COMMbuildity

Aims & objectives

O1: raising competences on how to build, consolidate, grow, and recognize a value-based community, online and offline among youth workers
O2: increasing the know-how of youth workers on implementing an effective needs assessment in the community
O3: sharing good practices at European and international level on community building and management, online and offline, in order to increase the quality of their work
O4: fostering collaboration and partnerships at European and international level, between NGOs, on community building initiatives

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Romania
Greece
Portugal
Spain
Portugal
Turkey
France
Serbia
North Macedonia

Youth worker*, 18+ and no upper age limit;
Good command of English language;
Strong motivation towards the objectives and topics (community building, needs assessment, etc);
Able to carry out preparation tasks, dissemination actions during and after the activity;
As A1 is part of a series of activities (A1-A2-A3), the participants must be motivated to put in practice what they’ve learned in their local communities and get involved in A2 and A3;

Training methods used & main activities

The mobility used a participatory, non-formal education approach combining experiential learning, intercultural exchange and peer learning. The programme started with icebreakers and team-building methods such as name games, “2 Truths and 1 Lie”, digital introductions through Padlet, expectations-challenges-contributions exercises and the co-creation of house rules. Participants also worked in intercultural groups to define key concepts related to community building and engagement, using brainstorming, collage-making and group presentations to build a shared understanding of the topics.

A strong focus was placed on practical research and analytical methods. Participants mapped local realities and good practices, developed community and NGO profiles, and explored qualitative and quantitative needs-assessment methods through debates, surveys, interviews, focus groups and public forums. Case studies and hands-on exercises were used to design Google Forms surveys, analyse real datasets and create data visualisations. Empathy mapping, user personas and asset mapping were also used to help participants understand their target groups, while facilitated discussions and peer feedback supported deeper reflection on the strengths and limitations of different approaches.

Experiential and collaborative methods were used extensively for community management and engagement. These included role-play, the “Human Machine” energizer, the “Win as Much as You Can” cooperation game, professional slow dating, study visits, intercultural group work and action planning. Participants developed concrete plans for local needs assessments and engagement activities, presented them to peers and refined them based on feedback. Peer-to-peer learning was further encouraged through an Open Space format, where participants themselves facilitated workshops on topics such as wellbeing, Erasmus+ opportunities, Canva and cyberbullying, as well as through the EuroCasino simulation.

Reflection and evaluation were integrated throughout the mobility. Participants used methods such as the Wheel of Emotions, small-group reflection, short “tweet-style” summaries, self-reflection, Mentimeter, “Put a Finger Down” and facilitated debriefing to assess their learning, group dynamics and the effectiveness of the methods used. The final evaluation used a “Take a Step Forward If...” exercise to explore participants’ experiences of preparation, methodology, competence development, networking, contribution and future expectations. Overall, the methodology combined learning by doing, peer exchange, facilitated dialogue, intercultural learning, action planning and continuous reflection.

Outcomes of the activity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-13xZeL3u0

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Full time trainer

I worked on this training for 7 days as a full time trainer.

Testimonial of the reference person

I confirm that Ms. Dragomir worked as a full-time trainer during the COMMbuildity training activity, organised by GEYC in Bucharest, Romania, from 7–15 March 2023.

As the Project Manager of the activity, I worked directly with her and can confirm her role and responsibilities within the training team. She contributed to the preparation and delivery of the programme, facilitating non-formal education activities focused on community building, needs assessment, youth engagement, intercultural learning, and peer-to-peer exchange.

Based on my direct collaboration with her throughout the project, I can confirm the information provided regarding her role as a trainer in this activity.