Erasmus+ Training Course

Exploring our habitats

European cohesion through outdoor education in the Alps
20 26 August 2017
Obergurgl, Tirol, Austria
Participating countries:
Austria University of Innsbruck and InfoEck Youth Information Centre Tyrol
Croatia Perpetuum
Cyprus Cultural Association Nostos Pissouriou
Lithuania Asociacija Apkabink Europa
Poland Centrum Wsplpracy Mlodziezy (CWM)
Romania Associatia Support for Youth Development (S4YD)
Spain Asociacin Ser Joven

Profile of participants:
4 participants from each country older than 18 years
Pay attention to gender balance and send also fewer opportunity candidates (geographical
or economic obstacles)
Please choose your participants until 12th June 2017

Project summary:
Advantages of collaboration and solidarity within the European Union seem currently be
questioned by some countries and parts of the society. However, we are convinced that we
all benefit from strong European cohesion. Our project "Exploring our habitats - European
cohesion through outdoor education in the Alps" aims to increase awareness about those
benefits and to deliver creative tools to each participant/organization to share this
knowledge in their surroundings. Within this Training Course we will use natural
environments, natural processes and their interactions with human activities to detect
symbiosis as well as conflicts of interests and develop potential compromises as an
inspiration for discussing similar issues on the level of the European Union (e.g. climate
change, migration, labor market and financial issues).

Extensive experiences gained in two preceding training courses we organized, build the basis
for providing this ambitious combination of contents. Consequently, in this new edition we
will (1) fully seize the twofold learning potential of our activities (knowledge about
environmental processes and awareness about benefits from cohesion), and will (2)
apply/provide further developed non-formal outdoor education tools ("take me home tools -
THMTs"), which the participants will use in follow-up activities in their surroundings.

The course will involve 28 participants from seven countries (Austria, Croatia, Cyprus,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Spain) with backgrounds in youth work, education, project
management within EU youth programs and environmental issues as well as several trainers
from local institutions. Participants with fewer opportunities will be invited to and supported
in the project. To achieve the comprehensive project goals, participants will do preparatory
as well as postprocessing work (including dissemination activities) and as the key component
inbetween, meet one week from 20 till 26 August 2017 in the very diverse environment of
Obergurgl, a small settlement in the tz valley.

Participants of this training course will improve (1) their basic scientific knowledge (e.g.
geology, weather and climate, natural hazards, forest biotop), (2) their civic competences
(e.g. requirements for labor market, natural hazard management, sustainable tourism,
reasons for and consequences of migration, benefits of the European Union and cohesion
between member states and regions), (3) their social skills (e.g. communication in foreign
languages, tolerance, cultural awareness, conflict management) and (4) their specific skills
and competences in Youth work (e.g. non-formal methods, outdoor education, international
project organisation and management, Erasmus+ possibilities).

In order to guarantee a long lasting effect of our project, the participants will need to
prepare multimedia products describing and summing up project contents/results on the
one hand, whereas "Diary teams" and "Multimedia teams" will document the daily activities
and learning processes. All products will be published online (open access) on project
platforms (examples from the preceding projects: www.erasmusplusalps.at;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Paxs48Qns&t=422s), on partner websites and in local and
social media. On the other hand, participants will conduct follow-up activities in which they
apply these non-formal methods and products in their work with youngsters and are asked
to report back their experiences to all participants.

Overall, due to the detailed preparation, implementation and dissemination strategies, the
project will have an impact not only on the participants, but also on the target group and the
local, regional and international surroundings they are working/living with/in. Also the
participating organizations and local partners will - amongst other benefits - continue
exchange of experiences and strengthen long lasting cooperation.

Venue:
The Training Course will take place in Obergurgl, a small village in the heart of the Alps.
Obergurgl is located in the tztal (valley of tz, www.oetztal.com/en), which is not far
away from Innsbruck, the capital of the region of Tirol.

The participants will be accommodated in the University Centre of Obergurgl (www.uz-

obergurgl.at/english/).

Financial conditions:
The Training Course is funded by the EU-programme Erasmus+: Youth in Action. Therefore
participants dont have to pay for accommodation or food and they also receive financial
support for their journey to and back from Obergurgl. The travel costs are calculated by the
distance calculator provided by the European Commission. The approved grants are:

Croatia: 275 per person Cyprus: 360 per person

Lithuania: 275 per person Poland: 275 per person
Romania: 275 per person Spain: 275 per person

If the journey costs more than the mentioned grant, participants have to pay the difference
on their own.

All receipts have to be given to the Austrian organizers. The reimbursement will be made
after the Training Course through bank transfer.

Journey:
We ask our participants and partner organisations to organise and book the travel
themselves. Innsbruck should be your destination. If you need help, feel free to contact us.
For some of you the cheapest option might be to travel to Munich. Please inform us, where
you will arrive, so that we can think about a collective transport possibility to Obergurgl.

Important information:
Please select your participants and send us the signed application forms from your
participants until 12 June (enclosed you find the document). Please remember: you
have to find 4 participants.
Please inform all your participants that they are responsible for procuring an
insurance policy for the whole duration of the Training Course by themselves.
All groups have to do some preparation work before the Training Course. Well
inform you about the tasks in the next weeks.
Each participant and organisation is obligated to disseminate the project results
afterwards!
Please note! Obergurgl is the highest parish of Austria, with an elevation of almost
2000m above sea level. As the Training Course will take place in an Alpine
environment, be prepared for chilly temperatures, changeable weather conditions
and strong solar radiation. Please bring comfortable, functional and warm clothes for
different weather conditions, sun protection gear and dont forget to bring the best
hiking boots you have!

Further questions?
Dont hesitate to contact us:

Benjamin Stern
InfoEck Jugendinfo Tirol
benjamin.stern@infoeck.at
0043 512 57 17 99-18

Wolfgang Gurgiser
University of Innsbruck
Research focus Alpine Space Man and Environment
Wolfgang.Gurgiser@uibk.ac.at