One of the main goals of the Empower Emerge project is to seek innovative solutions on how to motivate young people who often feel excluded from traditional forms of learning. To discover more effective methods, we decided to make use of international experience and learn from organizations that have been successfully working in this field.
That is why cooperation with the Irish organization Venture Out became an important part of our project. For many years, this organization has been running experiential outdoor learning programs that help young people build self-confidence, strengthen teamwork, overcome challenges, and discover their strengths. Their approach is close to our vision – teaching not in classrooms or lecture halls, but in real-life situations that bring emotions, engagement, and long-lasting impact.
One of the best examples of this is the New Routes Personal Development Programme, a personal growth initiative based on outdoor challenges, teamwork, and reflection.
To not only get to know this program in theory but also to see how it works in real conditions, we took part in the Venture Out Wilderness Project expedition in Ireland. It was a unique opportunity to experience firsthand how their methodology works in practice: trying outdoor activities, reflection exercises, and interaction with young people in an international context.
This experience gave us valuable insights into:
- how to naturally transfer knowledge through outdoor activities that are often difficult to convey in a traditional way,
- how to create an environment where young people want to get involved instead of feeling forced,
- how to develop skills through experience that are useful both in everyday life and in future careers.
The knowledge we gained will help us further strengthen the content of Empower Emerge by integrating good international practices into the activities of our training and leisure park. This will not only provide participants with more engaging experiences but also show them that they are learning through methods that are successfully applied in other European countries.
This experience reinforced our belief that through cooperation and sharing knowledge, it is possible to achieve a much stronger impact on young people. That is why we will continue to develop partnerships and create innovations together with other organizations.
