From 7th to 11th of June we went on our very first full team study visit to Latvia! The main purpose?
Experiencing in first person adventure education methods together with out colleagues from Piedzivojuma Gars. We climbed trees, learned survival techniques, went on a 12-hour solo experience and brought a full collection of new skills back home! Read below a recap of our experience:
“The study visit was packed with experiences, emotions and discoveries which started right on the arrival day, when we were welcomed by volunteers of Piedzivojuma Gars at their office in Riga city center. There we enjoyed the first teambuilding activity with the workshop “The Art of Slow Cooking”, where we cooked three (delicious) recipes from Belgium, France and Latvia.
On the first morning our first step was to go to back to the PG office to get a tour of their communal spaces in collaboration with “Free Riga” and then have some teambuilding games. After lunch we headed to the sea-side of the city, where we experienced in first person one of the outdoor education workshops that PG implements with school groups: a series of five outdoor challenges including looking for hints inside of bunkers, pulling a cart with a person on top to collect items, collect a secret code among the mist or working together in order to climb up a 2.5 meter height.The evening finished with an amazing canoe trip along the Daugava river, crossing the city channels until the sunset.
The second morning started at the office of Klubs Māja, with whom we had a super productive meeting about organizational structure, membership types and activities that we run (and where the foundation for a new partnership was created). Then we moved to the Youth center KAŅIERIS, a venue that saw the birth of many of current NGOs in Riga. We had a tour around the building and got instroduced to the services of this municipality-run space, which was very inspiring!
After lunch we set the road to Rites, where the team of PG (Piedzivojuma Gars) was waiting for us with the real adventure: from learning how to set up sleeping hacmocks in the forest, tie up knots, walk on glass (and the “DIVE or DIE” mentality), to cooking outdoors, learning how to start up a fire with birch bark or set up a shelter with limited resources. Aside from those soft skills, we also continued with the teambuilding with challenges connected with slacklines, managing to climb “Jacob’s Ladder” and trying the famous high jumps.
The highlight of the experience was a solo adventure that would take four of us to four different points distributed 6 km away on average. The idea? Pack all the necessary survival items and start hiking with the help of just a map and a compass. No phone, no company. Just ourselves and the Latvian forest and fields. The adventure lasted for around 12 hours, from 20:00 until 08:00, which meant that once we reached our designated point, we were responsible for setting up camp and spend the night by ourselves. A truly empowering experience!”
Olalla
“Our study visit to Latvia with PG was such a memorable experience. The team made us feel really welcome and showed us how powerful outdoor adventure education can be and how versatile simple equipment like ropes and slacklines can be. We got to take part in fun and challenging activities that made us question many of our biases and prejudices. The solo adventure in the forest is an experience I will never forget, it was definitely a huge step out of my comfort zone. It was also wonderful to learn not only from the PG team but also from some of the participants in the camp that was happening during our stay. I am looking forward to applying some of the methods we learned from this study visit when facilitating group activities to encourage teamwork, bravery and critical thinking.”
Darina
“Spending time in Latvia was a great experience for me. I learned how outdoor education can be a powerful way to learn new things, not just about nature, but also about teamwork, problem-solving, and personal growth. Being outdoors, doing activities that challenged us physically and mentally, helped me see how important it is to step out of our comfort zones. I think this kind of learning could be really useful for Shokkin’s work with young people, as it creates strong experiences and memories that help people grow.
The activities we did, both outside and during the group sessions were also helpful for getting to know each other better and building stronger connections. I felt more connected to the people in the group and to the Shokkin spirit. I also learned more about myself: how I act in groups, when I take initiative, and when I need to listen more. This experience gave me a chance to reflect and come back feeling more confident and motivated to contribute.“
Francesco
“I had already heard about adventure education before this visit, but I had never really thought about what it really means. Now I know — it’s all about a bit of risk. That small feeling of challenge makes it a great way to learn. During the project, I discovered a whole new world — sleeping in tents, climbing trees, being in nature. I never found it interesting before, but now I really like it! I even got myself a sleeping bag, a mat, and some outdoor gear. Maybe it’ll become my new hobby.
I also saw how adventure education helps people get closer. Our team became really connected — we supported each other and worked great as a group. I especially enjoyed the teamwork challenges. We had no fights or stress — just good communication and shared ideas. It felt like we were thinking as one team the whole time. And one more thing — I found out I’m braver than I thought! Yes, I still have fears, but now I know I can deal with them. I even enjoy climbing — and I’ve got muscles for it, who knew?
In Shokkin, we usually do a hike at the end of summer, and now I want to help organize one with some people from this project. After the next outdoor project in July, I hope to learn more team games and ideas — and then start planning that hike!”
Nastja
“This Erasmus+ study visit was an enriching experience that broadened my perspective on adventure and outdoor education. The activities, blending hands-on outdoor tasks with meaningful networking, were highly valuable for strengthening my connection with Shokkin and fostering collaboration. The key learnings for me was about managing emotions in difficult and potentially dangerous situations in order to avoid impacting the group dynamics. Besides, I learned about importance of safe environment in the context of outdoor education. I gained insights into my own adaptability and built stronger relationships with peers, while the vibrant cultural exchange left a lasting impact.”
Gasim
“Explore the Outdoor” was co-funded by the European Union and supported by the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps Agency for the Erasmus+ program (euroopanoored.eu)