Keys for communication&cooperation YE
Outward Round Romania owns the Erasmus+ Accreditation in the field of Youth since 2020. We created an action plan for the period 2021-2027 for the following target groups: disadvantaged and mainstream young persons, youth workers and youth NGOs.
During the 7 years we are going to:
- create a strong local and international network of youth NGOs in order to share best practices and working methods.
- develop the soft and hard skills of the youth workers, enlarge their toolkits and theoretical/practical knowledge about working with groups using non-formal methods
- develop the key competences, raise the awareness of the young persons about environmental sustainability and contribute to their inclusion
During the fifth year we implemented the following Mobilities in order to contribute to the set objectives
1. Walking with purpose: 14-25.07.2025
2. Into the Wild: 12-25.08.2025
3. Flavors of the forest: 22-30.09.2025
4. Keys for communication and cooperation: 06-17.1.2025
5. Authentic Man: 16-27.03.2026
All the Mobilities are co-financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union
Youth exchange period: 06-17.10.2025
Location: Sovata – Outward Bound Romania Youth Center, Gurghiului Mountains
Participants: 20 participants
Participating countries: Lithuania, Portugal, Greece, Romania
Partner organizations:
- Innoved Lietuva – LV
- Novo Mundo – PT
- Careterra – GR
- Outward Bound Romania – RO
Info letter: infoletter – Keys for communication and cooperation YE.pdf
Our main goal:
This Youth Exchange was an invitation to step into a transformative journey – where real challenges meet honest connection. The main aim was to merge our OBR methods and tools with Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and to develop the cooperation and communication skills of the participants within a safe and growth-supportive environment.
Specific objectives of the project were:
- Overcome personal and common challenges while using inner reflection and active communication with the support of NVC
- Offer a safe space which has a combination of external challenges while being accountable and gaining more awareness of our inner processes, feelings and needs.
- Develop authentic ways of assertive communication
- Introduce and harvest the added value that NVC can bring to cooperation and communication especially within the frames and authentic experiences used at our programs
- Explore NVC in a purposefully challenging environment
- Overcome common challenges and explore intense cooperation with others
- Give space to honest conversations and sharings
- Empower participants by involving them in delivering workshops during the YE
The elements of the program:
get to know each-other activities, team building, supported and self-organizing expedition, orienteering, leading the group, decision making processes, activities focused on Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and group collaboration, solution focused problem-solving activities, sleeping and cooking outdoors, learning through experience, climbing activities in the ropes course, nature-based activities, debriefing, reflection process, closing activities
Results of the projects:
Nonviolent Communication (NVC), nature-based experiences, and group exploration helped participants foster growth, self-awareness and cooperation.
Feedback of the participants:
“It was a project well designed for bringing the best of each person and forcing them to BE a Team player instead of an individual. The challenges forced us to BE more communicative and cooperative than we usually do.” – participant
“I had no expectations or thoughts, and it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. Everything went very smoothly and beautifully. Highly organized and safe. I had confidence from the beginning.” – participant
“What I carry with me in my invisible backpack is how important it is to understand others first before we can help them, but I also learned a lot about how to communicate with others without imposing or judging.” – participant
Photos and videos about the program:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/792584133571528
