https://sites.google.com/view/creativity-nature

At the end of the project you will be expected to sum up your learning outcomes by defining what competences: knowledge and awareness + skills + values / attitudes did you develop.

Since 2022, the framework used to structure 9 competences gained during Mobilities of Youth Workers is YOCOMO. Learn more about it: https://www.salto-youth.net/downloads/4-17-4385/ETS_Competence_Model_Youth_Workers_final_2023.pdf

* 4-9 - general info and priorities

* 45-50 - about Solidarity projects

* 4-10 - general info and priorities

* 143-164 - about Youth Exchanges

* 180-196 - about Youth Participation projects

• Diāna - teacher and eco-school coordinator at Babite Secondary School

• Marta - teacher and eco-school coordinator in Riga Imanta Secondary school

• Laima - augam.lv representative, NGO that promotes vegan food and life-style

• Ieva - will be one of the facilitators in this project, is a free-lance trainer and board member of association for youth empowerment "Piliens okeānā" (in English, "Drop in the Ocean")

Our organisation is engaged in the sustainable development projects in the area of the Amalfi Coast, to promote the candidature of the region as Biosphere Reserve UNESCO MAB.

Our projects include protection of local biodiversity and terraced landscape, youth involvement, sustainable agriculture and permaculture, eco-building, environmental education and so on.

* Our organization is the host of this project and its' experience of 15-years of local and international initiatives for sustainability and youth will be one of the main focuses during this study visit. We will visit the space of ACARBIO several times. We are also open to host participants for job-shadowing day on Wednesday!

* We meet them on Tuesday.

* They could be job-shadowed on Wednesday - meeting with them, going on some trails, maybe fixing something, discussing how they do it...

* They can be job-shadowed on Wednesday - they are doing half a day activities with local kids on local beach at Positano.

* They host us on Tuesday morning in Maiori.

* They join us on Monday evening.

* They come and do activities with us on Sunday!

* We meet him on Tuesday in an amazing place between Maiori and Minori in his place (be ready to walk a lot of stairs).

*Can be job-shadowed on Wednesday!

 A philosophical view that argues that human beings are the central or most significant entities in the world. Anthropocentrism regards humans as separate from and superior to nature, and holds that human life has intrinsic value while other entities are resources that may justifiably be exploited for the benefit of humankind. This is a basic belief embedded in many Western religions and philosophies (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica).

Eco-illiteracy

Such beliefs have resulted in systems that are unsustainable, as they ignore the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things on Earth.

Eco-illiteracy is the lack of knowledge and understanding of the natural systems that make life on earth possible. Its opposite, ecoliteracy, means understanding the principles of organisation of ecological communities (i.e. ecosystems) and using those principles for creating sustainable human communities.

If the majority of us were ecoliterate we, most likely, wouldn’t be facing the current ecological crisis.

Name: Makeitblue1

Password: 1700574

The MAD delegation coming to Tramonti is:

Valentina - President of the organisation, leader of Slovenj Gradec Scouts, youth worker

Rebeka - Vice-president of the organisation, lgbt+ activist (CEO of Koroška Pride)

Urška - Secretary of the organisation, I8M activist and volunteer, pre-school teacher

https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects

ACARBIO, founded in 2009 with the mission of bringing people, tradition and nature back together, is a very well known organisation in the area. The fact that a lot of people through the whole Amalfi Coast asked us if we are with ACARBIO even though we spoke nothing about it just confirms its' strong presence in the community surrounding these beautiful place. It looks like if you are young and speak English, you must be with ACARBIO. 😊

As we learned, ACARBIO's main activities are promoting environmental awareness and education, supporting sustainable community projects, and working with young volunteers, helping them develop leadership and practical skills and encouraging long term engagement in sustainability. Through their many activities, it is obvious that they are creating many new opportunities in things and areas that could possibly be non-existent by now if it was not for ACARBIO's power of creating strong roots and advocating for protection of the local traditions (physical and non-physical).

Through the job shadowing experience, we were shown a valuable insight into the everyday work of ACARBIO, and Antonio, Rita, Giulia and volunteers answered our many questions – mostly about the process of creating an Erasmus+ youth exchange - and were very patient with us. 😊  

Two of the many good practices that inspired us are an ERASMUS+ Training Course called »Green Paths« (https://www.acarbio.org/en/green-paths-2023/) and an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange called »Wild Style – Live Outdoors, Love Outdoors« (https://www.acarbio.org/en/wild-style-live-outdoors-love-outdoors-erasmus-youth exchange/)

✨ What was special for us was seeing the work of ACARBIO up close and the personalized approach to what we wanted to know and can now easily apply to our work at our own communities - we felt truly included, and came from the job-shadowing with new motivation and ideas to bring home.

More information about ACARBIO and their work is available on their website (https://www.acarbio.org) and their social media accounts.

The event combined education and fun, offering the participants a chance to play interactive games and take part in hands-on learning experiences. Together with the children they’ve discovered fascinating facts about turtles, their habitats and importance of protecting marine life.

The organization Deep is committed to marine conservation with a focus on sea turtle protection, coral reef restoration and coastal vegetation through the cultivation of sea olive seeds. Their sea turtle program involves monitoring known nesting areas, collecting data on hatchling success rates and implementing protective measures to reduce threats such as artificial lighting, marine debris and bycatch from fishing. This work is particularly important for endangered species like the loggerhead turtle, which regularly nests along the Italian coast. In parallel, Deep carries out coral reef restoration by identifying damaged reef zones and transplanting resilient coral fragments to promote regrowth and biodiversity recovery. These efforts are supported by scientific research and long-term ecological monitoring to ensure sustainability. Additionally, cultivating sea olive seeds(native coastal plant species) helps to combat erosion and reinforce natural dune systems. This contributes not only to habitat preservation but also to the resilience of coastal landscapes against climate related impacts. Together, these targeted initiatives reflect Deep’s integrated approach to conserving marine and coastal ecosystems using evidence based practices and community engagement.

