A Week of Learning in the Heart of the Pyrenees
From 4 to 8 September 2025, Association Petite Graine hosted the first mobility activity of the Erasmus+ project Reconnexion Verte: Outdoor Education for Youth Well-being in Bagnères-de-Luchon, France.
The international training course brought together 20 youth workers from France and Germany to explore how outdoor education can become a practical tool for promoting young people's well-being and addressing growing mental health challenges.
Learning Through Experience
Throughout the week, participants explored and tested non-formal education methods based on nature, physical activity, cooperation, and collective reflection.
The programme included:
- Workshops on outdoor education and well-being.
- Hiking activities in the Pyrenees, including Lac d'Oô and Hospice de France.
- Nature-based activities promoting group cohesion and resilience.
- Reflection sessions and exchanges of youth work practices.
- Intercultural activities that encouraged mutual learning between French and German participants.
Building New Competences
Through this experience, participants strengthened their competences in:
- Group facilitation.
- Non-formal education.
- Mental health and well-being support.
- Youth inclusion and participation.
- Intercultural cooperation.
- Designing educational outdoor activities.
The methods and tools explored during the training can now be transferred into their daily youth work practice and local projects.
Strengthening European Cooperation
The activity also strengthened the partnership between Association Petite Graine and Next Level e.V., creating opportunities for further collaboration and the development of future European initiatives.
Reconnexion Verte demonstrates how nature can become a powerful learning environment that supports personal development, social connection, and well-being for both young people and youth workers.
Funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.
