TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Lada Matyášová
The Bodykind project aims to "change the current practice of working with youth, which focuses on the 'body image', its visualization in the media and other communication channels, unhealthy behavior towards one's own body and inappropriate narrative of young people, as well as creating opportunities for young people to develop their self-acceptance and self-confidence". In order to reach it we have prepared eight modules, thematic areas, on which we want to work during the next year and a half, in order to start opening the eyes not only of the young people for whom they are intended, but also of their teachers, educators, trainers and leaders of leisure activities, because they are the ones they become their models and can support and stimulate them in some way.
- Official pax call: https://missionreconnect.tumblr.com/post/739049035909971968/bodykind-workshopy-hled%C3%A1me-%C3%BA%C4%8Dastn%C3%ADky
This part of the project was a national training of youth workers with tools and methods created during the 2-years-long journey with BODYkind (with team from Czech Republic, Latvia, North Macedonia). So based on research and piloting with young people created toolkit (https://www.salto-youth.net/downloads/toolbox_tool_download-file-4597/BODYkind%20-%20Toolkit%20for%20Facilitators%20-%202024.pdf) and educational videos of young people and another youth workers from all over the Europe and podcasts directed on wellbeing and practice of youth workers. I co-organised and trained at the event.
Topics are about what body image is, my identity, my self-esteem, the media and the construct of the ideal body, positive and negative stereotypes, natural movement and self-care, bullying based on appearance, the body as protest. We selected several activities from each module, which we tried in practice with a group of twenty young workers at the Sluňákov Ecological Center with some methodical blocks and instructions in order to let them experience, and be otivated to use them in practice with their youth. Some parts were more for reflection, others for discussion in pairs or small groups, others creative and of course others were also movement.
Twenty motivated youth workers, community leaders and active young people feeling ready to bring BODYkind methodology into their realities and bring therefore the change into their communities and social bubbles.
- article on web of Mission: reconnect: https://missionreconnect.tumblr.com/post/747195492963958784/t%C4%9Blo-stereotypy-identita-bodykind
- article on my blog: https://matyasol.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/bodykind-workshopy-s-pracovn%C3%ADky-s-ml%C3%A1de%C5%BE%C3%AD-ii
I was one of two trainers responsible for the carrying out the whole, two parts, training - like delivering sessions, mainatining discussion groups, supporting paticipants in sharing and preparing evening programmes etc.