,,The experience we had today was absolutely fabulous, because we were able to apply everything we’ve been working on these past few days: we immersed ourselves in nature and adapted our behavior and emotional tone to truly connect with the children”, told us Alin.

At first, the children were super excited to see the team members, but then they became a bit shy. So, they had to find ways to integrate themselves and build that connection… and guess what? They made it happen!

,,We learned simple Italian phrases so we could introduce ourselves, and went to each group individually to ask for information and have them teach us what they had learned about sea turtles from the marine biologist. It was such a fun moment—it really helped us bond. And later, during the group presentation, we actually knew all the right answers—thanks to the little ones, who had become our teachers for a moment”, Alin said.

The most intense and joyful part was definitely the final game. That’s where the real fun exploded! The kids had to play the role of sea turtle eggs, gathering together under a cover held by the teachers and mentors—or, as the kids called them with so much energy: “Maestri!”The team members were ,,the predators”- the birds that were supposed to catch them—so they’ve stayed hidden behind rocks and obstacles and when the “eggs hatched” and the kids started running toward the sea, they jumped out and tried to catch them!

,,It was so much fun—everyone was laughing, cheering and enjoying it so much that we ended up playing the game three times!”, team members said.

And that wasn’t all—after the game, two little girls came over, and together with Anastasia and Josipa, they braided each other’s hair. Then they started drawing and even exchanged their artwork—each one had made a portrait of the other. It was a day full of learning, laughter, and meaningful connections—proof that when hearts and cultures meet, something truly magical happens.

Domenico, the specialist that joined the team, explained that from early June until the end of October, they monitor the beaches daily to locate and protect the nests. Once a nest is found, it is fenced off to keep it safe from any danger. When the time comes for the eggs to hatch, they create a special pathway leading to the sea, because the baby turtles often get confused by the lights from nearby shops and may head in the wrong direction. This way, they help the hatchlings reach the sea safely.

,,We had the pleasure of meeting Daniele Esposito, a local entrepreneur who has brought Fornillo beach and the surrounding area back to life, with the aim of giving the people of Positano a place to meet and spend time”, Vittorio mentioned. A few years ago, as he told the children, during a routine cleaning of the seabed, he came across a one-of-a-kind object: a votive coin dedicated to the Madonna dating back to 1784, covered by many layers of sand; after doing some research he learned of the historical and cultural importance of the find, so with the help of some friends he cleaned the coin and placed it in a thin gold crown. The entire process was described by Daniele in a book he wrote himself. The coin is currently kept in the church of Positano. In addition to the coins found, which are of all types, he also collects necklaces, bracelets, rings and wristwatch faces.

,,Have you ever been late to something… and it ended up working out perfectly?

That’s exactly how our day went yesterday!”, Nina told us smiling. ,,We started full of energy, everything planned, bags packed, ready for a new experience, but the bus in Tramonti had its own rules. It was late, and we lost all the other buses to go to Positano. Luckily, they were running late too, so it all worked out”, she explained.

And yes, we climbed so many stairs to get there that we were questioning our life choices, even Vittorio said it was absurd how many there were.

But now let's get to the main part: Kids.

What do you think is the biggest threat facing sea turtles? Birds, crabs, humans…?

Wrong,  it was us!

The way the team members played with them is to create an image of dangerous predators for the kids, or in this game, hatchling turtles, and guess what? ,,Even with us catching them, they would escape and still be cheering when they would make it to the sea, so I think those are some strong turtles who are not afraid of anything and can defeat all the enemies”, Nina said.

The day ended with a sweet gift from the organisers, but honestly, the real gift was the joy and inspiration we took away!

The team members came back with unforgettable memories and expressed their excitement and appreciation for this unique experience. They’ve learned new things about the turtles, these fascinating creatures, as well as the importance of protecting the environment. The atmosphere was pleasant and educational, sparking curiosity, emotion and a desire to return. For all participants, it was an unforgettable day, marked by discoveries and special moments in direct contact with nature, children and creating a special bond in between the team members.

Josipa, Nina, Viviana, Vittorio, Alin, Anastasia- Tartaruga team

Stuff and kids welcomed me with warm smiles and open hands, and even though we were not speaking the same language I felt connected and hugged!

Some of the main concepts that inspired me was :

1. The organization is working with the local animal center, who are voluntarely offering their help, so the weekly schedule includes animals therapy, where the beneficials have the opportunity to visit local farms and meet animals up close.

2. Volunteers from ACARBIO are often visiting GEA to introduce their environmental projects through workshops, so the beneficials are not just getting informed but also actively involving and learning.

3. Refering to youth envolvement kids and stuff are working with a volunteer from the theatre association to prepare the "Wizard of Oz" to perform it to the local community.

Special gift:

"Aprile, dolce dormire

Aprile, ogni goccia é un barile."

~translation

"April, sweet sleep April,

every drop is a barrel."

https://www.manfredontour.es/

@manfredontour.aj

@mostea.es

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DG_ENgzNeLS/?igsh=MWswaG9obHEwdnUzOQ==

Osservatorio NUDM:

https://osservatorionazionale.nonunadimeno.net/anno/2024/

Movesi aps

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDEuNEAiYX7/?igsh=MXdhcjNzbWp1YXNraA==

https://youtu.be/SbHcvx3E8bU?si=nCPq0g40F5FR__w3

Electric cars in Astypalaia :

https://youtu.be/FuYod-iMIPY?si=t43pH54vlzDsZQ4m