Training Course: United for a greener future

Join the group of unique people who will take up the journey through green topics and strive to become a well-equipped educator and a mentors for a greener lifestyle!

About the project: The project “United for a greener future " is a training course which is financed by the European Commission through Erasmus+ programme. The main goal of this training course is to enhance the knowledge, skills, tactics and approaches of youth workers, regarding sustainability, so as they can serve as role models for promoting environmentally-friendly habits among the young people they work with.

Our objectives unfold as follows:

Obj. 1. Throughout the life of the project, 25 youth workers will acquire knowledge on developing sustainable strategies and methodologies, designing environmentally-friendly activities, and engaging young people in eco-friendly lifestyles;

Obj. 2. During 10 months, 25 participants will gain skills in implementing varied non-formal education activities related to the environment, and will be able to create calls to action for sustainability, which will be measured by the successful implementation such activities per participant.

Obj. 3. By the end of the 10 months, 25 youth workers will have increased confidence in their ability to promote and guide others towards sustainable living and positively influence the youth they work with.

REGISTER: https://forms.gle/4thyP76cAjv8Qghy8

Learn from experienced trainers and test non-formal educational methods related to ecology. Get feedback after trying out your methods with youth – all this during the training course!

The training course itself will take place in Hotel Camelot in Szczawno-Zdrój, Poland from 1 to 7 of November 2024 (6 days of training).

25 participants from 5 countries: Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Portugal and Romania will learn and share experience on greener attitude towards non-formal learning, how to create green non-formal methods and how to engage young people to take part in eco movements/call to actions.

Learn, evolve and test how to promote environmentally-friendly practices and implement greener activities in your work and projects!

Place and time: The training course will take place in Szczawno-Zdrój, Poland in Hotel Camelot (https://hotelcamelot.eu/) (flights closest to Wroclaw, trains best to Wałbrzych). Google maps: link Szczawno-Zdroj is a city and municipality which is part of the administrative district of Walbrzych. It lies in the Walbrzych Mountains, part of the Middle Sudety Range, which can be found in Lower Silesia in south-western Poland. The resort has the characteristics of a foothills spa with a mild climate which is mildly stimulating and moderated by the dense forested areas that surround the city. The basic elements with therapeutic effects are the naturally carbonated spring water which is high in bicarbonates, sodium, calcium and magnesium and the climate in this area. The Hotel situated right next to the Swedish Park, mineral water pump house, trails for hiking, paths to Książ Castle and more.

Accommodation: Participants will be staying at Hotel Camelot in Bukowy Dworek (https://bukowy-dworek.eu/) in rooms with bathrooms, TV, WiFi, etc. All with close nature, friendly diet options, situated in health resort, with beautiful people!

Participants: We will host 5 people from each of the 5 countries: Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Portugal and Romania = 25 learning participants

Participant’s profile:

Youth workers, youth leaders, volunteers, facilitators, trainers, that have little or medium experience or who want to improve their green activity skills in work with young people. We invite everyone, for whom practical aspects of implementing green/ecology activities is of interest – if you have doubts if this activity is for you, you can always ask.

Age: 18+

Working language of the activity: English

…Youth workers also mentioned that they feel guilty because they lack knowledge about more ecological, sustainable methods and strategies. Although they feel responsible, they do not know how to become leaders and promoters of a more ecological lifestyle among young people. They also mentioned that they lack knowledge and skills on how to implement non-formal workshop methods in a way that is sustainable and climate neutral…

If from any of the below you want to:

• get enthused by a group of wonderful people, broaden and share your experience,
• learn or evolve and test how to implement greener activities,
• get knowledge on developing sustainable strategies, activities, and how to engage young people in eco-friendly lifestyles,
• enhance greener attitude in organizing activities for young people,
• overcome the prejudice of an eco-freak while being honestly involved in green topics,
• boost your motivation to work on green aspects,
• gain some confidence to be seen as a promoter of a greener lifestyle,
• find out how to implement greener activities,
• check how to promote environmentally-friendly practices,
• gain skills in implementing varied non-formal education activities related to the Environment,
• learn and create new non-formal methods and use them in all circumstances,
• participate in 2 exciting opportunities to practise the skills you learned during the training course by leading short workshop activities for young people in Poland,

then You are the person!

