Inspired Scout Leaders Return Home from the Educational Methods Forum

(WSBERO/Antalya) – Last week, some 150 participants, facilitators, planning team members and logistical support staff gathered for the 8th European Educational Methods Forum in Antalya, Turkey.

Opening Plenary of the 8th Educational Methods Forum of the European Scout Region

The Educational Methods Forum is the major event of the European Scout Region in the area of education and held once every three years. It is an opportunity for Scout Leaders responsible on national level for topics related to education (youth programme, adult resources management, training, age sections, diversity, development, etc.) to meet and share information as well as form partnerships and work together on topics of common interest. The Forum was planned and organised by the volunteer led Educational Methods Core Group of the Region. Valuable logistical support was received from the Türkiye İzcilik Federasyonu (Federation of Turkish Scouting and Guiding), which hosted the Forum.

Most of the sessions and workshops are part of “learning tracks”

When registering for the event, participants from across Europe had been asked to choose from five learning tracks which they would then follow throughout the actual event: “Education for What?”, “Leadership in Scouting”, “Learning for Life”, “Scouting in the Community” and “The Life Cycle of Adult Volunteer”. This was an innovative new approach, which turned out to be very successful.

The Open Space Session is held out in the open!

Apart from the sessions and workshops offered in each of the Learning Tracks, common programme elements completed the programme: among the highlights of the event were inspiring keynotes by Gökhan Yücel and Craig Turpie, hard talks on ‘Duty to God’ and ‘Image of Scouting’, a patrol challenge on the beach, an open space session out in the open in a beautiful nearby forest, and plenty of possibilities to reflect together in learning teams. The Forum concluded with an impressive and exciting closing ceremony organised by the hosts.

Throughout the event, the participants enjoyed the opportunity to network with likeminded volunteers and professional working in the area of Educational Methods.

For a collection of the materials and conclusions from the Forum see the event’s website.
And for a visual review of the Forum, see Juho’s diary on storify.

Contributing author: Juho Toivola, Educational Methods Core Group of the European Scout Region.
Images from participants of the Educaitonal Methods Forum.

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