"The ""Life from Soil"" project was a joint approach of 9 partners from 9 European countries. They wanted to promote local sustainability, rural communities and vulnerable target groups through tailored educational processes, open and tested. The partnership represents all geographical parts of the European Union and various non-formal and formal educators working in the agricultural, horticultural and environmental sectors. Their target groups range from youth, secondary school students and colleges through vulnerable groups of rural and urban populations as well as the unemployed, seniors, prisoners to their own employees and teachers, trainers, teachers involved in adult and youth education.The overall objective of the project was to: Increase the skills and abilities of vulnerable groups of people to be self-dependent, employable, active and competitive in the pursuit of a lasting, fruitful and enriching life.Specific objectives:1) To increase the skills and abilities of trainers, teachers, trainees and representatives of local communities in formal and non-formal education.2) Develop innovative learning and teaching tools that meet the overall goal and meet the needs of social entrepreneurs and students.The consortium of the project consisted of a group of 4 non-governmental organisations (Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, UK) and 2 Universities (Murcia, Pisa), a vocational school (Naklo, Slovenia) and two local action groups (LAGs) of LEADER initiative. Despite the differences and different practices in the process of adult and youth education, both the expert and management teams of the project found common ground and common procedures for implementing the activities. The excellent communication ability of all participants to communicate in English, as well as the skills necessary for the implementation of activities and managerial tasks, contributed to this.The project was organized in work packages managed by various project partners. The project activities in these work packages were primarily focused on the design, preparation, testing and dissemination of learning tools (a best practice guide and a modular training course including demonstration test mobility for practical assessment of learning tools).In order to share knowledge, develop skills and create twinning and lasting relationships, the project has organized three types of transnational learning / teaching activities:a) based on an analysis of training needs of trainers and educators through on-site visits to the selected partner(b) local training (mixed staff and beneficiaries) provided by qualified trainers of the partnersc) Qualified partners preparing specialised training for 3 demonstration and test sites (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary).The project has organized 8 five-day training courses for partner staff and their target groups. All courses and seminars were professional and very well prepared with excellent referrals and evaluations of participants, three dissemination events and 5 multinational meetings, which besides management issues were also devoted to professional discussions for the preparation of intellectual outputs.The project has organised various information dissemination platforms, including three dissemination actions (2 specific workshops for the dissemination of training tools in the framework of testing mobilities) and a final dissemination conference for dissemination and awareness raising.The project has created 2 mental outputs: a good practice guide and a modular training course - a demonstration test for the practical evaluation of educational tools. The guide, which is available in 8 partner languages ​​in electronic form, has received a great deal of appreciation and a keen interest in its use. It is available on the project portal, promoted through social networks and partners' websites, and on the VALOR platform. The modular training jury consists of 9 double-sided modules, available in the same platform as the handbook.The sustainability of the project is ensured by an open platform for uploading of new best practices to the existing Guidebook as well as adding modular courses to an existing packages. There is is a strong interest among the partners for follow up activities. Currently, an investment project is being prepared, which, according to the model of Ryton Gardens, UK, will establish new therapeutic gardens in Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. Among other things, participants of education and dissemination activities are more interested in cross-border co-operation in the field of self-sufficiency development and social enterprises and already started cooperation."

"People are nowadays becoming increasingly aware of the positive influence of Nature on their health. Nature, among others, fulfills their physical needs by providing unique sensory experiences. The constant desire to return to Nature may be associated with ""innate feelings that people are part of all living things on Earth"" (so-called Biophilia Theory). But also its mystery, depth, beauty, fragility and strength are what attract us at these days of rapidly changing Environment. We are more and more surrounded by inanimate things with monotonous, unchanging and ever-repeating rhythm and way of life that reduces our attention and flexibility.Some human senses may suffer from a lack of contact with nature. Most of the technologies work primarily with sight and hearing, but we also have other senses that weaken by less frequent use. Played down senses, such as smell and taste, are also important for our wellbeing. So called ""3D perception"" of the surrounding environment flattens to ""two-dimensional reality"". Obesity, decreased mobility and overall fitness are successive consequences. Contribution of Nature and Garden Therapy consists of strengthening the physical and mental health, improving relaxation and wellbeing and also shortens hospital stay and leads to reducing of the medicament consumption. Inalienable is also the profit of increasing social integration and intercultural understanding, which are the most current needs of changing Europe. Nature does not know boundaries and can thus become a medium of communication of different social groups regardless of their religion and political view. The garden is an ideal space for intergenerational living and sharing experience. We live in a world where technology and mobility simplifies everyday life, but our contact with natural environment is becoming scarcer. The garden is a safe space for improvement in this situation, which lies right outside our door. It can help improve our motor skills, social skills, increase creativity and enables spontaneous elimination of aggression.Garden Therapy is defined as treatment and relaxation through contact with nature. The nature is represented by garden and as therapeutic remedy are used plants and work in garden. Garden Therapy has preventive effect on health, in social sphere and on relapses. The target group of this project is wide range of people with disadvantages, such as people with health disadvantages (different handicaps or developmental disorders), people after injuries, surgeries or people with mental illnesses. The other target group is defined by people with social disadvantages, such as people in difficult social and economical life situation (migrants, war veterans and refugees, minorities, children from families that fail to fulfil some of its functions, abused people, addicted people, inmates, people in hospices, retirement or nursing homes, single parents and people seeking re-integration or relational competencies, etc.). Each of us is a potential client in current hasty time.In this project we are focused on sharing experiences and best practices when working with target groups. Many of them are on the edge of social interest. They are currently perceived as an economic burden on the social system. Social and Therapeutic Gardening helps build mutual confidence, to acquire knowledge and enthusiasm. It improves employability of the target groups and support their entrepreneurship. The Social and Therapeutic Gardening also helps them to develop their communication, social and entrepreneurial skills. The project partners will become regional coordinators, which will be gradually followed by other organizations from this field and the idea of nature based therapies will eventually spread to the whole Europe.During the project we want to connect organizations dealing with Garden Therapy and Nature based therapies in various European countries. Activities within the project enables mutual exchange of cultural, work and learning experience. Each partner country has a different approach to working with target groups. Therefore it is very useful to be familiar with these different approaches on the spot and show each other what, where and how it works, or what problems they face elsewhere.Seven five-day educational activities for representatives of each partner will be held during project. Each educational activity is hosted by different partner. There are two educational activities per a year; each activity is designed for 2-4 representatives of each partner. The output of the project is summary of experience, creation of a network of potential educators and finding educational needs similar in all countries. In following project we find areas to supplement education common for all EU member states and we set further education in Garden Therapy that is specific for each target group."