"<< Background >>We are meeting the needs of mothers and professionals working with mothers for additional content, support and connection. Mothers are increasingly aware of the looming climate crisis and are fearful of the world for their children. This project will create and share learning tools, including digital tools and resources to support mothers in becoming agents of change in their families and communities: in being proactive with strategies to initiate thinking, behavioural and cultural changes in tackling climate change.We are applying for this project because we were very successful as a team previously, and produced some innovative, beautiful and relevant tools for mothers and professionals working with mothers. These tools are being used across the world since our first strategic partnership finished in 2020. The end of the project coincided with the global pandemic and an increasingly urgent ecological crisis. In this specific historical moment the partnership intends to integrate new practices and methods into their activities to tackle the current social and ecological crisis. The project will allow the partnership to gain international experience in the field of strategic development, leadership, digital skills and competences in the field of adult learning, using all these tools to raise awareness about environmental and climate-change challenges. This project will meet the needs of greater international collaboration and dissemination of these materials and methodologies. TARGET GROUPS:1. mothers, as adult learners, wanting to connect to nature and are developing an awareness of environmental issues like climate change, discovering their interest in sustainable lifestyles2. professionals working with mothers, interested in building up communities of mothers and inspire them towards environmental sustainability. Based on our experience these two groups are often blended, mothers wanting to become helpers and/or providing peer support.NEEDS OF TARGET GROUP: We talked to about 150 mothers and professionals at multiplier events in 2020 (“Mother Nature - strengthening professional capacity to support mothers in personal transformation”) in Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Hungary, and UK about what they found useful in our project and what further tools would support their work. We conducted a target needs analysis (http://bit.ly/MotherNatureAnalysis) between January-March, 2020 with 105 women. The lessons learnt from the survey we conducted are:There is a strong need for networking and community for mothers and professionals (blending targetgroups)Online tools are considered very valuable both from mothers and professionals, for many reasons, including:-Online courses are less time-consuming for mothers that often have limited capacity to travel and to leave their homes.-Online courses are considered more affordable and within reach for a wider audience.-The current situation (Covid-19 emergency) calls for a rethinking of our learning habitsTo increase our personal Nature connection can strengthen our engagement in tackling climate change in our everyday lifestyle choices, also time spent outdoors is needed to counterbalance for the longer amount of time we tend to spend online.Professionals were asked to outline, in an open question, what knowledge, skills and information could help them to improve their support for mothers. These are the main topics that were mentioned: 1. How to hold space for circles and groups (""How to engage mothers in mother circles, how to create and keep a lively community"" ""A course for mothers to lead regular, self-helping mothers group""); 2. Activities and tools to empower mothers: Nature connection, zero-waste and personal growth were the most named topics.The pandemic has a great impact on women (specially single mums) some have lost part time work etc and need to have access to training for free in order to get the benefits and this will then help them get back to work in the future<< Objectives >>We want to achieve an increase in ecological literacy and strategies for tackling climate change, and enhanced capacity for online learning and networking of mothers and professionals working with mothers.Environment and fight against climate change is the main focus of the project, as we aim to support mothers to become change agents towards ecological sustainability, both in their immediate environment as families, and both in their role of providing peer support for other women in the form of mother circles. We will be fostering ecological literacy through nature connection activities - a nature connection handbook and visual aid. These nature connection practices will lead mothers to a greater care for the natural environment and increased ecological understanding, which will in turn provide them with peer support and necessary skills to tackle climate change. The routes will include cultural, thinking and behavioural change of mothers such as changes in home and travel energy consumption and waste habits. These skills gained will benefit mothers and their wider networks of families and communities.Our project aims to improve the competences of mothers to be able to become these agents of change towards a more ecological way of living - and we consider mothers not only adult learners, also change agents, with a great influence on their immediate communities, their families' lifestyles and children's future habits.Addressing digital transformation became more important during the COVID pandemic where mothers became even more isolated and need even more peer support and community. Through our project results, women, mothers across Europe will gain tools and competences to enhance this connectedness through digital means, and use innovative digital learning tools.