Let’s dream wider! Identity, Vision, Action

Many training courses and seminars focus on one specific dimension of inclusion (1), inviting one target group in particular. We would like to propose a different approach, ensuring a safer space to address many dimensions of diversity and social inclusion. Does this sound challenging? We believe it actually sounds fun and like a great learning opportunity. We invite you to participate in the 6-day training course “Let’s dream wider!”, from 4-9th June 2024, including travel days, in Budapest, Hungary. 

Aim 

This training course aims to equip participants to have a more inclusive approach in their (youth) work. It will be a helpful resource for participants to be vulnerable in a safer space, where being open is embraced.

Instead of focusing on differences we will emphasize connections: with yourself, with other participants and within your respective communities.  

We propose to take you along in a new way of creating a concrete action plan for a specific change that you can implement in your daily life.

Objectives and Learning outcomes 

When discussing diversity, the conversation often revolves around difficulties, discrimination or victimization. To give you an insight of what to expect in this training course, keep on reading!

• We will work together to create an inclusive (short-term) community among ourselves;
• We will explore the challenges and limitations of “inclusion”;
• We will try out Dragon Dreaming project design (2) to support yourself and to make a change in your community;
• We will look at systemic discrimination and how to challenge it in youth work; 
• We will support you to develop an action plan to take home so you are ready for the next inclusive steps on your diversity journey.

Key points

• We will hold space for you and invite you to share your professional and personal experiences about social inclusion;
• We will use non-formal and innovative methods as well as empowering language;
• We will explore the participants’ experiences, including the intersectional (3) ones;
• We, as a team of professional trainers in the field of youth work, will also bring our experiences related to social inclusion and share concrete examples of our past projects;
• We will go through a learning journey together, where you will be the main actor*actress;
• There will be opportunities for group and peer-to-peer support during and after the training.

Who is this training for?

Anybody that identifies as belonging to one or more of the following groups:

• Youth workers, people working regularly with young people on a voluntary or paid basis, interested in the topic of INCLUSION
• Activists in their respective fields that have the role of a multiplier in social inclusion
• We especially invite people with diverse backgrounds to apply. This includes, but is not limited to: lived experience of migration (including refugees), diverse abilities (disabilities), neurodiversity, lgbtiq*, people of color, people with fewer learning opportunities, people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds etc. 
• Likewise, if you do not consider yourself part of any of these groups but want to challenge your youth work practices to be more inclusive, we would love to welcome you.
• Lastly: if you identify as a change maker and/or a solution finder within youth work: you are our people!

About the venue: The venue European Youth Centre Budapest is accessible for wheelchair users and those with walking impairments. We will be able to accommodate other special needs. After the selection process, we will get back to all the participants regarding their specific needs during the training course (4).
 

FLOW of the TRAINING COURSE

Kick-off meeting:  27 of May 19h00 CET  on Zoom for one hour together online.

We get to meet, take away some of the nervous butterflies before the training and talk about expectations and practicalities. Short and sweet.

Residential TRAINING COURSE in Hungary 4-9.6.2024

Day 1: ARRIVAL and WELCOME dinner 

We would be grateful if the participants arrive by 17h CET. After arriving, you will have time to settle in and meet the participants of the group. The emphasis is on connections and understanding who is in the diverse group of participants.

Day 2: IDENTITY

We will go into some self-reflection exercises and try to find out what brings you to the Training Course and what you are bringing to the TC yourself. We will also tackle different struggles with social inclusions that you would like to overcome. The evening will bring together different stories of our own experiences.

Day 3: VISION

We will look at positive change and what motivates us to make changes. We will try out the method of Dragon Dreaming Project Design to get closer to our goals.

Day 4: ACTION

How to go about getting from dreams to action? We will try it out in practice. We gather what we learnt so far and we will start working on our action plans to make a (small) change in our communities.

Day 5: CELEBRATION

We will use this day to answer open questions regarding the action plans and to close our training course with some reflection and celebration.

Day 6: DEPARTURE

Enjoy one last breakfast together and have a safe journey back home.

Check-in meeting: 28 of  June  19h00 CET - One hour to check in and see how everybody is doing - with their action plan and beyond.

(1) We use the term inclusion in its broadest sense, as the act of making all groups of people within a society feel valued and important.

(2) DRAGON DREAMING is based upon the principle of personal and group empowerment to realize creative, collaborative and sustainable projects.

(3) Intersectionality addresses how an individual can face multiple threats of discrimination when their identities overlap a number of minority classes, such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, health, and other characteristics (Steven Williams in Barber, 2017).

(4) This training course is inclusive and accessible to all. If you need to bring a personal assistant or a guide dog with you, or if you need an accessible room, sign language interpretation, tele loop, or other kind of support, we will try to arrange it for you. In order for us to support you in your participation, we have included a question about your individual needs in the application form. Of course, this does not have any influence on your application.