Learning from the Past for the European Future

We invite youth workers and youth leaders to take part in a 7-day international training course focused on exploring memory culture through non-formal education. The course will bring together 30 participants from Germany, Latvia and Lithuania.

THE PROJECT CONSISTS of the training course in Berlin on 13-21 July 2025 and the two following activities:

- Study Visit to Lithuania and Latvia, 25.08 – 2.09.2025, Vilnius-Riga

- Project Laboratory, 17-25.11.2025, Berlin

Participation in all three activities is highly expected.

THE TRAINING COURSE AIMS to support youth workers in understanding and addressing the themes of memory culture in their daily work with young people. We will explore how different cultural memories and historical narratives work in society, influence young people's identity, and how youth work can foster dialogue and critical reflection in this field.

During the training course, its participants will:

•  Explore the concept of memory culture and its connection to youth identity;
•  Learn and test non-formal educational methods to address these topics;
•  Reflect on their own professional approaches and develop new competences;
•  Discover how memorials and historical narratives can be used in youth work;
•  Discuss the role of youth workers in promoting a dialogue of memories in Europe.

THE APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

Working with the named topics will be organized through interactive methods of non-formal education. Active participation of everybody in all phases – “play” (doing “exercises”) and de-briefing as participants as well as meta- (pedagogical) reflection – is necessary contribution into learning results of the group, other participants and oneself.

The training approach promotes interaction and reflection. The participants are invited to take part in discussions, simulation games, visits, opinion sharing and other interactive methods. Working individually, in different small groups and in plenary (all together) will be alternated.

Since non-formal citizenship education is focused more on dealing with values/attitudes, social practices and relevant skills, it is important that youth workers also examine and become more aware of their own ones. Due to that, the training course’s topics will be exploring not only on pedagogical and/or social, but also on a personal level. It’s important if the participants are ready to reflect on their experience (with memory/history and with youth work), think critically about their own attitudes and approaches and share their thoughts and feelings with the group.

PROFILE OF THE PARTICIPANTS

We invite youth leaders and youth workers, including freelancers or long-term volunteers

- from Germany and Lithuania

- who feel the need to develop their competences in the topic of memory culture in youth work and include such new aspects in their practices.

We are open to colleagues with different backgrounds and all ages. However, more experienced applicants should be aware and feel comfortable about the fact that the majority of the participants from the partner organisations are leaders of informal youth clubs and born in 21st century.

The important characteristic for the participants is to have the capacity to bring back to their communities competences, gained in the frames of this training course, and integrate them into practice of their organisations within following years.

By participating in this training course, participants commit to implementing specific follow-up activities in their organisations reporting on them to the project organizers by end of the year 2025.

Involvement in all programme activities of the training course is mandatory.

WORKING LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH. The participants should be able to follow presentations, participate in discussions and provide feedback in English.