🇨🇾 Erasmus+ Training Course in Cyprus 🌲 Outdoor-Mindset: Cultivating Sustainability and Mental Health in Youth Work with Active Zone Outdoor 🧘

The Outdoor-Mindset training course is an Erasmus+ KA1 mobility for youth workers, held in Kornos, Cyprus from 16 to 23 December 2026. It is coordinated by the Cyprus-based NGO Active Zone Outdoor and brings 24 youth workers and 2 trainers from eight youth NGOs in Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Spain together for a 7-day programme on nature-based activities, mental health and sustainability. At Youth Works Hub, we read the application form and the official infopack and set out the programme, profile, travel rules and application steps below.

Project Snapshot

📌 Type: Erasmus+ KA1 Training Course

📍 Location: Cosmopolis Multi Venue, Kornos, Cyprus

🗓️ Activity Dates: 16 December 2026 (arrival day and activity day) to 23 December 2026 (departure day)

🌍 Countries: Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain

🎂 Age: 25-55 years old

🔢 Project Number: 2026-1-CY01-KA151-YOU-000390860

What This Training Course Is About

🧠 Mental health and nature: the course raises awareness among youth workers of the proven mental health benefits of nature-based activities and outdoor connection.

🌱 Sustainability: participants explore how environmental sustainability and mental health support can work together in youth work.

🤝 Partnerships: the project aims to build lasting networks among youth organisations for future collaborative projects and mobility initiatives in outdoor mental health.

🏕️ Non-formal learning: the programme uses non-formal methodology, outdoor and environmental education, and is delivered with the contribution of all partner organisations under the guidance of the trainers and the project coordinator.

Aims and Objectives

🔎 Raise awareness among youth workers about the mental health benefits of nature-based activities and outdoor connection.

🥾 Give participants practical, hands-on experience in outdoor environments to build a deeper connection to nature and transform perspectives on mental well-being.

🛠️ Develop practical competences and innovative methodologies so youth workers can use nature and outdoor education as tools for emotional resilience, stress management and personal growth.

📚 Identify and explore successful practices across education, community care and youth policy to build strategies that combine environmental sustainability with mental health support.

♻️ Promote eco-friendly lifestyles and sustainable habits as vehicles for both individual wellness and environmental preservation.

🌐 Strengthen international partnerships and build sustainable networks among youth organisations to foster future collaborative projects and mobility initiatives.

Meet the Organiser: Active Zone Outdoor

Active Zone Outdoor is a Cyprus-based non-profit, non-governmental organisation that aims to achieve better mental health and well-being of young people through sport, outdoor activities and active participation in society. It envisions a world where all young people have good mental health and wellbeing and are active citizens. Its mission is to connect young people with opportunities to develop better mental health through sports and outdoor activities and to be actively engaged in society, achieving personal fulfilment.

Partner Organisations

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Young Improvers for Youth Development

🇷🇴 Romania: Scout Society Association

🇵🇹 Portugal: Conexao Jovem

🇸🇰 Slovakia: Horolezecky klub Univerzita Kosice

🇬🇷 Greece: Wheeling2help

🇭🇷 Croatia: Planinarsko Drustvo Tuhobic

🇪🇸 Spain: R.E.C.R.E.O

Who Can Take Part

👥 Youth workers, youth leaders or young people from the partner countries.

🎂 Participants must be between 25 and 55 years old.

🗣️ Participants need to be able to communicate in English.

📅 Participants must be available for the full dates, 16 December 2026 (arrival day and activity day) to 23 December 2026 (departure day).

✅ All selected participants must fill in the application form.

🎯 Participants should be motivated and committed to take part in the full project, from its preparation to the dissemination and exploitation of the results.

🙌 Participants are required to fully engage in all planned activities.

The Venue: Cosmopolis Multi Venue, Kornos

The course takes place at the Cosmopolis Multi Venue in Kornos, Cyprus. The application form states that the project is implemented in Larnaca, and the programme includes several visits around the Larnaca area. In December, Kornos has mild, pleasant winter weather with crisp, fresh air thanks to its position in the Troodos foothills. Daytime temperatures stay between 16°C and 19°C with around 5 to 6 hours of daily sunshine, while evenings turn chilly at 7°C to 12°C. Expect 7 to 10 rainy days during the month.

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Draft Agenda: Day by Day

🛬 Day 1, 16 December: arrivals, getting to know each other, programme presentation, team building, introduction to the topic and a welcome evening.

🌳 Nature and well-being: the benefits of nature-based activities on mental health, connection with nature, hiking, outdoor cooking, orienteering, morning yoga, a clean-up activity, the Kornos exploration game and a bouldering activity.

🧘 Stress management: stress management and emotional resilience through outdoor activities.

🛠️ Methods: non-formal methodology and outdoor education tools, presentations of best practices from Active Zone Outdoor and partner NGOs, workshops based on scenarios and presentations.

