English

Agnes Lesny, PhD in Education, MSc in Anthropology of Culture

According to Clifton StrengthsFinder, my top 5 talents are: learner, strategic, communication, input and woo (winning others over). And I agree with that 🙂

I am an all around trainer with a mixed background and large experience working with children, youngster and adults’ trainer. I love to use simulation games as a powerful tool. I am promoter of ideas and methods of experiential education in Poland. Based on my academic background, I am working as an expert in transferring scientific theory into management practice. My academic studies allows me to be very structured, organized and always searching for the way to improve.

I have working experience in public administration, cultural institutions, businesses and non-governmental organizations. I am the founder of NGO Manufacture of Science and Adventure.

I am working as a freelanced trainer with variety of clients and companies.

My new professional challenge in 2024 is to coordinate a program in which we support youth from foster care through games.

How I become an experiential education fan?

For 18 years I was a girl guide. I can say that scouting and sailing set a foundations of my interest in adventure. I left scouting with a lot of frustration that polish scouts seem to overlook the potential of outdoor adventure experiential learning. During this time, I started searching for a topic for my doctorate. In 2010 I set a Manufacture of Science and Adventure – one of the first organization in Poland based on outdoor/adventure/experiential education.

The 2012 was an important year for me. I joined a workshop „Erlebnispädagogik im internationalen Jugendaustausch” in  Germany where I experienced a power of low ropes course and meet my trainer, mentor and friend – Daniel Dammeier. After that I  was a participant of train-the-trainers training course „Outdoors brings more” (2021) in  Netherlands (thanks to Erasmus+ program). There I meet my next trainer, mentor and friend 🙂 Floor Vullings. It was a turning point in my career. I felt that outdoor education can be a heart of my training practice and I want to grow in that direction.

From that time I finished a lot of trainings, projects and workshops about experiential education in Europe. In 2016 I finished Outward Bound train-of-trainers outdoor training on advanced level and I was a member of trainers team in training course based on outdoor education in Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Latvia. In that moment I decided that I want to work more on international level.

I still work with Daniel, Floor and much more of international trainers that I meet on my path. In last years I start to going deeper in adventure therapy approach and also I joined the team of international trainers who promote The Scale of Cooperation. 

I take part in many international conferences dedicated to development through informal education and experiential education.

Okey, where is business?

In parallel with scientific and training development, I have developed on the ground of business gaining experience in public administration, cultural institutions or small business. Since 2011 I have been working with the trainin company  Pracownia Gier Szkoleniowych, which creates unusual business solutions for the largest companies and institutions in Poland.

In 2017 I started my own company and became an entrepreneur.