Mieke Neven McMahon

Trainer background

Current occupation

Free-lance facilitator, trainer for Leargas, the Irish National Agency, youth worker in Fishbowl Youth

Work experience

SALTO Training and Cooperation
Freelance trainer in the Youthpass trainers’ pool

SALTO Participation
Freelance trainer, working on Youth Democracy Projects and Participation

Léargas
189 – 193 Parnell Street
Dublin 1
Freelance trainer in the training network for Léargas, the National Agency for the European Youth in Action Programme.
I facilitate workshops on the Youth in Action Programme, Youthpass and the on-arrival and mid-term EVS Trainings.
I am accreditor for EVS hosting and sending

Fishbowl Youth, Main Street, Scariff, Co. Clare, Ireland
www.fishbowlyouth.org
Our organisation works on two levels national/local:
As a youth leader I oversee and co-ordinate the activities run in our organisation, but we are focussed on active participation and most of the work done in our organisation is carried out by young people themselves, I help young people with the general running of the youth organisation
I Coach young people in developing and organising their projects
On international level:
I am responsible for the international activities: Youth Exchanges, EVS, preparing peer educators, organising and facilitating (International) training and seminars.
We recently finalised our Democracy Project

Freelance trainer for national and local organisations:
National Youth Council Ireland – specific for the One world Week Activities
Comhairle Na nOg – consultation days for the Regional Youth Parliament
Developing and implementing a Development Education Programme for Secondary school and youth groups

Educational pathway

I have been involved with education for over 20 years. I began as a kindergarten teacher, and while my 4 children grew up, I gradually moved into youth work and project based secondary education, discovering that non-formal learning is a great alternative and/or addition to the formal school system.

In 2003 I joined Fishbowl Youth, and since, I have gained experience in all aspects of managing, facilitating and coaching young people in carrying out their activities. I focus mainly on supporting these young people in creating, running and learning from their own projects.
Within Fishbowl I support the hosting and sending of EVS volunteers.
I work as a free-lance trainer for Léargas, the Irish National Agency for the Youth in Action Programme.
I like to draw from my own experience in youth work as a basis for my international trainings, which focus on Youthpass, participation, cultural diversity and coaching of peer educators and young project leaders.

Educational path:
College for Kindergarten Teacher:
This was a three-year full-time training, and although it is based on working with small children, it has given me great tools for training in the non-formal learning sector.
The main areas I can transfer to training work are: project planning, reflection and observation, working with large groups and group dynamics.

I have attended many courses within the European Youth Programme / Council of Europe, here are some:
§ Tic-Tac course, 6-days Belgium, how to create support activities for actions in the Youth Programme.
§ 3-D course, 10-days, Ireland, a course to become a trainer for Léargas trainers network.
§ Training of Trainers In Human Rights Education, 10-days, Council of Europe, Budapest.

Manage your own Business
This programme helped me develop project management skills.

Last but not least…

I have raised a family, which involves an incredible amount of in-formal and experiential learning! Our family was never a singular unit, there have always been additions… we have fostered young people, we have hosted language students and EVS Volunteers in our house.
These experiences have helped me a lot in my work as a trainer and youth worker.