BE WATER Activity Toolkit
Introduction
BE WATER helps reducing the environmental impact of youth camps on water basins and empowering the participants and youth professionals as active players in the process and become active agents of change for the camps to maintain ecological balance and preserving biodiversity, providing habitat and sustenance for many species and ensure water resources and quality, through reduced pollution, reduced disruption of the natural water cycle, leave a positive legacy for the environment and society.
The BE WATER Activity Toolkit addresses the engagement of the participants in the camps in the effort to become more sustainable/circular, not having them as passive subjects, but as active agents in the change to bring about. The activity toolkit, through the organisers and those directly interacting with participants, addresses how to empower participants to take on a more active role, involving them in the development of strategies and ideas throughout the whole process from inception to the actual implementation.
While the BE WATER Workbook provides guidance on how to make the design, organization and implementation of camps and their activities more sustainable and reduce the environmental impact, the Activity Toolkit addresses the mobilization of young people as active agents in these processes. Using both results thus provide the highest impact on the sustainability of the involved camps.
The activity toolkit, based on an initial desk research into relevant literature, practices & experiences on youth engagement, developed a survey which aimed to identify the main barriers and challenges related to the envisaged type of participation of young people in all phases of the design and organisation of a (youth) camp. Both youth professionals as well as the young people themselves were surveyed on the topic. Annex I provides an overview of the analysis.
Based upon the identified barriers and challenges and research a set of activities were identified, which those that design, organise and implement (youth) camps, and in particular those in and around water, can use to mobilise and engage their participants. The identified activities are classified according to three types:
- Goal-oriented engagement activities: How to support young people in setting goals and objectives for the more sustainable and circular camps;
- Collaborative engagement activities: Empower young people work together and collaborate towards the achievement of the goals set (collaborative engagement);
- Safe engagement environment related activities: How create the space in which young people feel respected and values and thus participate.
As an extra we also include two more activities which are versatile and can be used in all three settings, depending on the focus and selected topic or theme. These are included after the above three types of activities.
For each activity a short summary is provided on what the goal of the activity; how to prepare and implement the activity, and how to wrap up and/or debrief at the end of the activity. Also any materials that you might need are indicated.
The activities/exercises have a strong practical focus us with hands-on information and topis and tricks.
The Toolkit is available as full downloadable PDF, which includes an overview of the research results first and then outlines the activities, as well as an online resource base where the youth professional can search through the activities using a predetermined set of filters. The online resource base can be accessed through the BE WATER website: https://2bewater.eu/.
How to use the Activity Toolkit
The activities included in the toolkit can be used at different stages in the design, preparation and implementation of the camps.
Getting Started
By combining the present toolkit with the BE WATER workbook, the impact is multiplied. The Workbook helps in designing the sustainable camp framework, while the toolkit provides the activities to mobilise participants within that framework.
Be reminded that the core goal of the toolkit is to empower young people as active agents of change rather than just passive participants. This mindset is crucial and having it present at all times will help you select and facilitate the activities.
Selecting the right activity
The BE WATER toolkit’s structure is intentional, designed to address specific barriers to youth engagement. The three types of activities can be combined in different ways, to think carefully about what type of activities are needed based upon the reality and characteristics of the camp and the young people involved. Choose with intent.
- Goal-Oriented Engagement Activities: These are best used in a context where the support of the group is needed to analyse a problem, set objectives, and envision solutions.
- Collaborative Engagement Activities: Are the most appropriate ones if building teamwork, communication, and collective problem-solving skills are key in a specific setting.
- Safe Engagement Environment Activities: Start with these if the group is new or needs to build trust and mutual respect.
For a deeper impact, sequence activities logically. A good option is to start with a Safe Environment activity to build trust, move to a Goal-Oriented activity like the Water-Related Problem Tree to define a challenge, and then use a Collaborative activity to work on the solutions identified.
The two “extra” activities, Brainwriting and Five Minutes Writing, are highly versatile. Keep these in your back pocket to spark creativity, gather quick feedback, or fill a spare moment productively.
Maximise impact
Each of the included activities includes a section on “Debriefing and Questions”. This is one of the most critical steps. It allows participants to reflect on the experience, connect it to real-world issues, and internalise the key learnings.
The ultimate goal of the BE WATER Activity Toolkit is to empower young people. As an advanced trick, after participants become familiar with the toolkit’s structure, they can be trained to facilitate some of the simpler activities themselves, truly shifting them into the role of active leaders.