Local activities in Slovakia, Spain, and Greece: testing the Mindful Scouts approach

An important phase of the Mindful Scouts project was the implementation of 3 local activities, one in each partner country: Slovakia, Spain, and Greece. These activities played a key role in testing the project results in practice and collecting feedback from participants and facilitators.

Although all local activities were based on the same overall methodology, each partner organisation adapted the implementation to its own context and target group. This was one of the strengths of the project, as it showed that the developed resources are flexible and transferable across different realities.

Together, the three local activities showed that the Mindful Scouts methodology can be adapted to different participant profiles while maintaining its core educational values. Whether implemented directly with young people or with mixed groups of youth workers and youth, the activities consistently supported reflection, participation, inclusion, teamwork, and connection with nature.

These local experiences were more than isolated events. They became a key part of the project’s validation process, providing feedback that helped refine the Toolkit and strengthen the practical relevance of the OER platform. At the same time, they helped spread the project’s message locally and engaged participants and stakeholders in meaningful discussion around youth mental health, non-formal education, and the value of the Scout Method in contemporary youth work.

Slovakia

In Slovakia, the local activity was implemented by Slovenský skauting, the coordinating organisation of the project. Reflecting its strong background in scouting and direct youth work, the Slovak activity focused more directly on young people. This created an important opportunity to test the project’s methods with a youth-centred group and observe how the activities supported trust, resilience, teamwork, reflection, and emotional awareness in a direct and practical way.

Greece

In Greece, the local activity was implemented by InnoSpark, also with a mixed group of youth workers and young people. This created a dynamic environment where the methods could be explored both as participant experiences and as youth work tools. Young people could engage directly with the activities, reflection processes, and group learning experiences, while youth workers could test the practical value of the resources and consider how they might adapt them for their own contexts.

Spain

In Spain, the local activity was organised by Amigos de Europa and brought together a mixed group of youth workers and young people. This mixed format was particularly valuable because it created two levels of learning at the same time. Young participants were directly involved in the activities and could experience their educational and emotional impact, while youth workers were also able to observe the process from a professional perspective, reflect on facilitation methods, and assess how the tools could be used in their own practice.