Dive into yourself!

8-day personal development training course for youthworkers, youthleaders and trainers interested in experiential learning in outdoors

4th 11th July 2015, Croatia

Learn about yourself and the world around, dive into your own personal virtues and weaknesses, and experience the experiential learning through activities in nature. Learn about the Outward Bound non-formal learning method and different tools used in youthwork and working with groups in outdoors. Learn about leadership, communication, team-work, effective learning, decision making and problem solving. Outdoor activities are the tools we use to achieve the goals of the training: walk, hike, sleep under the stars, scuba dive and discover your strenghts this July in Croatia on the Velebit mountain and in the Adriatic sea.

Outward Bound (www.outwardbound.net) has provided more than seven decades of experiential education to individuals seeking focus in life, strength of character, resolve, sense of social responsibility and leadership. Outward Bound courses teach overcoming physical and mental challenges, building self-esteem and discovering ones own full capacities all resulting in higher level of adjustment to challenging life situations. Like other Outward Bound schools, Outward Bound Croatia (www.outwardboundcroatia.com) conducts outdoor courses in nature where the participants discover and refine their inner abilities, build respect for themselves and others, gain skills of building positive social interactions and leadership, reject unhealthy and destructive habits and become environmentally conscious. We teach and work by the following principles: compassion, integrity, excellence, inclusion and diversity.

Aims of the training course:

improve self-confidence and decisionmaking

learn leadership styles

practice leadership capabilities

become effective, independent and team focused learner

practice communication and team-work skills

improve performance and problem-solving skills

learn about the Outward Bound experiential learning method

learn new non-formal methods and tools to be used in future youthwork and working with groups

Who is the training course for: The training is designed for youthworkers, youth leaders and trainers that want to improve their personal and social skills, learn about the experiential learning, non-formal methods and tools, that they will use in their future work and all the interested individuals (teachers, educators, project leaders, project managers, volunteers) that want to exit their comfort zone and improve their communication and group work skills, their organizational and leadership skills and willing to get to know themselves better. Participants dont need a prior outdoor experience or special physical shape, it is enough if you are healthy and able to walk and swim. Training is based on high professional standards of the world-wide Outward Bound system of experiential learning and is led by instructors with multiple-year experience and all technical skills necessary for a secure completion of the course.

Content of the program: Day 1:

meeting in Gospi

arrival and welcome, introduction

get to know each other

Day 2:

teamwork and problem solving activities

knots and orienteering skills

debriefing Day 3 - 6:

expedition days

overcoming challenges

practicing communication and teamwork skills

leadership - theory and practice

climbing, abseil, hiking and mountaineering, bivouacing

debriefing Day 7:

effective learning and decision-making theory and practice

hiking to the seaside

discovery dive

debriefing Day 8:

reflection

evaluation

saying goodbye

Where: Croatia, Ravni Dabar Velebit mountain, Cesarica Adriatic sea Velebit mountain - the largest mountain in Croatia, stretching form the Alps and located along the Adriatic coast is a venue for this outdoor training course. The coastal slope is very rocky and bare and the inland, although steeper is almost completely covered in forest. Almost the whole area of Velebit is protected as a nature park and some parts are protected in a category of a national park.

Adriatic sea Croatian coast is famous for its crystal clear sea, protected bays in one of which you will scuba dive and thousands of islands. There are 1244 islands, islets, cliffs and reefs of which only 50 are inhabited, so Croatia may justly be called a land of a thousand islands.

The training begins in Ravni Dabar, a small village in the heart of Velebit mountain and finishes on the coast, in a small mediterranean village Cesarica where we will scuba dive.

And the magic happens on the way - in the forest, on the rock, across the mountain, next to the sea and in the sea!

Ravni Dabar, Velebit mountain

Cesarica, Adriatic sea

Meeting point and how to get there: The training begins in a small village Ravni Dabar and there is no public transportation to this location. Transport to Ravni Dabar will be provided by the organizers. For this reason the meeting point is the biggest nearest town - Gospi - centre of the region. Gospi is well connected by bus with the capital Zagreb (2 h by bus) and other bigger cities like Zadar (1h 15min by bus). Zadar is a destination well connected with low cost airlines during the summer period with airports across Europe. We will meet on the Gospi bus station, by 1 PM latest on the arrival day 4th July. As the training finishes in a small village Cesarica and there is no public transportation from this location, the organizers will provide the transport to the nearest location with public transportation. That is town Karlobag, also well connected by bus with the other bigger cities in Croatia. We will arrive to Karlobag by 5PM on the departure day 11th July.

Practical information This is truly an outdoor training, so please read the following lines carefully!

What to bring

Sleeping bag (-5 degrees)

Backpack

Camping mattress

Good walking shoes - preferably waterproof

Shoes for water (sandals or old sneakers)

Outdoor clothes - all-weather jacket, warm gloves, warm hat, sun hat, sunglasses,

sunscreen, extra clothes for changing, UV sun block long sleeve shirt

Dry bag (optional)

Headlamp or battery-torch

Towel

Swimming suit

Medicines that you usually use and need

Passport or other official identification In a case you do not have a backpack, sleeping mattress or sleeping bag, Outward Bound Croatia will provide one for you. Please communicate with us your needs.

Special needs (diets, medicine)

Please, tell us beforehand if you need any assistance from us in this matter

Technical details: For accommodation, a bivouac is used in the natural surroundings of Velebit mountain. Discovery dive equipment is provided by the organizer. The meals are also provided by the organizer and prepared by the group. Safety of both participants and the instructors is a top priority of Outward Bound Croatia during preparation and conducting a course. Educational activities are held with the strictest safety procedures, developed with the expertise from OB systems around the world to ensure maximal possible physical, emotional and social safety. OBC is part of Outward Bound International and as part of the system it follows all standard safety operating procedures. Safety systems are being reviewed by the OBI committee every year.

Participation fee: 400 Included in the price: food and accommodation, training delivery, transport during the training, group and technical gear, accident insurance. Not included in the price: transportation to the location.

Application form Please apply here http://goo.gl/forms/T1cQOs50tA

Contact information Contact person for this project is Lucija Jaklin. Please feel free to contact her with any questions. Email: lucija.jaklin@outwardbound.hr GSM: +385 1 644 56 62