Preplet - ekolosko, socialno in kulturno drustvo za ustvarjalno skupnost

PREPLET - Ecological, Social and Cultural Association for Creative Community, is a NGO from the town Grosuplje in Slovenia. A group of women from local environment has been working together since 2007 with the general objective of establishing opportunities for children and youth to find their own creative expression. Our work is based on the values of ecological sustainability and social inclusion. We engage with young people to organise activities for children in local area. Our activities are also aimed at Roma children and we are collaborating with young Roma people. Our regular activities include: LOCAL ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN * Each summer we organise two weeks of activities for children which are attended by around 30 children. In those workshops young people from local environment participate as mentors for children and we always look for opportunities to integrate their passions into the activities we do.These activities are based on forest pedagogy and free play. We are transferring our experiences of group dynamics and creativity workshops in the forest to address a need for physical movement, support the curiosity of children for natural world and let children to invent, organize and enjoy their own games. * We are collaborating with local Roma community to organise in Autumn various workshops and activities with them (art, music, environmental activities). LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES * We are involved in an environmental project of amphibian protection in the local nature reserve area which includes implementation of a number of workshops with children where they can encounter live animals. We find those workshops relevant to strengthen the relationship with nature and overcome the prejudice connected to “slimy frogs and disgusting toads”. These workshops are also a way to raise awareness about the fragility of ecological system as amphibians are usually the first to go extinct as a consequence pollution and environmental destruction. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON SUSTAINABILITY * Sending young people to youth exchanges and volunteering projects related to sustainability and living in ecovillages. * International collaboration and local activities within Erasmus+ strategic partnerships. At the moment we are invoved in project Mother Nature where we develop materials and non-formal learning activities to empower mothers in personal transformation that happens in motherhood. Between 2015-2017 we were involved in strategic partnership project Bridgedale360 where we took part in creating online learning tool box for youth-workers and other educators on sustainable living and active citizenship based on games, storytelling and experiential learning.