🇫🇷 Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in France 🌲 Nature-Based Pedagogy, Forest Learning & Multicultural Connection 🦊

Twenty-six young people, an ecovillage in the hills of southern France, a forest school with a decade of experience, and six days of learning how to reconnect — with nature, with each other, and with the world. This Erasmus+ Youth Exchange is built around something that is increasingly rare: slowing down enough to actually feel where you are.

Forest Growth is an Erasmus+ funded Youth Exchange bringing together participants from France, Italy, Spain, and Lebanon at the Grain&Sens Ecovillage near Lyon, facilitated by the team behind La Fourmilière — an educational initiative rooted in nature-based pedagogy. The project invites young people aged 18 to 30 to explore what it means to develop a genuine, emotional relationship with nature and biodiversity — and why that relationship matters more than ever.

What Is This Project About?

The premise of Forest Growth is both simple and ambitious: the more we develop and share an emotional and sustainable relationship with nature, the stronger our collective resilience will be in a multicultural world. The project draws directly on the experience of La Fourmilière forest school — a space where experimentation, cooperation, and ecological awareness are central to everything.

This is not a passive retreat. It is an active, curiosity-driven experience structured around nature-based learning, intercultural dialogue, and collective life in an ecovillage community.

Activities

🌳 Sensorial observation and nature immersions — learning to notice and feel the forest

🥾 Nature workshops and walks with the La Fourmilière facilitation team

🔥 Fire workshop and evening storytelling sessions under the stars

🔵 Reflection time and sharing circles — processing experiences together in small groups

🌍 Evening gatherings to celebrate cultural differences and similarities across the four participating countries

🤝 Community building and collective organisation of daily life in the ecovillage

🏘️ Meetings with local partners from the surrounding area

🌅 Mornings: nature-based games and activities

🌿 Afternoons: exploring nature-based pedagogy in depth

🔥 Evenings: fire, storytelling, and songs

Who Should Apply?

This exchange is a good fit if any of the following resonates with you:

🔹 You work with youth or children using nature-based pedagogy

🔹 You want to spend time connecting with yourself, others, and nature

🔹 You want to immerse yourself in a nature-focused environment

🔹 You feel called to develop multicultural values

🔹 You enjoy spending time outdoors

🔹 You are curious and open to sharing experiences in small groups

🔹 You are ready to take part in forest workshops

🔹 You are willing to share your story — both during the exchange and with your community afterwards

⚠️ Priority is given to participants connected to forest education organisations and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

⚠️ Participants commit to three online calls before and after the on-site stay. Cancellations are only accepted in cases of force majeure with a medical certificate.

Partner Organisations

🇫🇷 La Fourmilière (France) — fourmiliere.org

🇪🇸 ARAM (Spain) — aram.org.es

🇮🇹 WeSound (Italy) — www.wesoundaps.eu

🇱🇧 Horshna (Lebanon) — www.horshna.com/en

The Venue — Grain&Sens Ecovillage

The exchange takes place at Grain&Sens — an eco-initiative at the Levenant estate, located at an altitude of 750 metres, surrounded by 20 hectares of forest and prairies near Lyon. Founded in 2018, the project is built around multicultural and bilingual sharing of spaces, equipment, land, and knowledge. On site: permaculture gardens, an artisanal bakery, and a professional kitchen.

🌐 www.grainandsens.com

Accommodation & Food

🏕️ Accommodation in tents or shared rooms of 2 to 4 people in the Grain&Sens guesthouse

🚿 Indoor bathrooms and showers available for all participants

🥦 All meals are vegan, locally-sourced, seasonal, and organic — supporting local farmers and reducing carbon footprint

☕ Self-service tea, coffee, and a coffee alternative available throughout

🥗 Allergies and food intolerances can be indicated in the application form

Travel & Costs

The project is 100% funded by the Erasmus+ programme — participation, accommodation, and food are fully covered. Travel costs are reimbursed after the activity up to the following amounts:

🇫🇷 France: €0 (budget reallocation possible)

🇮🇹 Italy: €211 — Green Travel (+ one extra night stay refunded)

🇪🇸 Spain: €417 — Green Travel (+ one extra night stay refunded)

🇱🇧 Lebanon: €395 — Flight

🌿 All participants except Lebanon are asked to avoid flying and travel by train to Valence (Valence Ville or Valence TGV).

⚠️ Tickets must be purchased in advance and reimbursed after the activity. If this is an obstacle to participation, contact the organisers directly.

Youthpass

🎓 All participants receive a Youthpass certificate — a recognised EU document that validates non-formal and informal learning using the key competences framework.

Contact

📧 Grain&Sens (Romain): info@grainandsens.com

📧 La Fourmilière: lafourmiliere@posteo.net

Infopack & Apply

📄 Infopack: https://canva.link/wvb9cn70lcgcu12

📋 Application Form: https://forms.gle/Zr9E7AK3h2VjYGZQA

Activity Details

📅 Activity Dates: 15 July 2026 – 22 July 2026

📍 Location: Grain&Sens Ecovillage, Lavenant, France

Deadline

⏰ 15 June 2026

Eligible Countries

🇫🇷 France 🇮🇹 Italy 🇪🇸 Spain 🇱🇧 Lebanon

💬 Want to understand how Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges work before you apply? This complete guide to Erasmus+ covers everything you need to know — from what the programme is to how projects are planned and what to expect as a participant: https://youthworkshub.org/15096/

✋Important Notice

Youth Works Hub does not represent or act on behalf of any organization listed on this platform. All project details are sourced directly from official ESC and Erasmus+ databases. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official project page or contact the hosting organization directly. Youth Works Hub is not responsible for any changes made to project details after publication.