Travel: Participants should arrive to Walbrzych/Szczawno-Zdrój on the 31st of October before 18:00 (6:00 PM), because we start with a dinner at 19:00 (7 PM) and later with first session at 20:00 (8 PM). You can arrive a few days before the TC and also stay longer but you have to find your own accommodation for the extra days. We will be in contact with the participants to assist in the travel.

Want to come?

We kindly ask you to bring:

• Map, posters, photos, postcards about your country/region/town to be displayed during the International Evening
• European sanitary card (confirming that you are insured)
• Some gastronomic specialties (food and/or drinks) for the International Evening
• Clear information (in English) about the main activities of your organization or projects
• Warm clothes, resistant boots, jacket – it may be cool already in November
• Comfortable clothes for the sessions

Wałbrzych and Szczawno-Zdrój are nice cities to visit and hang around, a lot of nature and greens. There are also beautiful castles, gardens, hike trails – you can read about all that in the web. We will be also very happy to provide you with some propositions for getting to know the place and culture better. Public transport can take you everywhere, local taxis are also ok, Uber and Bolt is also available although not yet so popular.

Basically, you can pay with the card everywhere. If you want to use cash there are exchange points that work fine. You can use one on the airport (the rate might be a bit higher) or we can show you some in Walbrzych. Also, there are many ATMs where you can withdraw cash. In Poland it is still not possible to pay in cash with euros.

Costs and travel reimbursement: All cost regarding accommodation, food and other materials during the training course are covered by the Erasmus+ Programme. If you like you can take some additional money for your personal expenses. Travel costs will be reimbursed based on documents confirming the travel (boarding passes, tickets, invoices etc.). After receiving the documentation prom participants, the partner organisations in each country will receive the money and transfer them directly to the participants. The reimbursement process can last 1-2 months after the Training course depending on how fast you provide all needed documents :).

YouthPass

Within the frame of “recognition of non-formal learning”, participants will receive a Youthpass Certificate after the course upon their request. Youthpass is an official recognized tool in order to validate non-formal learning aspects gained during the training. It is important that, before coming to the training course, participants reflect upon what competences they aim to develop by taking the initiative to participate in our training course. For further information, just follow the link: http://www.youthpass.eu.

How to join us?

Register online till the 5th of November and we will get back to You. If You missed this date register anyway as we will be having a second enrol in case we don’t get the final participants or someone resigns. Then it can be Your turn – but we need your application :).

REGISTER: https://forms.gle/4thyP76cAjv8Qghy8

Hope to see you soon!

For additional information please write: office@wuesem.org or contact the partner organisation from Your country: Poland: Walbrzyskie Stowarzyszenie Mlodziezy; Lithuania: VšĮ Veik kurk atskleisk; Italy: Tou.Play; Portugal: Associação Inspira! - Intervenção juvenil e ambiental; Romania: Gate for Education.

Want to meet our trainers?

Łukasz Hoppe (Poland) & Support, (Wałbrzyskie Stowarzyszenie Młodzieży) is a trainer, educator, learning process and group dynamics facilitator whose experience dates back to 2006. He is experienced in group learning, implementation, evaluation phases, individual mentoring and coaching through the learning curve all the way to external examination. With over 10 thousand didactic hours experience he is a very flexible and group oriented trainer following the needs of the participants without losing the learning objectives of the learners. His expertise is oriented towards putting learning into practice through combining knowledge, skills and attitudes, balancing through the amount of work to each of these spheres that will end up in an effective learning experience for the participant. Lukasz puts additional value into the follow-up process after the training activity itself. He is a full time trainer for the Foundation of European Education in Wałbrzych, cooperating with specialists in Poland and other countries. His additional value to the training course besides proficiency in preparing and conducting learning programs is his personal approach and input to ecological awareness. In Walbrzych, he is one of the experts and NGO representatives working on the implementation of the EU Just Transformation Fund in Walbrzych’s Region for the 2021-2027 financial perspective; since 2014 he cooperates in eco initiatives and projects with an eco-farm in Czarnow, he supports and participates in local adult and youth led projects related to ecology (social campaigns, workshops, infrastructure investments through the Toyota Fund); he was also responsible for implementing in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship a national ecology program organized by Environment Ministry for children and youth “Eco angels - do not clutter your conscience” during which he has conducted ecological workshops and animations in 21 schools for over 1500 participants. Now coordinates eco projects: “United for a greener future”, “A Green Step Into the Future”.