New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
office@pinesforestschool.pl

Basic information
Initiative title
Forest School for everyone

Full initiative Title
Forest School for everyone

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
Pines is a British Forest School based on the Scandinavian all weather school model and pioneered by British OCN trained Forest School practitioners. Our ethos is bred from the belief that risk taking and independent led learning are necessary to successfully support the development of young people. Our core principle places community at the centre of everything we do. We focus on the relationship between our learners and the natural world whilst promoting holistic learning.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Local

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Poland

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
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Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual
Please provide the contact details for the intiative promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the intiative).
- First name: Saul
  Last name: Simpson
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: United Kingdom
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: ul. Przasnyska, nr 2, lok. 28
  Town: Warsaw
  Postal code: 01-756
  Country: Poland
  Direct Tel: +48660230210
  E-mail: office@pinesforestschool.pl
  Website: https://www.pinesforestschool.pl/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/pinesforestschool/
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Friend

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Pines is a British Forest School based on the Scandinavian all weather school model and pioneered by British OCN trained Forest School practitioners. Our ethos is bred from the belief that risk taking and independent led learning are necessary to successfully support the development of young people. Our core principle places community at the centre of everything we do. We focus on the relationship between our learners and the natural world whilst promoting holistic learning. This approach guides our learners toward becoming knowledgeable, creative, intelligent, independent, confident, resilient and compassionate individuals who care for the world around them.

Pines offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to themselves and the environment, safely at our inclusive Forest site. We use a range of learner centred processes to create a base for development and learning. We spend 100% of our time outside, working closely with individuals across a range of abilities and age groups, creating a community that cares for environment as well as each other.

Pines is broken up into three distinct areas. Pines Forest School, Pines Primary and Pines Foundation. Following the same core principles and ethos. Inclusivity, promotion of wellbeing and independence and positive educational experiences. What started in August 2019 with three children, one Forest leader and a backpack has evolved beyond any expectations we had.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
NATURE

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
EDUCATION

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
EXPERIENCE

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
CONTROLLED RISK

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
We recognise the impact self-esteem has on emotional development and in turn how this affects intelligence. Allowing children to be independent in a safe, calm and positive environment allows for failure and success within their own personal self. Whilst the space in the forest provides children the freedom to make and learn from their own mistakes.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Unlike traditional classroom teaching methods Forest School practitioners lead sessions in a completely different manner, avoiding the role of ‘teacher’ and instead take up the role of ‘leader/ facilitator’. Our Forest School leaders are in place to promote learning and development within the Forest School environment.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Similarly to our sensory sessions, our ‘Forest School for all’ Projects will bring together a variety of individuals whom in the past might have struggled to access sessions. From physical disabilities, to economical and social barriers. This set of project will go to great lengths to ensure every barrier its broken down. Spilt into smaller projects, focusing on the individual needs of each group. We are especially passionate about supporting adult with disabilities, particularly as historically funding for extra curricular activities demissions beyond the age of twenty two. Which as a result leaves a huge gap in the lives of disabled individuals.

Forms of this project:

Adult Sensory
Young person sensory
Young children sensory experience Physical access
Displaced persons group

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
We will lead a group of adults struggling with anxiety, depression and various mental health on nature strolls through the beautiful Forests Warsaw has to offer. These three hour walks will give his group a chance to relax, talk openly, connect with others and re-establish a bond with nature. An invisible illness, which is so often overlooked and ignored. This project will empower those involved to discard the sigma attached to mental health and learn from each other.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
This our local iniciative, no other stakeholders were involved.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
- Tool usage: safely learning how to use an axe, hatchet, bushcraft knife, saw, carving tool and steel.
- Forest craft: making various items, such as a small canoe, name disk and mallets.
- Animal tracking: basics in tracking and identifying animal tracks.
- Flora and fauna identification: basic introduction to various plants and wildlife, uses and identification.
- Fire safety: basic fire lays, how to start and maintain a fire safely.
- Risk and benefit: within our free play we encourage the children to challenge themselves.
- Additional: rope and knots, preparing a 'leave no trace' site, hanging hammocks and tarps, basic survival and bushcraft skills.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
Our ethos is established in the belief that risk taking and independent led learning are necessary to successfully support the development of young people. Our core principle is that community must be at the centre of everything we do. We focus on the relationship between our learners and the natural world whilst promoting holistic learning. This approach guides our learners towards becoming knowledgeable, creative, intelligent, independent, confident, resilient and compassionate individuals who care for the world around them.

Pines Primary offers a core curriculum which is based on the EYFS, British early learning goals and Polish early learning goals. Delivered in an inclusive, safe and stimulating environment. Children will learn in a manner which is cohesive with their individual needs and learning styles. Tailored around their interests.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
Our school day runs from 9:00 - 15:30. Children do not have to attend everyday/ all day. Our core curriculum will be delivered in the form of twenty minute 1:1/ small group inputs/ project based activities to keep the children interested and on task. Some children may be involved in more inputs than others, depending on their goals/ targets, peer group and age. Our core curriculum combines aspects from the British early learning goals with the Polish early learning goals. This will allow our children to transition into an international school/ Polish school in the future if required.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
Forest School is a long term process with daily interaction with natural space, not a one-off visit. Planning, adaption, observations and reviewing are integral elements. Pines offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and themselves in our safe and inclusive Forest site whilst using a range of learner centred processes to create a community for development and learning. We spend 100% of our time outside, working closely with individuals across a range of age groups and abilities creating a community which cares for each other and the environment around us.

All weather, all season child-led outdoor learning

Reintroducing children to nature. Educating in risk and benefit

Courses in tracking, flora and fauna identification, shelter building, tool usage, knots, fire safety and woodwork

Supporting learning toward becoming knowledgeable, creative, brave, intelligent, independent, confident, resilient and compassionate

Simply, we allow our children to be children.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
We are hosting for free Ukrainian childern who was affected by the russian aggression.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
Projects
Our projects run throughout the year and consist of six sessions. These projects are custom to the school, community or individuals we work with. One project can be extended over a six week period (joining us once per week) or less (more than once per week) depending on the needs of the groups we have. Each one of our sessions last between 3-4 hours, in that time the children have the freedom of our Forest to play, create and adventure. After our project is complete attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for another project. Six sessions projects are the minimum length we offer. This length of time gives children the adequate time and space to really take the most out of what we offer.
We work with various schools and communities who book projects throughout the year, reserving a certain day. We also always keep projects available for individual sign ups. So if you’re not part of one of our partnered schools don’t worry! You can find our schedule below.

Workshops
Throughout the year we run additional workshops. These workshops vary between ‘Cooking in the Forest’, ‘Tool usage’, ‘Adult friendly workshops’ and special guest workshops. Information regarding these workshops can be found on our social media or via our ‘upcoming tab’.

Saturday Sessions/ Sunday sessions
Get your taste of Forest School, every Saturday 10am - 2pm in Powsin Park. Children aged 3 - 15 years old. Sign up now via out contact tab. Children we have the opportunity to relax in the Forest take part in various activities. Such as:
- Tool usage: safely learning how to use an axe, hatchet, bushcraft knife, saw, carving tool and steel.
- Forest craft: making various items, such as a small canoe, name disk and mallets.
- Animal tracking: basics in tracking and identifying animal tracks.
- Flora and fauna identification: basic introduction to various plants and wildlife, uses and identification.
- Fire safety: basic fire lays, how to start and maintain a fire safely.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
PDF
PDF
- pdf-1-29668.pdf
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
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Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes