The Balance of Preventive Education

The training is part of IPTA (Idei si Proiecte pentru Tineri Activi) portfolio of activities dedicated for youth workers who are highly interested in working with preventive education with teenagers. The concept of the activity is based on years of practice in combining youth work, preventive work and non-formal learning, with specific focus on transferability and dissemination. We prioritize high transferability of our results and dissemination of the methods in the partner organizations, that’s why we cover a wide range of learning styles in this activity. This week is a proper space for exploring as many facets of personal and professional traits that are needed to deeply understand how to address preventive work with teenagers, as well with yourself. Moreover, we invite professionals who are available for sharing their knowledge and practice in preventive work and education in general.

Prevention work doesn’t mean abstinence or self-harm, it’s all about setting an inner state of peace with yourself and to be fully aware of why making a decision. This should be the core of preventive education on addictions. This is an invitation to a learning program that will enable you to learn, embrace and assimilate a detailed practice on preventive education on substance abuse, with the aim at delivering it to your groups. In a nutshell, that’s what we plan to do in this project. We want to bring preventive education as close as possible to the final beneficiaries of this concept, namely teenagers. We invite you to join an intensive process on preventive education that consists of one week full of activities with and about non-formal learning.

For 8 days, 28 youth workers will play, discover and assimilate minimum 15 working methods suitable for small and large groups. We will have long debrief sessions on all the elements of each method, ensuring a detailed understanding for all participants.

We believe in this intensive learning processes as a key pillar for community and organizational development. The goal of this activity is to equip you with a very good understanding of the impact created by the prevention work among teenagers and on how this concept should be delivered. We will cover many topics, such as development of addictions, cycle of addictions, principles of prevention work, creation of preventive educational methods, local transferability. You, as a participant, will be part of a great opportunity to collecting relevant methods, tools, principles and other elements from those who are involved in this field.

This TC (Training Course) is dedicated ONLY to professionals who are active in youth work, education, teaching, social work, support services for young people, psychologists, youth leaders, facilitators, trainers, etc. and have a clear interest in exploring the topic of preventive education in general, and prevention of substance abuse in particular. Minimum age limit is 18.

We expect to have a group of motivated professionals who have experience in working with groups of youngsters and have organizational support for transferring the practice in their work. Minimum knowledge and experience in working with NFL activities is desirable, but not mandatory. The working language will be English, therefore an average level of speaking, reading and listening is desirable.

Participation during the Training Course:
1. Full attendance at sessions is mandatory and it is a condition for reimbursing of travel costs.
2. Active involvement. During the week, you will be assigned with different roles that will stimulate the overall group dynamic. Stay tuned for more details ☺

Logistic aspects to consider before confirming your intention:

Dates: the TC will happen during 17-26 October 2022, travel days included. That means eight full days of activities, with a daily schedule from 10 AM to 7 PM. We will have four daily sessions, a morning warming up moment and a daily reflection time at the end of each day. Evenings are free, but we have some plans to have fun and we will. Two coffee breaks and three meals will be provided on the spot. Every day, I mean. And fruits. And plenty of fresh air. The tap water is drinkable.

Location: we will stay in a rural area named Bicăcel (Lăzăreni), în Bihor County (https://goo.gl/maps/DmhFY8ZMRdoBiW6M6 ), 30 km away from Oradea, the main city nearby. We will be hosted in new wooden houses, with 2-3-4 beds in one room (single person beds). Each house is equipped with one bathroom and all needed facilities.

About the surroundings: we will stay in a semi-remote area, next to the village, 30 km from the city of Oradea. Not many people to meet around, maybe some animals and a lot of sounds from the forest. Weather might be tricky: I cannot promise a sunny week or a rainy one, it’s a high-hilly area. The temperature might range from 0o C to 20o C (night – day). Bring a rain jacket and shoes for walking in the forest, proper warm clothes and socks. The mobile connection should work 24/7, but we will not have Wi-Fi connection. On the other hand, you have plenty of options to walk in the forest, to de-connect from the daily routine and to re-connect to nature, meditate, draw. The nights will be cold, rain could be often. The dining space is outdoor, under two large tents. The food will be cooked on the spot and we will self-organize with the cleaning, dishes, while the week will have a strict drug and alcohol-free policy. It is very important to consider these aspects before signing up for the event.

What to bring with you: we are in the middle of the nature + we will also work quite a lot. Mandatory list:
- Rain jacket, warm clothing, hat, scarf, warm socks, indoor shoes
- Proper shoes for wet terrain and forest
- Medicines (according to your medical condition) & some extra in case you catch a cold
- Towel + personal hygiene products (we don’t have spare towels)
- Comfortable clothing (the parliamentary sessions are not for us )
- Any products that you really need for yourself (we have only a village shop in the proximity of the venue)

Optional but highly recommended:
- Head torch (besides the moon and the stars, the outdoor space is … a dream place)
- Laptop or personal diary for taking all the inspiration for the follow- up activities

Optional:
- Trekking clothes and shoes
- A gift for our location, as we are still decorating it

Transportation: The venue is Bicacel, Bihor county, north-west side of Oradea. Depending on the starting point of your journey, the easiest transportation mean could be by:
- Plane: airports in Oradea, Cluj Napoca, Timisoara, or in Hungary – Budapest, Debrecen
- Train or bus.

Please keep in mind that the travel limit will is according to the Erasmus+ rules, 23, 180, or 275 EUR. This will cover ALL the transfers, including bus, train, car sharing, plane, ferry, rented vehicles. For example, let’s consider a limit of 275 EUR. If your plane costs 240 EUR and the bus to the venue costs 50 de EUR, the maximum reimbursable amount will be 275. As well, if we as organizers will arrange a transfer from the airport to the venue, that amount will be communicated to you in advance and deducted from the travel limit.

For any questions, please send an email to beniamin.branzas@ipta.ro