Youth TOOLS Residencies: Tools for Generation Alpha

The training course ‘Youth TOOLS Residencies’ aims to rethink their ways of working with youth
representing Generations Alpha and Z, who bring different expectations, needs,
and issues.

The training course aims to reach the following objectives: 

• to raise the competencies of youth workers to design, test and/or adjust existing tools addressing the needs and interests of Generations Z and Alpha, with a special focus on  young people facing challenges and obstacles and lacking access to quality youth activities;
• to increase the ability of youth workers to gain a better understanding of the needs, interests and realities of the young people in their communities, necessary to choose adequate tools supporting their personal and professional growth;
• to equip youth workers with tools enabling them to conduct research activities and gain better understanding of the behavioural patterns of Gen A and Z, their values and attitudes;
• to map existing tools in the areas of interest of participating organisations and share the results of the mapping through the project and organisations' platforms and channels;
• to evaluate the current tools of the participating organisations to update them on the societal and community changes ,such as raising the use of AI, increasing anxiety among young people and worsening their mental health;
• to equip youth workers with new tools and practices tailored for engaging and empowering Generation Z and Generation Alpha. 
• to learn from youth practices in participating countries that address the needs of Generation Z and Generation Alpha holistically, considering their mental health, digital habits, and unique cultural contexts,and youth challenges. 

The training course will have 5 working days and bring together 18 youth workers and educators from Bulgaria, Latvia, North Macedonia, France, Hungary, Czechia and Poland. 

Based on the agreement with participating organisations, some of the organisations will select the participants. Nevertheless, organisations representing North Macedonia, Czechia and Latvia decided to also use the opportunity to reach participants through this open call.

The training course will be based on methods and tools of non-formal education. Part of the preparatory process will be online preparatory meetings, and after the activity, the participants are expected to organise a local event.