Embodied Inclusion

Inclusion is one of the most talked-about values in youth work and one of the hardest to actually practise while facilitating. Most youth workers were taught that inclusion matters, but very few were given concrete tools for what to do when the group gets messy: someone dominating, someone shut down, someone overwhelmed, someone whose way of expressing themselves is creating friction for others.

This 9-day residential training course in Latvia addresses that gap. Using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and embodied/movement-based facilitation methods, participants explore how inclusion can be practised through concrete facilitation choices, not just values.

This is not a theoretical training. Participants bring real situations from their daily youth work, and the programme is built around those.

OBJECTIVES

1. Strengthen youth workers' skills in using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to support respectful dialogue, manage conflict, and respond to exclusion in group settings

2. Introduce and practise embodied and movement-based methods that support participation, trust, and group cohesion

3. Increase competence in facilitating inclusive non-formal education activities, with attention to consent, personal boundaries, and diverse needs of young people

4. Support participants in transferring the learned methods into their daily youth work practice through a personal action plan

5. Strengthen international peer learning and cooperation between youth workers from four European countries

FOR WHOM

This training is for youth workers, trainers, and facilitators working in non-formal education settings: youth centres, NGOs, community programmes, international youth projects, and school-based youth work.

You are a good fit if you:

- Work directly with young people in non-formal education contexts

- Experience real challenges related to inclusion, group dynamics, participation, or conflict in your groups

- Are motivated to reflect on your own facilitation practice and try new approaches

- Can communicate in English at a working level

No prior experience with NVC or embodied methods is required. The training builds step by step from real youth work situations and is accessible to youth workers at different levels of experience.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The programme is based entirely on experiential, non-formal learning. Methods include NVC exercises, role plays, embodied and movement-based activities, case work from participants' own practice, peer learning in small groups, and structured reflection. All activities are based on voluntary participation.

Participants leave with:

- Practical facilitation tools ready to use in their youth work

- Greater confidence in working with diverse groups and challenging situations

- A personal action plan for applying the methods at home

- A network of youth work peers from Latvia, Italy, Greece, and Poland

After the training, participants stay connected through a follow-up Zoom call and peer support group, and are expected to run at least two follow-up activities in their local contexts within two months.

Read the full info pack here: https://canva.link/sczzy7c2wnb2vxw

Apply here: https://forms.gle/yMcvuz1GNeUfoQAY6