Aventura Marão Clube (AMC) is a Portuguese no profit association created in 1993 by a group of young people of Amarante (actually AMC has more than 400 members). The main objective is to promote a healthy way of life among the population (especially Youth) and nowadays runs three different sections: Mountain Bikes, Canoeing and Fair Trade. AMC organizes, since 2000, international Workcamps and from 2009 runs Casa da Juventude de Amarante (Youth Centre and Hostel). In the last 10 years AMC was involved in around 400 European projects (has coordinated more than 100 projects) involving 4500 youngsters in volunteering and international mobility: Youth Exchanges, Training Courses, European Solidarity Corps, Study Visits, Strategic Partnerships, Collaborative Sports, etc..
The implementation of our strategy is based on educational approaches that privileges Non-Formal Education (NFE) as a methodology and encourage the use of experiential methods (learning by doing), surprising activities (art/provocation), including information and communication technologies (ICT), and finally, using music and outdoor activities (sports and nature) as tools for more active involvement of young people in our activities.
Our activities are adapted to the identified needs and to the policies and priorities that define the context in which we work. Anyway, our strategic pillars give coherence and support to our work:
- a) Healthy lifestyles (food and sport);
- b) Sustainable development (in the fields of organic farming, local consumption and fair trade);
- c) Volunteering and Human Rights Education;
- d) Innovation and Creativity;
- e) Intercultural dialogue, mainly with partners from out of Europe: Africa and Caucasus.
