Youth Open Air Club

2023

Youth Open Air Club

The Youth Open Air Club was born in April 2023 at Imagina, the Alcobendas City Council Youth Centre, Region of Madrid (Spain). There, a group of people between 15 and 25 years old came to our youth centre to meet each other and start a wonderful story with games and treks led by our nature advice office.

The idea of creating this club was born out of a desire to establish a link between young people and nature and a group of people's desire to participate in outdoor activities, especially at this time of year with the pleasant spring weather. In addition, while the idea of the club was being created, we thought it would be interesting to use this club to teach the youth about the basics of outdoor activities such as hiking or climbing. During the first session, they participated in a couple of icebreaker activities to get to know each other and shared their aspirations for the club's future. By now, they have been planning an exhibition and workshop for World Environment Day on 5 June.

The group connected very well due to their similar ages and willingness to participate in activities such as hiking, painting, and visiting animal shelters. In addition, the leaders proposed that the club gradually become independent when it comes the times to organising activities, and the youths were cheerful by the idea.

The youth workers realised that young people not only have a need for nature-related activities but also crave activities that build their confidence, foster connections, and create a sense of community.

There is still a long way to go, but with the enthusiasm and desire of these young people, we are convinced that it will bring many adventures.