🥬 Sustainability: promoting eco-friendly lifestyles with a visit to the Riverland biofarm, and exploring the pillars of environmental sustainability.

🗺️ Local visits: Larnaca Salt Lake, the traditional Christmas village of Ficardou and a free afternoon in Larnaca.

🗣️ Strategies: NGO presentations and round tables on how to build effective strategies that combine environmental sustainability with mental health support.

🎉 Evenings: a social night, a movie night and intercultural nights.

📝 Evaluation: a mid-term evaluation during the course and a final evaluation at the end.

📖 Final days: creation of a booklet with the best proposed strategies, future collaborative projects, presentation of the dissemination phase and a closing ceremony.

🛫 Day 8, 23 December: departures.

Travel Costs and Reimbursement

The organisers reimburse travel costs from the participant's home city to Larnaca or Paphos international airports in Cyprus, up to the maximum amount budgeted for each country.

💶 Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Slovakia: up to €309

💶 Portugal and Spain: up to €580

📉 If your travel costs exceed your limit, only the maximum amount is reimbursed. For example, if you spend €345 and your maximum is €309, you cover the remaining €36.

💡 If your travel costs are lower than the limit, the organisers cover the amount you spent and use the rest of the money for activity costs.

Reimbursement Conditions

1️⃣ Reimbursement is made upon full participation in the training course.

2️⃣ Participants must present the original tickets with boarding passes and all receipts or invoices.

3️⃣ Participants must complete the obligations set in the application regarding the dissemination of results.

4️⃣ Reimbursement is made by bank transfer in euro, to the NGO bank account or directly to participants, regardless of the currency on the ticket, receipt or invoice.

5️⃣ If you buy your ticket in a currency other than euro, travel costs are calculated using the exchange rates of the official European Commission website for the month of ticket purchase.

Before You Book Your Ticket

✈️ Before booking and buying your ticket, inform the organisers about the dates and the price of your trip so that you can agree on them.

💬 The organisers have created a WhatsApp group to provide important and direct information and announcements to selected participants.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is not provided by the organisers. All participants must have individual health insurance and/or the European Health Insurance Card, which is accepted in every EU country and valid for one year. In the application form, you also confirm that you are aware that obtaining health insurance and full travel insurance is your own responsibility.

What to Bring

🧴 Hygiene and personal belongings, sunscreen lotion and medicines if needed

🦟 Anti-mosquito repellent

🔌 A 3-way to 2-way adaptor

👟 Trainers and/or hiking shoes

🧢 Cap or hat

🏃 Sport outfit

🧥 Fleece, jacket and neck warmer

☔ Raincoat and/or umbrella

🎒 Small backpack

🚰 Reusable bottle of water or cup

🧺 Towels (1 set will be provided)

🍲 Traditional food and drink for the intercultural night

🎌 Flag of your country

📄 Leaflets or brochures for your NGO presentation

💻 One laptop per NGO

How to Apply

Each candidate fills in the official online application form to enter the selection process, which is run by the organiser in cooperation with the partner organisations. The form asks for personal and contact details (name, surname, date of birth, gender, email, country and city of residence, phone number with country prefix, and a Facebook or Instagram profile link), dietary needs, allergies and health issues the organisers should know about, the number of international exchanges or courses you have attended, the name of your NGO and your role, and the kind of work you do with young people. It also asks for your motivation, what active participation means to you and how you can contribute to the project's success, and an emergency contact (name, complete address, phone number and email).

The form also asks you to confirm two commitments: to fully participate in the activity programme and be actively engaged in daily activities based on non-formal methodology, outdoor and environmental education, and to contribute to the follow-up of the project. Follow-up means dissemination after the course, such as newsletters, workshops, conferences, blogs or articles in your own country, and you explain how you will contribute.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Outdoor-Mindset training course take place?

It runs from 16 to 23 December 2026 at the Cosmopolis Multi Venue in Kornos, Cyprus. 16 December is both the arrival day and the first activity day, and 23 December is the departure day.

Who can apply?

Youth workers, youth leaders or young people aged 25 to 55 from Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Spain, with the ability to communicate in English.

How are participants selected?

Every candidate fills in the application form, and the selection is made by the organiser in cooperation with the partner organisations.

Are travel costs covered?

Travel from your home city to Larnaca or Paphos airport is reimbursed up to a country limit (€309 for Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Slovakia, €580 for Portugal and Spain), after full participation and on presentation of original tickets, boarding passes and receipts.

Is health insurance included?

No. Participants must arrange their own health insurance and/or the European Health Insurance Card, and travel insurance is also their own responsibility.

What happens after the course?

Participants are expected to contribute to the dissemination of results, for example through newsletters, workshops, conferences, blogs or articles in their own countries. Reimbursement depends on completing these obligations.

Where can I learn more about Erasmus+ training courses?

Our guide What Is a Training Course? The Erasmus+ Guide for Youth Workers explains who can join, what is covered and how a training course works. Find more opportunities like this on Youth Works Hub.