TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Jessica Lane
Train cohorts of human rights specialists and international development experts on communication and soft skills. We designed and facilitated numerous activities on public speaking, writing skills, presentation skills, and more.
Participants were from the U.S., Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Peru, among other countries. Approximately 60 participants completed the training program in-person.
The training was designed after a thorough needs assessment. It was highly participatory and interactive, with numerous case studies, multimedia examples, individual presentations, and peer feedback.
Through a post-training survey, participants expressed that they gained skills in all target areas and felt more confident and capable in their roles.
I served as a senior instructional design specialist and designed and facilitated sessions.
I collaborated closely with Jessica on a one-year United State Agency of International Development (USAID) project focused on designing and implementing a training program on written and verbal communication skills, as well as other related soft skills, for USAID staff around the world. I served as the program manager of the project, and Jessica was the senior instructional design specialist. A key component of the project involved piloting three multi-day trainings in Bangkok, Thailand; Lima, Peru; and Pretoria, South Africa. Jessica and I co-facilitated two of the trainings in Bangkok and Lima for approximately 60 participants. The sessions we designed were highly interactive and participatory, featuring dozens of multimedia resources, real-world case studies, and applied learning activity. We also guided participants through a personal training workbook, which Jessica and I designed, to reinforce concepts and skills covered in the content. At the conclusion of each training, our team collected participant feedback via surveys on the training design, facilitation, and coordination, which was then used to refine subsequent iterations of the training program.
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Jessica on this training project. She is an exceptionally talented trainer, instructional designer, program manager, and educator. I wholeheartedly recommend her for any program. Her expertise, dedication, and ability to engage learners are truly outstanding.