TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Mafalda Morganti
The main theme of the course was sustainability in daily life, a theme that has been examined with a holistic approach on various levels using different learning methods. Participants had the chance to experience life in nature with a low impact on the environment.
The main objectives of the course can be summarized in the following points:
• To learn about sustainability on a theoretical and practical level;
• To deepen the understanding of interdependency with nature, practise and learn about living in conditions with low impact on environment in a community style and use the example of Skalka centre and community for learning and reflection about sustainability in practice ;
• To share experience and knowledge about nature and sustainability;
• To learn practical skills for light-weight living and camping;
• To experience and learn about nature-based methods supporting self-development;
• To empower participants for future initiatives, activities and projects.
• Target Group:
Participants with interest in sustainability, nature and self-development through experiential education.
• Countries involved:
Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, Germany and Austria.
• Language of the training:
English
• The team of trainers:
Honza Látal (Czech Republic), Helena Kosková (Czech Republic), Carmine Rodi Falanga (Italy), Yvan Rytz (Switzerland), Rupert Hutchinson (UK), Werner Pilz (Germany), Steven Gasgarth (Scotland), Em Magenta (Scotland), Mafalda Morganti (Italy), Marie De Beauvoir (Belgium).
A wide mix of non-formal educational methods such as group work, workshops, simulations, brainstormings, reflections and excursions. Alongside the training sessions, nature-based experiential methods have been included which were based on techniques used by various ancient cultures and indigenous people.
Participants of the training gave very positive feedback already at the end of course, then again in the evaluation questionnaires and in their Youthpasses.
The course is also part of a cycle of projects which started in Scotland in 2009 and that, since then, has been constantly growing and leading to a big number of follow-up activities, all focused on sustainability in daily-life ("Sustainability" - Italy 2010, "Snowball Effect" - Czech Republic 2010, "Rites of Passage" - Switzerland 2012, "Domino Effect" - Italy 2013 and others).
My role was to facilitate the course (in a team of ten) and to coordinate all the activities which took part in it. My area of expertise during the course was mainly learning and non-formal education.