Baltic TC for EVS Mentors

Lithuanian, Estonian and Latvian National Agencies of EU Programme “Youth in Action” organize the training course for mentors of European volunteer service volunteers. Mentoring is an interesting and useful process where you as a mentor have a chance to support person in his or her learning process. On the other hand it is a challenge, because you always have to creatively deal with different circumstances, personalities, structures and be careful not to block a young person from willing to learn. Mentoring skills can be useful not only in mentoring of EVS volunteers bus also for coordinating activities, if we are in the leading positions, if we are interested to influence a good atmosphere in the team. During the training course we will manage to realize all different aspects of the mentoring. AIM of training course To increase the quality of EVS hosting activities through development of mentors competencies in the organizing volunteers learning process. OBJECTIVES •To get a better understanding of mentors role in EVS circle. •To raise awareness of mentoring approach and the context. •To improve the abilities to organize volunteers learning process. •To provide tools for volunteers learning support. THEMES developed during the training course •What are the EVS mentor’s roles and competences; •What is the learning in EVS and what does influence it; •How mentor can organize the learning process in EVS ; •Tools for volunteers learning support – reflection, feedback, counselling, learning plan, Youthpass. •Difficult situation / crises management. TARGET GROUP OF THE TRAINING COURSE •EVS mentors with experience as a mentor at least at one EVS project; •Are able to communicate and work in English. •Are resident of Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia. TRAINERS Umberto Dorus Geerts works as a trainer in Estonian NA for past few years. Next to it Dorus is involved as project coordinator for EVS projects. He works with EVS partners, volunteers and, of course, with mentors. He says: “I like the process and the interaction between people that comes along with it mostly. This also goes for mentoring, if it happens the right way it can be a great empowering positive experience for both volunteer and mentor.” Rita Škriadaitė started her “career” with volunteering in Germany. Since then more or less she is related with EVS. Now Rita belongs to Lithuanian NA’s pool of trainers and at the same time she runs an EVS coordinating organisation.