativity sectors. A key element to a successful escape room that uses this type of thematic is to keep
participants engaged at all times.
In this guide you will discover and learn:
Ÿ - What is the difference between escape games Vs
educational escape games;
Ÿ - How to create your own outdoor escape game with
the topic of traditional fairy tales and myths;
Ÿ - What the key elements the escape game includes
and what you need to pay attention to when
creating your game;
Ÿ - Why it is important to make a game on the theme
of fairy tales and myths and how to adapt them to
your city;
Ÿ - Practical advice, resources and platforms to help
you create your game.
E-course on HOP Platform on the HOw to Create Outdoor Escape Rooms with thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths
This course will guide you through the process of creation of an outdoors escape game based on cultural heritage.
In four learning modules you will find information and practical assignments to design an escape game outdoors with regards to learning
goals and target groups of your organization.
In the course you will find tips and learning materials on connecting myths, legends and folklore to the narrative of the game.
You will find examples of puzzles and links to resources to design your game.
The course features digital platforms to support your game and learning.
The course first launches in November 2022, featuring four learning modules and synchronous sessions with facilitators to help
learners design outdoors escape rooms.
In four learning modules you will find
Informationand practical assignments to design an escape game outdoors with regards to learning goals and target groups of your organization
Tips and learning materials on connecting myths, legends and folklore to the narrative of the game.
Concrete puzzles and resources to design your game.
Digital platforms to support your game and learning.
Digital platforms to support your game and learning.
Learning Pathways/playlists of outdoor escape rooms
Art Escape Project – What is it about?
Youth work and non-formal learning can enhance young people’s creativity and innovation, through experimental nature,
participatory approaches, and peer learning in times of pandemic and beyond. This project is about using the educational
potential of Outdoor Escape Games with the theme of traditional fairy tales and myths.
Partner consortium. CODEC – Association for European Cooperation Development and Communication (Belgium) –
lead partner, PlanBe Plan It Be It (Cyprus), Nuoriso – Ja Matkailukeskus Hyvarilaoy (Finland), Sindesmos Sistima Kai Genia
(Greece), JumpIN Hub – Associação para a Inovação e Empreendedorismo (Portugal) and Badgecraft Ireland.
In this project, the partners in five Cities and Regions of Learning – Athens, Cyprus, Hoogstraten, Komotini, Nurmes and
Porto aim to enhance the skills development and competences of youth workers in the creation and managing outdoor escape games
with thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths, that reinforce creativity, as well as to boost quality, innovation and recognition
of youth work that support the creative potential of youth, thus contributing to the recovery resilience of the cultural and creative sectors.
We use the Cities of Learning platform for young people, youth workers and educators to be able to create and find Outdoor Escape
experiences and get their learning validated and recognised with the use of Open Badges. This strategic partnership is part of a
long-term collaboration between several Cities and Regions of Learning.
We use the Cities of Learning platform for young people, youth workers and educators to be able to create and find Outdoor Escape
experiences and get their learning validated and recognised with the use of Open Badges. This strategic partnership is part of a
long-term collaboration between several Cities and Regions of Learning.
Activities:
creating a step-by-step guide on the creation of Outdoor Escape Games with a theme on traditional
fairy tales and myths including outdoor escape rooms scenarios;
creating and offering an online learning course on how to create Outdoor Escape Rooms;
creating and offering learning pathways/playlists of outdoor escape games in the Cities of Learning platform;
training activity for youth workers and representatives of the art sector on how to manage the
Outdoor Escape Games; with a thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths;
training activity to receive feedback and suggestions from the 16 pax on how they managed the
pilot testing of the Outdoor Escape Games with a thematic on traditional fairy tales and myths.
the project is funded by the European Union through the ERASMUS+ programme.
jumpinhub
JumpIN Hub - Association for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a non-profit
organization established in 2019, in Portugal.
This Association aims to promote an innovation and development ecosystem, supporting
entrepreneurship, promoting research, the
development and implementation of innovation-inducing practices within the scope of
business, public and 3rd Sector organizations,
in a local, regional, national context and international.
JumpIN Hub's main objective is to promote, in a sustainable way, innovation and
entrepreneurship as
promoters of development in the social and business areas, through integrated education
and supported by
non-formal education methodologies, for young people (NEET) and adults , covering 3 main
areas:
Socio-cultural education
Education for personal development
Professional qualification
Following this, the Association offers various services and promotes activities in
the areas of professional
training and development of personal skills through formal and non-formal methodologies, in
the areas of
entrepreneurship and innovation, and in the areas of digital skills and communication,
through workshops,seminars and other learning-promoting activities.
CODEC stays for Association for European Cooperation, Development and Communication.
Mission of our organization
is to promote European policies and values that will improve the economic and social
well-being of people around the
world.
