Environmnets For Learning

Environments for learning

2.1 Background

Environmental NGOs and other environmental organisations across Europe (i.e. the third

sector) have been involved in the provision of life long learning opportunities on an informal basis for many years through

volunteering and by many people working within their

communities. This has not been recognised as a mechanism for

life long learning as traditionally people have worked on

environmental projects out of a passion for the cause. In 1995

research work on volunteering in Europe showed that 18% of

volunteers questioned volunteered to gain new skills,

yet there appear to be few systems to recognise the skills

gained.

More recently in Western Europe environmental volunteering has been recognised as a means of

gaining skills and qualifications. In the UK the environmental

training body LANTRA recognises leadership of

volunteers as a unit to gain an NVQ. In France working on environmental improvement

schemes is a recognised route to rural employment. However in some countries such as Italy or

Greece there is no official recognition especially for adult

learners. In Eastern Europe volunteering is barely recognised

as an activity. In Lithuania the law has just been passed to make volunteering legal and it is a new activity in many other countries

of accession. Many of the partners especially in Eastern

Europe are quite isolated in their country and need to look to other

parts of Europe for a shared experience.

BTCV has worked with the partners in the proposed network from between 2-10 years and the idea of a network has come about

as a means of continuing what was an informal relationship and to strengthen the links between

all the partners. BTCV and some of the partners have had requests for information, help and support from other organisation in their

country and other parts of Europe. Networking has become a 'buzz-word', however we see this network taking the role of supporting various groups to develop their own capacities,

based on their needs, by networking with other groups

with similar needs. In the process BTCVs own capacity is also

strengthened.

2.2 Aims and Objectives

The aim of the project is the establishment of a network of

organisations involved in Environmental Volunteering and

community environmental projects to facilitate knowledge

and experience acquisition, capacity building through shared learning and to gain recognition and support for these activities.

The specific objectives will be to:

* Establish a network of European environmental

organisations that facilitate and promote opportunities for adult life long learning skills through

volunteering and community environmental projects to

enhance the quality and standards of the learning available.

* Identify and promote innovation and successful

practices leading to improved quality by research and

presentation of up to 12 cases studies

* To provide at least 6 learning events for co-ordinators in

environmental organisations to enhance and increase the

provision of adult learning by creating new opportunities for

learning on an informal basis on environmental projects

* To facilitate and support partners to establish links to adult

learning establishments and in collaboration to develop a

flexible accreditation process and recognition by producing examples of existing good

practice and systems.

* Promote the techniques of using environmental projects as a

means of providing learning opportunities for excluded groups by showcasing good practice and running a European Conference.

* Identify mechanisms and resources that would expand the network to a wider audience than

the initial members by linking into other networks and attracting

new partners to the network.

2.3 Innovation

Traditionally the environment has not be seen as a means to

achieving life skills and has been perceived more as a means of

obtaining land based and science skills whether as a volunteer or

through community based activities. However, a leader of

an environmental workcamp or a community day project gains and develops real communication and

inter-personal skills, basic management and project

organisation skills yet this is not recognised in many countries.

Research work carried out by Oxford Brookes University has

shown that by participating regularly in environmental

volunteering individuals who are unemployed or women out of employment have gained in

confidence, social and communication skills the

acquisition of which has lead to employment. In Italy older

volunteers work with young people on local environmental

projects as a means of transferring life skills. In all the countries of the network these

informal experiences on environmental projects are not

recognised or in most cases supported.

This network will help to share and promulgate the ideas and

techniques needed to create these innovative techniques in helping

individuals gain life skills. Longer term the network will

help to enhance the quality and standards of achievement in adult

learning. A longer-term aim beyond the life of the Grundtvig project would the establishment and recognition of this process

and ideally some European wide quality standard.

2.4 Methodology

The main methodology used within the network for learning

activities will be through the principles used for learning by

groups rather than the individual. In particular the active

participation of others in the process of challenge and support

which is recognised as a very powerful action learning tool.

The network will use mechanisms such as exchange of

experiences, shared experimentation, and examples of

success

In establishing the network a decision was made to keep it

quite small and to initially work with those organisations that

were truly active in the field and willing to contribute to the

process. New members could be incorporated by securing other outside funding once the initial

group was up and running.

In the first stage of working an initial meeting would be organised to get common agreement and methods of

working and communicating.

2.5 Direct Target Groups

The direct target group will be the trainers, volunteer co-

ordinators/project workers and community development workers

from partner environmental organisations who will play an active role in the network. They

will benefit from the shared learning and experiences of the network partners and participate in the learning events. The work achieved by the network would

be relevant to many other environmental organisations who

work in this field and are not members of the initial network.

2.6 Indirect Groups

The indirect target groups are individual volunteers involved in

environmental projects community groups seeking to

achieve environmental improvements and a range of

disadvantaged groups. Many of the partners work with one or

more of the identified disadvantaged groups on

environmental projects. The network does not aim to work with all types of disadvantaged groups but it is more that the environment can be used as a

medium, to which some people can easily relate, to create an alternative pathway for some individuals to learn life long

skills.

