Contrib-Uth-tion reloaded – The value of active participation

“Contrib-Uth-tion reloaded” is a 7-day-long training course with a special focus on the promotion of active participation as a means of creating an impact on society. The course has been designed mainly for youth leaders who can afterwards act as multipliers of the training contents in order to empower other young people to participate. The general objective is to support young people in the implementation of their ideas by providing them with the necessary competences, tools and resources. Other specific objectives for this training are: 1) Exploring the concept of participation, how becoming active fits into the broader umbrella of participation. 2) Reflecting upon the obstacles that hinder participation from the inside and the outside perspective of the participants. 3) To facilitate reflection on the personal motivation of the participants. 4) Working on the key competences for active participation. 5) To facilitate young people in developing a concrete action plan with a strong emphasis on providing for a follow-up process, the action plan being based on their motivation to create a change and their need to direct their own learning through the process. 6) To raise understanding and knowledge on personal and professional development of young people through non-formal education in youth work and other fields. 7) To gain information and knowledge on participation within the context of YiA programme with special focus on activating youth and encouraging them to take initiative at a local, national or international level. The training is based in a combination of methods depending on the type of knowledge or skills to be transferred to the participants. Little theoretical input will be followed by experiential activities in small groups or peer to peer. There will also be a space for participants to exchange and learn from each other to give them an opportunity to contribute to the development of the training. In addition, the training will emphasize the learning dimension of participation, providing examples, time for self-reflection and, last but not least, encouraging the participants to create a personal learning plan in direct connection to the development of their project ideas.