Ireland exchange
Our 3rd and final exchange between project partners. This time, the exchange was hosted by Sport Ireland, the state agency tasked with the development of sport, which is no easy task.
This exchange began with the crucial work of our toolkit development. Over the past months through the exchanges, online meetings and behind-the-scenes, ISCA and our project partners have been brainstorming, writing, and rewriting a toolkit. The main aim is to:
“…to provide research, learning experiences, best practices, and several different tools to help you break barriers around outdoor sports participation and inspire you in your journey to make outdoor recreation available to more people.”
Isca
This exchange finalized details for us before we head into the testing phase of the toolkit. This could involve you. If you are a sports, youth or volunteer organization, looking for tips & tricks.
Don’t worry, this exchange wasn’t all work and no play. We furthered our skills in sleeping outdoors while spending 1 night out bivvy-ing. Nothing bonds you like a night in the woods. We also got a bit silly with the indoor activities and learned some Irish step dancing.
We said that this was our last exchange but only between all of the project partners together. In 2025, we will bring these exchanges to the youth. Between paired partners, two youth exchanges will be hosted. We will facilitate outdoor activities, cultural exchanges and learnings to about 6 young participants.
2024 Project Recap
2024 was the year of knowledge exchanges for Beyond Horizons. We spent the year hopping from Norway to France to Ireland. Why? We wanted to uncover the good practices in each community, learn from local experts and do some outdoor activities. What type of good practices? Practices that welcome and engage vulnerable young people into the outdoors!
While the project partners had their fun with the exchanges in 2024, we will bring this concept to the youth in 2025.
As we start the last year of the project, let’s summarize what happened in 2024:
- 3 exchanges happened – each in Norway, France and Ireland
- Multiple expert talks on topics such as barriers to the outdoors, planetary boundaries, how to engage youth on a local level, and various good practices
- 23k people engaged with through social media and in-person events
- Interviews with local youth in Norway, France and Ireland to tune in on their experiences
- 3 (or maybe more) photoshoots of us laying face down in the earth
- Countless laughs
- 1 toolkit in development
We are happy with how Beyond Horizons as a project is coming along. Through the past year, we can only see how this project can make a positive impact in breaking down barriers for youth involvement in outdoor spaces. How will that continue in 2025?
- 8 youth exchanges
- 1 toolkit ready for testing
- More presentations at national and international conferences
If you would like to know more about the project, reach out to us or visit the project page.