<< Implementation >>We have chosen the following project results to reach our objectives and to meet these priorities; a handbook, a digital e-learning course, a visual aid and podcast series. These will in turn be supported by 2 in person training courses and multiplier events in person and online. The e-learning course on how to run Mother Nature circles will also initiate many happening in the partner countries.The handbook relates to climate change and digital learning because it will disseminate information and practices for tackling climate change and encouraging nature connection in mothers, in a low carbon and easily available digital format.The e-learning course for mothers to run Mother Nature circles will engage mothers internationally across a digital platform. Thereby increasing the competencies of mothers to engage digitally. These Mother’s circles will also provide valuable peer support for the cultural and behavioural changes and dissemination of the tools.The visual aid will focus on nature connection practices and principles that support an increasing ecological literacy. The visual aspect is crucial in grabbing user's attention, maintaining accessibility and is an innovative way to convey messages relating to tackling climate change.The podcasts will engage mothers new to nature connection and practices tackling climate change and enable them to increase their awareness of the issues and encourage them to move further in their learning through the handbook, visual aid and ecourse. Additional activities include multiplier events in the 4 partner countries and online, where we will disseminate the outcomes of the project to mothers and professionals.Two face to face courses where project partners, mothers and professionals develop skills and tools for nature connection and tackling climate change, therefore to become agents of change towards a more sustainable world.<< Results >>CONCRETE OUTCOMES1. Development of a handbook “Nature Connection for Mothers”. This will develop nature connection practices and share green lifestyle tips. This will be tested with 20 learners from partner countries during a 5 day residential training in Hungary. The final version will be published on the mothernatureproject.org website, in 4 languages and downloaded 500 times. 2. E-learning course “Leading Mother Nature Circles” will be published on an e-learning platform in English and subtitled in 3 languages, with at least 400 people enrolled. At least 40 of the learners will go on to lead Mother Circles, online and/or in person in their communities, reaching an additional 200 women. 3. A “Mothers in Nature” visual aid on Nature Connection and Ecological Lifestyles will be produced and this will be tested with 20 learners from partner countries during a 5 day residential training in Hungary and the final version will be published on the mothernatureproject.org website, in 4 languages and will be downloaded 500 times. 4. “Mother Nature Podcast” this audio material will be published in English (season 1 and 2) and in Italian, Slovenian and Hungarian (season 2,) and will total at least 75 podcasts and will be downloaded or listened to 10,000 times from the mothernatureproject.org website and other podcast hosting platforms.5. A 5 day “Nature connection for mothers” training in Hungary with 26 participants (20 learners + 6 staff) from Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and UK. They will experience nature connection tools and gain competences to use and disseminate them.6. A 5 day “Mother Nature in Action” training in Slovenia with 26 participants (20 learners + 6 staff) from Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and UK, to learn how to use Mother Nature tools.7. During 10 dissemination-multiplier events across the 4 partner countries 400 mothers and professionals working with mothers are introduced to the outputs of the project.8. We will join at least 10 professional events (in person or online) during the project duration to further spread the project (conferences, online workshops).9. Through our communication channels we reach from the start to the end of the project:*Website: mothernatureproject.org 8000 visitors*4 languages newsletter: 3000 recipients *Facebook pages (all languages): 5000 followers*Facebook groups (all languages): 800 members*Instagram pages (all languages): 2000 followers*MN podcast: 10000 listensADDITIONAL OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT:- With a focus on the burning global issues (pandemic and climate change), we are providing online learning tools, networking and support platforms for mothers, equipping mothers with skills to navigate the current crisis and to take active action at their local level to foster sustainable and ecological practices in response to climate change.- Partners will integrate new practices, shared through collaborative working into their activities. Staff members will gain international experience in the field of strategic development, leadership, ICT skills, project coordination and management, contributing to their professional development.- Participants, staff, associated partners and the wider public reached through multiplier events and online media will deepen their understanding on: motherhood as part of life-long learning, nature connection activities, mothers as empowered leaders and influencers of sustainable lifestyle.- Strengthened local, regional, national and European networks of mothers and professionals.- Functioning network will be established between the partner organisations, with the potential to develop further joint activities like international training courses and EU-projects- Valuable contribution in the fields of European adult education and support services for mothers - Increased capacity of mothers to be active change agents through organising learning and self-help support circles for mothers based on our free online resources."