Power to the people

ABCD Innovation Center

At the end of April 2026, Concrete Jungle brought its methodology, handbook, website and practical outdoor education tools closer to local organisations and practitioners through a dedicated dissemination session for 36 representatives of local organisations.

The participants were taking part in a training programme focused on community development, providing a particularly relevant setting to introduce Concrete Jungle and explore how outdoor and experiential learning can support stronger, more inclusive and engaged communities.

A dedicated session was organised to present the Concrete Jungle Handbook, the project website and online Toolkit, and a selection of outdoor education tools developed through the project. The session gave participants an opportunity not only to learn about the resources, but also to experience several of the methods in practice and discuss how they could be adapted to their own local contexts and work with young people and communities.

The Concrete Jungle Handbook was presented as a practical guide for educators, youth workers, community facilitators and organisations interested in using outdoor education to explore social, environmental and urban issues. Particular attention was given to the project's four core modules: Nature vs. Culture / Rural vs. Urban; Surviving in the Concrete Jungle; The Right to the City; and How Do We Want to Live? The Utopian City of the Future.

Participants were also introduced to the Concrete Jungle online Toolkit, a map-based educational resource designed as a living system rather than a fixed programme. The website allows practitioners to explore and select tools according to the type of space, main topic, learning outcomes and tool category, making it easier to identify activities that can be adapted to different groups and environments.

Several outdoor tools were demonstrated during the session, allowing participants to move from theory to practice. This was particularly important in demonstrating that outdoor education does not have to take place in remote natural areas: streets, public spaces, neighbourhoods and other everyday environments can become places for learning, reflection, dialogue and community engagement.

The practical element of the session generated particular interest. Participants reflected that the tools could be used not only in youth work and education, but also in community-building activities, local initiatives and work with diverse groups. One participant highlighted that the approach offered “a different way of looking at the places we already know,” while another noted that “the activities are simple enough to adapt, but create space for deeper discussion and reflection.”

The session also helped participants recognise the connection between outdoor learning and community development. As one participant reflected, “You do not need a special place or expensive equipment — the community itself and the spaces around us can become the starting point for learning.”

Another important takeaway was the emphasis on participation and adaptation. Rather than providing a fixed programme, Concrete Jungle encourages practitioners to select, modify and develop tools according to the needs of their participants and the characteristics of their environment. As one participant put it, “What makes the Toolkit useful is that it gives you ideas, but also gives you freedom to make them your own.”

The dissemination session contributed to the wider visibility, uptake and sustainability of the Concrete Jungle project. By reaching 36 representatives of local organisations, the activity created an opportunity for the methodology and tools to travel beyond the project partners and into new local contexts.

The event also demonstrated the value of combining a practical handbook, an accessible online Toolkit and hands-on experiences. Participants could see how the different resources complement each other: the Handbook provides the conceptual and methodological foundation, while the website offers a growing collection of practical tools that can be selected and adapted for specific groups and environments.

The session marked an important step in moving Concrete Jungle from a project developed and tested by its partners towards a resource that can be used and further developed by a wider community of practitioners. It reinforced the project's central message: any environment can become a space for learning, connection and transformation when people are invited to explore it differently.At the end of April 2026, Concrete Jungle brought its methodology, handbook, website and practical outdoor education tools closer to local organisations and practitioners through a dedicated dissemination session for 36 representatives of local organisations.

The participants were taking part in a training programme focused on community development, providing a particularly relevant setting to introduce Concrete Jungle and explore how outdoor and experiential learning can support stronger, more inclusive and engaged communities.

A dedicated session was organised to present the Concrete Jungle Handbook, the project website and online Toolkit, and a selection of outdoor education tools developed through the project. The session gave participants an opportunity not only to learn about the resources, but also to experience several of the methods in practice and discuss how they could be adapted to their own local contexts and work with young people and communities.

The Concrete Jungle Handbook was presented as a practical guide for educators, youth workers, community facilitators and organisations interested in using outdoor education to explore social, environmental and urban issues. Particular attention was given to the project's four core modules: Nature vs. Culture / Rural vs. Urban; Surviving in the Concrete Jungle; The Right to the City; and How Do We Want to Live? The Utopian City of the Future.

Participants were also introduced to the Concrete Jungle online Toolkit, a map-based educational resource designed as a living system rather than a fixed programme. The website allows practitioners to explore and select tools according to the type of space, main topic, learning outcomes and tool category, making it easier to identify activities that can be adapted to different groups and environments.

Several outdoor tools were demonstrated during the session, allowing participants to move from theory to practice. This was particularly important in demonstrating that outdoor education does not have to take place in remote natural areas: streets, public spaces, neighbourhoods and other everyday environments can become places for learning, reflection, dialogue and community engagement.

The practical element of the session generated particular interest. Participants reflected that the tools could be used not only in youth work and education, but also in community-building activities, local initiatives and work with diverse groups. One participant highlighted that the approach offered “a different way of looking at the places we already know,” while another noted that “the activities are simple enough to adapt, but create space for deeper discussion and reflection.”

The session also helped participants recognise the connection between outdoor learning and community development. As one participant reflected, “You do not need a special place or expensive equipment — the community itself and the spaces around us can become the starting point for learning.”

Another important takeaway was the emphasis on participation and adaptation. Rather than providing a fixed programme, Concrete Jungle encourages practitioners to select, modify and develop tools according to the needs of their participants and the characteristics of their environment. As one participant put it, “What makes the Toolkit useful is that it gives you ideas, but also gives you freedom to make them your own.”

The dissemination session contributed to the wider visibility, uptake and sustainability of the Concrete Jungle project. By reaching 36 representatives of local organisations, the activity created an opportunity for the methodology and tools to travel beyond the project partners and into new local contexts.

The event also demonstrated the value of combining a practical handbook, an accessible online Toolkit and hands-on experiences. Participants could see how the different resources complement each other: the Handbook provides the conceptual and methodological foundation, while the website offers a growing collection of practical tools that can be selected and adapted for specific groups and environments.

The session marked an important step in moving Concrete Jungle from a project developed and tested by its partners towards a resource that can be used and further developed by a wider community of practitioners. It reinforced the project's central message: any environment can become a space for learning, connection and transformation when people are invited to explore it differently.

Concrete Jungle: Bringing Outdoor Education into Local Communities