This year, we welcomed 6 participants from Ukraine and 6 participants from Germany at our Teufelssee Children, Youth and Family Recreation Centre. Together, their goal was to help renovate the centre’s garden. The participants split into several groups and focused on their own small projects. The first group decided to build a little wooden train for kids to play with. The second group created a barefoot path with different tactile textures for the centre guests to walk on. And people from the third group immersed themselves in lacquering and decorating benches with colourful drawings.

In addition to handiwork, the volunteers were also busy within the educational programme. With our trainer Ivan Makarov, they’d gone through two project management workshops using Value Preposition Canvas tool. It helped them understand what the Recreation Centre offers in general and what could they bring to the table. Every day they would come with a detailed work plan and then execute, discuss and adjust it. During the ecology workshop, youngsters evaluated their everyday life habits that could be changed and everyday items that could be replaced with more sustainable ones.

Last but not least, of course the participants danced, explored, learned something new (some had their first experience riding a bike!) and relaxed in the greenery of Grunewald, and at the famous Teufelssee with its clean waters and rich wildlife.

This project was co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Participant’s feedback
“I spent two wonderful weeks in German forest Grunewald enjoying all the nature around. I got valuable experience by developing eco-project and found out how to work with wood and special tools. It was a great pleasure to me to work in a such friendly team. Also each of as gained important knowledge about ecology and eco-life, therefore everyone became more aware of ecological protection.” – Polina.