21
youth workers and educators trained
The legacy project page reports 21 trained youth workers and educators acting as multipliers in their communities.
Completed · February 2026
First Step is Half the Journey
About this exchange
First Step is Half the Journey was an Erasmus+ KA210 small-scale partnership (project number 2024-3-NO02-KA210-YOU-000278398) coordinated by International Volda, Norway. Highlights e.V. participated as a partner alongside work connected to Germany and Spain. The project period ran from March 2025 to February 2026.
The project used nature, experiential learning, and community engagement to support social inclusion and mental well-being of young migrants and refugees. Activities included needs research, a training course in Norway, local outdoor sessions, video documentation, and dissemination through a method book, national materials, and multiplier events. Selected public publications and video resources are linked under Project Resources.
OBJECTIVES
What we set out to achieve
- Promote mental health and well-being of young migrants and refugees through outdoor and adventure-based learning
- Support social inclusion and integration into local communities
- Strengthen youth workers’ capacity to use experiential and outdoor education methods
- Encourage innovative approaches such as visual storytelling and video-making
- Develop a tailored outdoor education programme based on migrant community needs
ACTIVITIES
Planned activities
Needs analysis and research
Surveys and focus groups with migrants, refugees, and educators identified barriers and learning needs.
Training course in Norway
A capacity-building course prepared youth workers in adventure-based learning and mental health practices.
Local outdoor activities
Outdoor sessions in partner countries involved migrants and local communities in experiential learning.
Video production and documentation
Visual content, including expert interviews, documented methods and shared practice across countries.
Final publication and multiplier events
Partners developed a method book and national materials, and organised local multiplier events with stakeholders.
KEY RESULTS
What we aimed for
Outdoor education programme
A tailored outdoor education programme was developed for work with migrant and refugee youth.
Method book and national materials
Partners published a method book and a Germany-focused national index exploring outdoor education for inclusion and well-being.
Video learning resources
A project YouTube channel shared interviews with outdoor education experts and related practice insights.
PROJECT RESOURCES
Resources & outputs
- Method Book
Method book
Exploring adventure-based outdoor education for well-being and inclusion of young migrants in Norway, Spain, and Germany.
- Research
National Index (Germany)
Germany-focused national index on adventure-based outdoor education for well-being and inclusion of young migrants.
- Video
International Volda YouTube channel
Project-related video resources and expert interviews hosted by the coordinating organisation.
Photo gallery
Delivered with
- International Volda — Norway
LEARNING
Learning areas
- Outdoor and adventure-based education
- Mental well-being awareness
- Social inclusion practice
- Experiential learning facilitation
- Visual storytelling and documentation