3.1 Envisaged Outputs

ProductLangMediumVolumeUsersEnd

GroupImplementation/methodologyNetwork Establishment Event

- meeting to introduce all partners to each other and to establish the processes of the

networkENVerbal with written report ??? partnersMembers of the network organisationsWeb

based communication toolENWebContents could

include:

* Discussion forum

* 12 case studies

* Details of each partner

* Funding sources

* Reports from learning eventsMembers of networks,

specifically, volunteer co-ordinators and

trainersVolunteers, community citizen groupsWeb site co-

ordinated by BTCV, examples produced by partners and ideas from web implemented by all

partners as appropriate

Regular web-based discussion forums at fixed timesA series of

5 Learning events which probably would include

Working with Volunteers Leadership

Community Consultation

Training the trainer

Working with the unemployedENCourse

Training manual or toolkits

Discussion Forum

Case Studies Links to other information sources

Learning events would be 3 - 4 day events for 12 people

Content:

* Recruiting and retention

* Motivation

* Health & Safety

* Volunteer policies

* Why volunteer?

* Why work with volunteers

* Communication

* Project management

* Team building

* Training techniqus

* Stakeholder identification

* Supporting volunteers Evaluation techniquesVolunteer

co-ordinators community workers

Trainers participants in networkVolunteers on Environmental projects

Volunteers, citizens groups disadvantaged

communitiesImplemented by partner's who run volunteer projects or those wishing to

establish volunteer programmes. Will use interactive process with

problem solving, shared experiences and ideas, active

learning and action planningConference on Environments for all. A

European Conference on working with disadvantaged communities

on environmental projects.

ENEvent and printed report.Large scale event with

100-200 people lasting 3 days. Will be run in the UKDirectors of

NGO's and other organisations working with disadvantaged

communities, governments, local authoritiesDisadvantaged

groupsThe implementation of the findings and ides generated by

this conference will be implemented at the grass roots level by those directly working

with disadvantaged communities and at a more strategic level by those implementing policy and

creating a climate in which disadvantaged can gain access to informal learning opportunities.

Methods used will be presentations, workshops,

discussions and break out groups Local collaboration with learning

establishments leading to joint projects and learning

eventsENLinks and identification or areas of collaboration Will be variable in each country and the outputs will vary depending on the strength of the relationship and ability to identify shared

activity and goals. If 10 of the initial partners establish such a

relationship this will be successfulLearning

establishments and any of the none academic partnersAny

individuals or groups involved in informal learningImplementation would be achieved by using peer

support from the college in the partnership, presentations and

facilitating meetings.

Methodology would be by sharing information and ideas

and using peer support AccreditationENA useable and flexible accreditation system for

informal learning opportunitiesThe project would like to establish a system and to be able to pilot it in 2 countries.

Environmental organisations and learning

establishments.Individuals participating in informal learning activitiesImplementation would depend on the system however having piloted the process in 2

countries there would be a review and revision process followed by the need to implement in other partner countries. Methodology would be by review of existing

systems and development of own systemExpanded

networkENWeb, email and eventsAt least another 10

members wit a stronger emphasis on Western

EuropeEnvironmental organisationsVolunteers, citizens

groups disadvantaged communitiesLink with other

networks approaching partners of the network not yet involved but

who have shown an interest

Some of the outputs from the network will be more generic in

nature and apply to both the direct and indirect target groups.

The network itself will provide peer support and successful

modals as well as provision of a forum where common concerns

can be explored in a safe environment. Participation in the network will also enhance all the

organisations capacity and resources and learners will

benefit as a result. The network will help to build progressive

pathway or the least developed organisations. Finally the

network will provide opportunities to identify other areas for future joint working

4. Evaluation and dissemination

The outlined monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are

proposals for ensuring timely progress and function of the

project. However, changes may arise through discussion with network partners at the initial

network meeting. It is believed important for the viable and sustainable network, that all partners should agree to the systems of monitoring and

evaluation proposed, as active participation including self-evaluation is imperative for

success in not only the implementation but also

evaluation and dissemination of the project.

4.1 Monitoring of the project will take the form of quarterly

reviews and be collated by the identified network facilitator with

contribution from all network partners. The monitoring review will cover the following aspects:

* key objectives for the quarter

* summary of outputs achieved

* reaction measures such as reports from meetings, evaluation

of training delivered

* quantitative and qualitative feedback on network

mechanisms - website, discussion forum against performance

measures with action planning identified to overcome any

barriers to achievement

* significant trends such as male:female ratios on courses or

volunteering regularly

* outcomes identified during this period.

Results of each quarterly review will be disseminated to all

network partners and funders. This will help partners feel

involved, be part of the learning process in terms of reflection an