At CODEC, you will meet design thinkers, project managers, communicators, education
specialists, and
technology and social media experts that can respond to your organisation's needs and
understand the social challenges
you wish to address. Participation forms the core of our methodology and is central to
our creativity. Our projects and
campaigns engage people of all ages.
We take an idea, share it among protagonists and empower them to get actively
involved. Our activities are based on the following principle: on entrusting people to
define the problem of significance to
them, acquire knowledge about it, envision possible solutions and then take action to
address the problem and bring
about change. Our core team consists of specialised and versatile staff, of different
nationalities. Each day, they bring
their specific expertise, diverse cultural insights, and joint commitment to social
change - to everything we do. Our global
network of partners and collaborators shares our participatory methodology, and enables
us to develop projects
anywhere in the world.
Currently CODEC vzw team is composed from 3 permanent not-paid staff and 2 volunteers.
CODEC has been already implementing projects in the field of youth workers
professionalization, environmental and
sustainable living education.
“PlanBe, Plan it Be it” is a Non-Governmental, Non-Profit Organization based in Nicosia,
Cyprus,
managed by a team of youth workers, project managers and volunteers.
One of the main aims of “PlanBe” is to contribute to the positive societal changes by
promoting wellbeing and personal development in youth.
The mission of our organization is to develop and support the use of non-formal
education, to foster entrepreneurship,
to boost creativity, to support environmental consciousness, to promote sustainability,
to foster democracy and human
rights and to develop solidarity and tolerance among youngsters.
Our main focus is to promote the cultural heritage of
Cyprus and bring youngsters closer to their tradition, to traditional jobs and the
agriculture of our island, and to narrow
down the generational gap between the older and the younger generations.
Therefore, we mainly design and run workshops and projects related to our cultural
heritage,
tangible and intangible, and how young people can gain new skills through our traditions
and culture but also how youngsters can
help in the preservation of these traditions and their transfer to younger generations.
“PlanBe” has been established to support
young people from all over Cyprus within the framework of non-formal and informal
education.
S&G all activities are mainly based on non-formal education methods. Creativity, culture,
art, nature and environmental awareness,
healthy and green lifestyle, intercultural dialogue, joy, European awareness, research,
democracy, active participation, tolerance,
inclusion, information, informal education and voluntary - these are key words in S&G
all activities. S&G belief is - the international
experience, cultural interaction and exchange of experiences is one of the most
important and most effective drivers for personal
development, it significantly broadens the horizons of young people and opens up a wider
view of their own, the state and the future.
Hyvärilä Youth and Holiday Centre is one of 9 Finnish youth Centres under the auspices of the Finnish
Ministry of Education and Culture. The work is determined by the Finnish Youth Law and the Youth
Act. As a Finnish youth centre, and the first headquarters of Outward Bound Finland, Hyvärilä is
using Youth centre pedagogical approaches. The main tasks of the Centre is to provide youth services
to ensure empowerment, personal development, and internationalization of the target group - young
people of Finland. The Centre operates year-round in Hyvärilä camp base and in social youth work
centre in Nurmes with a total of up to 30 employees.
Regular activities include school camps, camps and events, outreach youth work, social youth work,
Nurmes youth services and youth workshop activities. Annually Hyvärilä provides services for over
9000 young people and youth leaders. Youth work in the Youth House includes both online and offline
activities, and youth workers are present both online running Discord sessions, and using online
games as a tool, and offline – working with Nurmes, Valtimo and Juuka municipalities youth in youth
houses. Youth house is working with vulnerable groups, and youth who have difficulties in school due
to bullying, organizing personal study sessions for them and visits by school teachers.
Cooperation with international partners from EU and cross-border cooperation with Russia is a big
part of regular work and field of expertise of the centre. Youth work of the centre is aimed at
engagement of young people, improvement of their employability, facilitating mobility of vulnerable
groups, as well as preventive youth work for risk groups. Hyvärilä is active in running volunteering
projects, strategic partnerships, development projects, youth exchanges, and youth worker mobility
projects aimed at developing skills of youth workers from Finland.
Badgecraft Ireland is a small size educational technology development company. We develop
a multilingual platform (www.badgecraft.eu)
to recognise any achievements and citiesopflearning.eu using global standard of digital
Open Badges (www.openbadges.org)
and city-based learning infrastructure. We work as technical partner for European
large-scale projects and organisations
that are willing to adapt Open Badges technology to their needs and context.
In our team we have “in house” back-end and software developers and we cooperate on a
project
basis with freelancers who deliver UX/UI design services, front-end/mobile App
programming services,
visual graphic design services.
In our team, we also have experienced youth and community work, and training experts.
We provided technical development services for strategic partnerships.
Together with other partner organizations we built platforms to enable
learning and recognition of competence acquired in the non-formal education and
vocational education fields.
We are maintaining and developing the online platform for Cities and Regions of Learning
together with a range of NGOs and municipalities in Europe.
