TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Panayiotis Theodorou
The following activity was a YouthExchange.
My role as a trainer was to work with the youth leaders of the participating countries, both during the APV as well as during the activity period. The methods used included a peer-learning activities, reflection groups group building activities. For the specific target group (hearing imapired youths) we had a number of discussions and trials of activities which could and would be aplied during the activity period.
Activity days
The Activity days involved youths with Hearing Impairment in theater and dance activities, oriented in achieving alternative means for communication. The achievements were summed up in a theater performance. Through the implementation of the activities we involved youths from the University of Cyprus in an effort to breach communication difficulties between youths with hearing impairment and ones with not.
The planning of the activities was based on the effort to address the needs of the participant concerning the following issues:
o The youths had difficulties in communicating with:
other youths with no hearing impairment.
other youths with hearing impairment from a distant location.
youths from other countries – Limited mobility opportunities.
o Inclusion was an important need to be addressed
o They had proven a remarkable ability in theater activities..
o Low self-confidence.
o No common sign language
Activities
The participants where separated into three international six member groups (two randomly selected members from each country).
The groups where provided with a mobile phone (with the ability of video conferencing) and were requested to be responsible for the use of it and the sharing of knowledge of the use of the phone.
The groups where requested to share myths from each country and be sure each member was informed about the myths of the other countries. This requested active participation from each member of the group.
Each group had to create their own myth from scratch. Collaboration between group members was essential.
There was an effort by the trainers so that the interpreters and group leaders would not get involved in either the workshops, the decisions of each group or the relationships formulated within the groups.
Every day we followed a certain pattern of evaluation-reflection. After the days activities:
• Each countries’ participants would meet with their group leaders, exchange ideas, thoughts, feelings about the day’s activities.
• The group leaders would meet, and transfer the youth’s evaluation and reflections of the day and add to their own evaluation. Trainers and organizers would collect comments.
• Trainers and organizers met and discussed the feedback from participants and group members. Dealt with problems and formulated final or next day.
The closing was a Theatre Presentation based on the workshops of theatre activities achieved throughout the activity period, called : «Μύθοι Αγάπης» “Myths of Love”.
The activity was a Youth Exchange but my role as a trainer in developing the project, training the youth leaders and the interpreters to be able to deal with the group of hearing impaired youths from different countries. This relates to my activities as a trainer in this project.