TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Elena Stevkovska
The main goal of the project was to increase the capacity of youth work sector to raise the participation
and involvement of young people in social processes and change.
More specific Objectives of the project were:
• To introduce innovative methodologies in youth work field, to address human rights violations,
intolerance, radicalization of young people, exclusion, etc.
• To raise the capacity of partners to operate at European level and in International mobility projects
which address the needs of young people in vulnerable situations;
• To stimulate the exchange of best practices in youth work field, in using theatre for social change in
sensitive topics in our society
• To increase the quality of the youth organization projects
• To stimulate professional development for youth workers active in human rights area
• To increase the level of active participation among the direct and indirect beneficiaries
• To contribute to the development of employment skills among direct and indirect beneficiaries
The group of participants was made from youth workers, leader’s coordinators, facilitators and trainers from active NGOs that have mission and objectives that are related to human rights, inclusion and empowerment of young people and that have interest in Theatre of the Oppressed or theatre as a tool for social change. The participants were residents of one of following countries: Bulgaria, France, Germany, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Turkey.
Non-formal education and experiential learning specific activities: getting to know each-other, role-play, simulation, specific theatre activities, games, exercises, image theatre, experiential learning process by developing (step by step), implementing and evaluating a Forum Theatre performance, group discussions and reflection, practical exercises for role of Joker, etc.
The training included a part of its finale sessions for the participants to put in practice skills required for beginners multipliers in Image and Forum Theatre, where during a simulation of this processes they experience both being an actor and audience. The participants also developed specific action plans regarding the use of this methods in their work; A Facebook group was created by the participants where they are already sharing the first steps they are doing in the field and asking for each other support, which was envisioned to keep a constant communication with the multipliers.
Full time co-trainer.
The training was implemented in the way the trainer explained. Elena performed in the accordance with the organizational training standards. Competencies to point out are trainer's high communication skills, including openness, empathy, on-point facilitation and preparedness to confront challenging attitudes of participants. She is also highly skilled in training the Theatre of the Oppressed competencies and knows different TO methods. It was pleasure to work together with Elena.