The 7 day training course on the topic “Creative learning environments” was organized in Latvia, Gulbene for 24 youth workers and teachers from 2nd – 9th of August, 2015. The objectives of this learning activity were following:

– To share theories and concepts on learning and facilitation of learning in order to innovate education in practice;

– To create a challenging learning environment to provoke divergent and creative thinking, to experience and be creative together;

– To support participants to identify their own natural way of learning and explore how creativity and environments can provoke changes in our learning efficiency;

– To share and discover different realities applied by the participants;

– To explore how creativity and unconventional environments can provoke new perceptions about (self-directed) learning;

– To identify obstacles and challenges to make changes in our realities;

– To encourage further cooperation between the participants on the topic of the L@L project.

During the learning activity, interactive learning methods were used, centered to the participant and adapted to the needs of the group.

At the beginning of the training course (first 2 days) the learning community was built – participants got to know each other which was very crucial as it was planned that these educators work together during the rest of the project. After getting to know each other and creating a safe learning environment, participants introduced others with their organizations. Team-building process was continued by personalizing common learning space.

3rd day of the training course was dedicated to explore “what is learning? “, discovering personal ways of learning, focusing on learning to learn competence and self-directed learning. Day finished with a “Learning 360” activity that provided participants an opportunity to explore learning from various angles giving time and space to explore various ways of learning and various topics. Day finished with the debriefing of our learning process and how it can be used in a professional field.

Day 4 was dedicated to think about “How to support learning”, using various interactive and reflective activities to work on the topic.

Day 5 was focused on “Creative learning environments” – how to integrate creativity in the learning process and think about – what is a creative learning environment.

Day 6 was dedicated to transform ideas into actions. Participants were reflecting on “what are the challenges and obstacles in my work supporting learning “. They also identified what are the elements that support and don´t support a creative learning environment. These identified elements appear in the IO1- State of Art research “The First Looking at Learning”. This day participants started to create their own action plans – to transform ideas of creative learning environments into real actions / experiments in their communities.

Day 7 was dedicated to visiting local partners in Gulbene municipality – Gulbene 2nd Secondary school and youth center Bums as well as close the training course and celebrate the first international learning mobility with educators of the project! 🙂