SWOT analysis for non-formal education through environmental volunteering involvement in Non-Profit Organizations

Abstract

In the last ten years of economic and fiscal crisis, Non-Profit organizations across Europe provide a very important service through volunteering in relation to environmental education. Their role is mainly attributed to the use of non-formal education practices, which take place in schools and in local communities. Non-formal environmental education deals with a large audience and is focusing on increasing awareness, knowledge, skills, and actions of individuals and groups targeting environmental sustainability. It requires incorporating specific methodologies that cover environmental education objectives, various teaching methods, and evaluation techniques. The involvement of volunteers from different educational backgrounds creates the need for specific management and strategies. To determine the challenges and benefits of volunteering in Cyprus, a SWOT analysis was performed. Data was collected from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) through questionnaires. Data collected revealed interesting and valuable results. Volunteers coming as placement from another European country for 3-12 months are highly committed, dedicated, and enthusiastic in relation to the weak youth voluntary participation of locals. Nevertheless, economic, social, and environmental opportunities indicators were collected which can be used for designing and improving future strategies. Furthermore, data showed that many Non-profits remain underfunded, understaffed, and unequipped. According to the survey, the non-formal education sector provided important support for the formal education system, leading to improved vertical integration from international policy to regional implementation. The findings show the potential of the informal sector to develop synergies in which the governmental sector may lack the ability to provide adequate educational resources to schools and communities.