TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Milena (Lazic) Nikolic
“Back and Forward - Empowerment for transition from YiA to Erasmus +” was a seminar which focused as it its name says on looking BACK and valuing the importance of the Youth in Action Programme that lasted from 2007 to 2013 and gathering the “fruits” that could be used as a rich base for the FORWARD – the new programme Erasmus +.
Having in mind that the transition brings worries, uncertainty and questions, the focus was on how the previous experiences can empower participants to continue contributing on building the society grounded on knowledge, citizens, inclusion and participation. That’s why the main aim of “Back and Forward” seminar was to gather practitioners in the field to reflect and discuss on what the Youth in Action Programme gave, to remark the values of it, to raise awareness on its huge heritage, and then with this awareness to look at the future through the new Erasmus + Programme.
24 youth workers and project managers coming from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Albania, FYRO Macedonia, Italy, Cyprus, Romania, Lithuania, Poland, Azerbeijan, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine.
Team of Trainers
Panayiotis Theodorou - Cyprus
Salvi Greco - Italy
Milena (Lazic) Nikolic - Serbia
The methodology that was used is specific to non‐formal education and learning, both individual and group methods, facilitated by trainers and taking into consideration participants’ learning needs with a creative approach to reflection on valuing the importance and gathering the “fruits” of the Youth in Action Programme that lasted from 2007 to 2013 in order to transfer them into the Erasmus + Programme. A relevant time was dedicated also to personal reflection for the sake of keeping the track of the personal (learning) process and raising awareness about it.
During the seminar participants had:
-Analysed and reflected on projects and experiences as part of YiA;
-Discussed the strengths and weaknesses we got through these experiences;
-Planed how to use the knowledge and skills acquired from YiA with new program Erasmus +;
-Reflected on how the specific methodology of the YiA programme, non-formal education, is an element that makes the difference in the learning process and how it could be used further on;
-Strengthened the partnerships between the organizations and plan in a long-term vision and perspective;
-Promoted concrete project proposals amongst the participants within the guidelines of the new program;
-Got more information about the plans for the EU 2014-2020.
I had a role of a facilitator, meaning that I was responsible for design, implementation and evaluation of the seminar’s program. The program was reviewed and evaluated every day and adjusted according to the learning needs of participants.