TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Stefano Esposito
Cinema Paradiso was an Erasmus+ Training Course aimed at making digital storytelling more accessible, improving soft skills, and building a collaborative network. This 7-day program blended theory and practice, emphasizing easy-to-use videomaking techniques for effective communication and civic engagement.
Objectives:
- Empower youth workers to create compelling videos addressing social and environmental challenges.
- Enhance soft skills among young people to prepare them for the workforce.
- Use video production as a tool to highlight and address social issues.
- Advocate for sustainable and accessible resources in skill-building initiatives.
- Build a collaborative network for driving social impact projects.
The Training Course involved 24 participants engaged in the youth work field from 7 countries: Spain, Romania, Belgium, Croatia, Lithuania, Italy, and Poland.
The participants were either Youth Workers or Youth unemployed residents in the Partners' Countries.
The trainers’ team itself was also international, with trainers from Lithuania, and Spain, to balance expertise in video making and content creation.
The 7 organisations involved in this project:
ASOCIACIÓN CULTURAL L' AYALGUINA (Spain)
ASOCIATIA GEYC (Romania)
ERASMUS MUNDUS STUDENTS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (Belgium)
LOKALNA AKCIJSKA GRUPA VALLIS COLAPIS (Croatia)
LOUD AND CLEAR (Lithuania)
MASTRONAUTA APS ETS (Italy)
MIEJSKA STREFA KULTURY W ŁODZI (Poland)
The program was carefully designed to achieve its main objective: enhancing the videomaking skills of youth workers and unemployed youth using simple tools like smartphones. The team consisted of a balanced mix of participants with varying levels of experience in videomaking, ensuring a diverse and collaborative learning environment.
The project followed a step-by-step structure tailored to the participants' learning needs. Through non-formal education methods, participants were introduced to fundamental principles of photography, storytelling, videomaking, social media strategies, and content creation. Activities were rooted in non-formal methodologies, allowing participants to explore these topics creatively and engage with them in an interactive way. The program balanced hands-on practice with theoretical concepts, enabling participants to gain a comprehensive understanding while developing their unique style.
Daily evening reflection sessions, guided by self-directed learning principles, were organized in small groups. These sessions provided a safe space for participants to discuss their experiences, share feedback, and reflect on their learning journey. Open conversations about challenges and achievements fostered deeper engagement and ownership of the learning process. Participants also had access to a resource center to further explore various aspects of videomaking.
A key element of the training was fostering collaboration. Participants were encouraged to actively support one another, sharing tips, best practices, and insights to strengthen team dynamics and enhance collective learning.
Outcomes:
The training successfully achieved its goals, empowering youth workers with the skills to produce impactful promotional videos that raised awareness about local realities in Villaviciosa. Specific outcomes included:
Production of photos, videos, and social media content aligned with the SDGs.
Creation of promotional videos for local organizations in Villaviciosa by the participants.
Enhanced knowledge of videoproduction, video editing, and communication tools for active citizenship.
Strengthened collaboration and networking among participants, paving the way for future transnational projects.
On the final day, the participants showcased their promotional videos at a public Movie Gala. During the follow-up phase, they applied their newfound skills to create promotional videos for their sending organizations, putting their learning into practice.
I worked as a full-time trainer in collaboration with the other trainer and the team of l'Ayalguina (organizers).
The sessions were structured around image composition, storytelling, communication (verbal and non verbal), shooting types, camera movements, production techniques and post-production, as well as peer-feedback.
My main responsibilities involved:
- Collaborating in the program design and creating structured, engaging training sessions.
- Introducing theoretical and practical tips, covering all stages of image composition and video production, from pre-production through to post-production -, as well as storytelling and digital content creation.
- Leading interactive workshops, group discussions, and activities.
- Facilitating conversations on the Sustainable Development Goals, helping participants incorporate these goals into their projects.
- Coaching teams and providing customized feedback to enhance their video producation and editing skills.
- Coordinating the team and managing the training schedule, including conducting daily team debriefs and adjusting the program as needed based on participant feedback.