Description
Experiential learning as applied practical experience in social pedagogy training: Lapland Wilderness Trekking was successfully carried out as an international lesson!From August 17 to August 22, 2025, six groups, accompanied by experienced professors and lecturers from the universities XAMK (Mikkeli, Finland), TH Nuremberg (Germany), and FHOÖ (Campus Linz, Austria), spent six days in Finnish Lapland in the wilderness region of Muotkatunturit. https://trek.zone/de/finnland/orte/32802/muotkatunturit-wilderness-area
Thirteen highly motivated students from the FHOÖ Campus Linz, thirteen highly motivated students from the course “Social Pedagogical Care in Child and Youth Welfare,” an academic vocational training program in accordance with the FHG and the Upper Austrian Social Professions Act, took part with their two teachers, Christoph Wimmer and Marianne Forstner, who acted as experienced wilderness guides and experts on the region.
The project started with a kick-off meeting and a preparation period in groups via online meetings in March 2025. On April 15, all 38 participating students and their teachers and guides met for an intensive preparation day on site in Mikkeli at the University of Applied Sciences XAMK. Tents were set up on a trial basis on the XAMK campus grounds and then stowed away again in the backpacks... The meal plan for the week in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland, which had been planned online in advance, was checked again based on the divided provisions and divided up for the backpacks...
“Social Pedagogical Support in Child and Youth Welfare,” an academic vocational training program in accordance with the FHG and the Upper Austrian Social Professions Act, with its two instructors, Christoph Wimmer and Marianne Forstner, who served as experienced wilderness guides and experts on the region.
The project started with a kick-off meeting and a preparation period in groups via online meetings in March 2025. On April 15, all 38 participating students and their teachers and guides met for an intensive preparation day on site in Mikkeli at the University of Applied Sciences XAMK. Tents were set up on a trial basis on the XAMK campus grounds and then stowed away again in the backpacks... The meal plan for the week in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland, which had been planned online in advance, was checked again based on the divided provisions and divided up for the backpacks... The hiking equipment was checked again and stowed away efficiently.
On August 16, we took the bus from Mikkeli to Finnish Lapland at five in the morning, a journey of around 12 hours to the Youth Center, https://vasatokka.fi/en/, where we spent the last night before our wilderness experience in beds.
On August 17, the six groups of students from the three partner universities finally set off for the Muotkatunturit wilderness region.
After checking their maps, navigating, and securing their backpacks, they set off for their first campsite, between 8 and 12 km away in terrain that was partly pathless.
n six daily stages, the groups were able to experience and hike through the beautiful Finnish wilderness, marvel, enjoy, practice cooperative navigation, communicate, pay attention to their needs and limits, sweat, set up and take down camp, cook, sleep in tents or under the open sky...
The pre-planned routes were mostly navigated and found correctly, with some adjustments due to weather conditions, while map reading and navigation were practiced and perfected. Campsites were selected and suitably designed. The group cooked together and made campfires, which were used to warm wet feet or dry hiking boots. Mushrooms and berries were identified, harvested, prepared, and enjoyed, reindeer were observed, and the varied landscape was enjoyed...
Above all, many valuable learning experiences were gathered together, and experiences and lessons learned within our own and shared learning zones were reflected upon around the evening campfire.
Thank you to all students, teachers, and guides for this shared experiential outdoor wilderness trekking experience in beautiful Finnish Lapland.
Thanks to Tommi Pantzar from XAMK, University of Applied Sciences Mikkeli (https://www.xamk.fi/en/campuses/mikkeli/), for the perfect organization of this cooperation project, which has been successfully carried out together for more than ten years.
Marianne Forstner, full-time lecturer at FHOÖ, Social Work, course "Social Pedagogical Supervision and Scientific-Pedagogical Course Director ÖAV/FHOÖ Course for Experiential Education and Experiential Therapy
| Period | 11 Aug 2025 → 23 Aug 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Course |
| Location | Lapland, FinlandShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |