TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Corina Pintea
The training aimed for the participants:
- to develop competencies to initiate and design tailored volunteer programs in the field of literacy education;
- to understand the profile of the illiterate adult learner in various countries and the specific learning needs of this target group;
- to develop specific competencies in the management of volunteers involved in literacy programs;
- to develop skills in using specific tools and methodologies used in adult education programs aimed at reducing illiteracy;
- to facilitate sharing of ideas, knowledge and know-how in the field of literacy programs
- to understand similarities and differences in volunteering programs involving illiterate adults as beneficiaries in different European communities;
- to develop a sense of common responsibility for the illiteracy phenomenon in Europe and facilitate networking on this topic.
The idea of this training course started from the experience Pro Vobis and its team has in Volunteer Management and Volunteer Program Development trainings and consultancy which we have been offering in the Romanian NGO sector and abroad for the past 15 years. We involve a large variety of stakeholders and population categories in our work, including NGOs running volunteering programs in the field of literacy, volunteers with skills in this area, and various direct and indirect beneficiaries of volunteering work. The National Volunteer Week in Romania – a yearly event organized by Pro Vobis for over 11 years - is one of our events that directly involves this variety of actors, including educational institutions and libraries which run volunteering activities and NGOs working with volunteers for the benefit of adults and children with problems, including literacy problems. Literacy is directly linked to learning, development, growing and accomplishing one’s potential, both as a functional member of a family, a community, but also as an active citizen and member of society. We saw a very strong link between volunteering and the fight against illiteracy, in all its forms, and this is what we intended to explore during our 6-day workshop.
A group of 12 participants from 8 countries in Europe, interested in and working on volunteerism and illiteracy and sharing a sense of common responsibility towards this, people willing and eager to explore more on the topic and find their ways of involvement.
The countries represented were: Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, France, UK, Lithuania, Romania.
The trainers'team was made up of Milena (Lazic) Nikolic from Serbia and Corina Pintea from Romania.
During the 6 working days we explored the topic of the training through methods specific to non-formal education and learning, both individual and group methods, taking into consideration the needs of participants as active learners. Some example of the methods used: creative brainstorming tools, group work, role-play, simulation, debate, open space, workshop, Treasure Box idea collecting, individual and group reflections, silent floor etc.
An important aspect in our workshop was the focus we placed on sharing participants' experiences and perspectives.
The training had a strong impact on participants and their learning process, getting them out of their comfort zone and allowing them to explore a very new and challenging topic to them - that of literacy, and its connection to volunteer management. We know the training was a succes because of the very positive feedback received all throughout the training (in the reflection groups we organized at the end of each day, during the intermediary evaluation, as well as in the extended final evaluation before the closing of the training. A final report of the project will be available on our organization website (www.provobis.ro) at the end of October 2014 or can be requested at this address: corina@provobis.ro
I was a full-time trainer, involved both in the preparation of the workshop (topic, design of activities, flow, as well as organizational and administrative preparation) and the evaluation of the training and the entire project.