“Legends Forged in the Forest of Knowledge”
Since 1999, leaders involved at national level in the areas of youth programme and volunteer management from all over Europe have gathered every two or three years to take part in the European Scout Education Forum. The Forum is one of the most popular events that takes place in Europe, and has a very special atmosphere due to the participants having similar interest in the educational aspects of Scouting and sharing similar backgrounds, challenges and concerns. Previous events have been held in Malta (1999), Spain (2001), Slovenia (2003), Luxembourg (2005), Denmark (2007), Portugal (2009), Romania (2012), Turkey (2015) and Romania (2018).
After a long break due to the pandemic we are happy to announce the 10th edition of this major gathering of educationalists, trainers and volunteer managers active in European Scouting.
Aim
The aim of the European Educational Methods Forum is to bring together leaders involved at national level with defining and delivering Scouting programmes, as well as national responsibles for the management of volunteers and, through knowledge transfer, inspirational discussion, networking and support, assists European NSOs/NSAs in developing and implementing education policies, strategies, projects and initiatives to better support the delivery of quality learning opportunities to more young people.
Description and objectives
Scouting, together with the rest of humanity, has recently entered a phase of development in a world that is based on almost entirely new paradigms in many areas relevant to young people. Internally, the Movement has witnessed tremendous transformations in the way we define and deliver support to our members and we are working on a new strategy for World Scouting to drive our actions for the medium-term future. The advent of artificial intelligence, the totally new information landscape, the growing pressure of inevitable climate-generated changes, increased social and political polarisation, the spectre of war and the harsh lessons of the global pandemic are just a few elements that will, sooner or later, play a major role in how our young people perceive and act in the world.
The programme is organised under the umbrella of Sustainability - seen as a common denominator for the three major topics we hope to drive the discussions to: Resilience, Relevance and Responsibility.
The Educational Methods Forum intends to live up to its name and be, first and foremost, a “Forum” - a place of exchanges and mutual learning, a market of ideas and an opportunity to bring up new and daring solutions to the challenges our associations are facing. Topics like digitalisation, youth leadership, critical thinking, climate-neutral events and climate-neutral associations, social and emotional intelligence, mental health and wellbeing, peace education, flexible volunteering, climate anxiety, providing for underrepresented communities, etc. will all be present in the programme, together with many more subjects brought up by the participating associations, thus ensuring the discussions and exchanges are relevant and productive!
The agenda will combine sharing sessions, presentations, round tables, keynote addresses, exhibitions and small group tasks with parallel workshops and round tables to choose from at all times.
The final programme overview will be published on the event website and updated based on the contributions from the participants, starting from September 2023.
The objectives of the event will be for those attending to:
- have acquired new and relevant knowledge relevant to their role
- have new resources to assist them in their role
- have built synergies, networking and best practice sharing opportunities with other NSOs/NSAs
- have received inspiration and new direction of thought relevant to their role
- have further strengthen their own personal motivation to support Scouting in an educational role
Theme: “Legends Forged in the Forest of Knowledge”
The word “Legend” derives from the Latin “Legere”, which originally meant “to read”, but also “to choose” or “to collect”. It later also gave us words such as “intellect”, “election” and “elegant”. The Forum intends to build on these symbols and provide all participants a chance to choose and collect knowledge in an elegant and beautiful manner. We will give equal attention to the content as to the format, ensuring not only intellectual gain but also inspiration and emotional growth.
Let’s all come together and make this 10th edition LEGENDARY!”
Participants’ Profile
The event is open to national Commissioners in charge of the youth programme or volunteer management (and/or related areas) or members of their teams.
We strongly encourage all interested associations to send at least 2 participants, representing the two traditional roles in Scouting education (programmes and adult support).
Language
The event will take place in English. Interpretation from/into French may be arranged on a case-by-case situation.
Date and Venue
11 - 15 October 2023 - Skopje, North Macedonia
The event officially starts on Wednesday, 11 October 2023 at 18:00 hours with the opening ceremony, and departures from the venue should be scheduled on Sunday, 15 October 2023, from 12h00.
Registration
Due to the restrictions related to the venue and delivery capacity, we can accommodate maximum 2 participants from each NSA. However, we encourage every association to apply to the event with as many participants as they see relevant for their circumstances. Indeed, at the deadline, all the places still available will be reallocated to associations having more than 2 registrants.
The registration form is available here:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/4ab37ceb944147d586fb38d7925f7558
The deadline for registrations is 20 September 2023. After this date, all participants on a waiting list will fill any available spots left and a final list of participants will be communicated to the venue.
Participation Fee
Thanks to a successful EU funding application submitted by the Regional Support Centre, there is no fee for the Forum. We can cover your expenses (accommodation in twin rooms, all meals and coffee breaks and additional programme expenses) during the Forum in Skopje..
However, if the travel costs themselves are challenging for your associations, do not hesitate to use the Regional financial support mechanism, for which you can always apply here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/feafbf237f914c968529ad4100c16329
Insurance
The European Scout Region of WOSM does not cover the risks of participants either during the event or during the travel to or from the venue. Please note that it is the exclusive responsibility of the participant’s national association to check and be sure that the risks of participants are covered by insurance (illness, accidents, repatriation etc…)
Further Information and Contact
For any questions or more details please refer to Radu Stinghe, Deputy Regional Director, rstinghe@scout.org