In October 2025, the Social Chamber of Slovenia began implementing activities as coordinator of the project 'Nature&Disabilities: Gamification, forest therapy, and green skills. New nature-based learning approaches for empowering adults with physical and mental disabilities’, which is being carried out under the Erasmus+ programme until 30 November 2026.

The Nature&Disabilities project introduces three innovative approaches to nature-based learning: gamification, forest therapy, and the development of green skills to empower adults with special needs. It aims to improve their skills, well-being, and self-image while strengthening the competencies of the educators who work with them. 

This initiative facilitates the transfer of best practices across adult education, social care, and innovative nature-based learning. In fact, the project includes direct work with adults with special needs, training for formal and non-formal educators, national research in both Slovenia and Croatia, and the development of a publicly accessible e-handbook on new nature-based learning approaches.

The project partnership brings together organisations from Slovenia and Croatia, thereby fostering cross-sector cooperation. It is coordinated by ‘Socialna Zbornica Slovenije’ (the Social Chamber of Slovenia). The conceptual framework and research are led by ‘Ideje, koncepti in zgodbe’ (Ideas, Concepts and Stories), a Slovenia-based organisation specialising in gamification and the development of green skills, which also contributes to the design and implementation of educational activities and materials.

In addition, the partnership includes ‘Varstveno delovni center Vrhnika–Idrija’ (the Training and Employment Centre Vrhnika–Idrija), a Slovenian organisation with extensive experience in working with adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. From Croatia, the project involves ‘Snaga Šume’ (Forest Strength), experts in forest therapy and nature-based approaches, and the ‘Udruga Osoba s Intelektualnim Teškoćama Istre’ (Association of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities of Istria), which plays a key role in adapting and introducing these approaches into Croatian practice and delivering workshops for adults with disabilities.

You can access additional information about the project and upcoming activities on the following link: https://www.szslo.si/nature-disabilities-english. Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the national agency Cmepius. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

If you are interested in collaborating with the Social Chamber of Slovenia and learning more about the project, please contact us at the following email address: info@szslo.si.