WILD SKILLS, STRONG MINDS 2

SUMMARY

JOETZ has been organizing camps and other leisure activities for children and young people for years, both in Belgium and abroad. As part of its mission, JOETZ trains young people to become youth leaders (animators), equipping them with the skills and confidence to create meaningful and engaging experiences for children and young people. 

These passionate young volunteers commit themselves to providing children with the best free time of their lives. Outdoor activities are an essential part of this, as being active in nature is beneficial for physical and mental health-a principle that aligns perfectly with JOETZ’s vision. Some of our camps take place in regions or countries where nature can be a key element in activities. The idea for this training was born from the need to equip young volunteers with additional skills and confidence to integrate outdoor education into their activities with children and youth.

Outdoor education is more than just spending time in nature. It is a powerful tool to develop life skills, enhance physical and mental resilience, and create inclusive learning experiences. 

So in this training, participants will gain hands-on experience with essential survival skills such as fire-making, navigation and orientation, while also strengthening their ability to facilitate group dynamics, ensure safety in outdoor settings, and use nature as a tool for mental balance.

THROUGH THIS TRAINING, PARTICIPANTS WILL

• Develop technical outdoor skills that can be applied in youth work (e.g., fire-making, navigation, outdoor cooking, basic first aid, backpack management…). 

• Gain insights into teamwork and communication in outdoor settings. 

• Learn how to use nature as a tool for mental well-being, both for themselves and the young people they work with. 

• Be equipped to transfer knowledge by creating an infokit that enables their youth organizations to implement outdoor learning experiences in their own settings. 

We organized this Training Concept in 2025 for the first time. Thanks to the very positive evaluations, JOETZ decided to organize it again this year. If you would like to learn from last year's experiences, make sure to visit the edition 2025 page. 

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

By learning to use outdoor environments effectively, youth workers will be able to create engaging, safe, and meaningful play and meeting spaces that enhance the development of young people. Through this training, we aim to: 

• Equip youth workers with essential outdoor skills that the can apply in youth activities (e.g., fire-making, navigation, outdoor cooking, basic first aid, backpack management and more).

• Learn youth workers to design and facilitate outdoor activities and games.

• Promote teamwork and communication by using nature as a setting for group dynamics and leadership development.

• Increase awareness of outdoor education as a tool for inclusion, resilience and personal development.

• Strengthen mental well-being by exploring how nature can help balance stress, improve focus, and enhance group cohesion.

• Ensure the sustainability of the training’s impact by creating an infokit that participants can use to implement outdoor learning in their own organizations.