TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Salvi Greco
The DAYCUL training project was born from a need to offer participants a chance to discover phenomena of culture and cultural diversity from the “real life oriented” perspective of differences in everyday life. In specific, exploring Food, Music, Languages, Identities, Communication patterns, Relations, Time, Personal culture, Relation towards other cultures, Roles in society and all the other things that shape our everyday life (beliefs, values and rules) that are deeply rooted in our culture.
The training course aims at developing the intercultural competencies of youth workers and leaders in organizing international youth projects through exploration of cultural diversity beyond simulations and use of it as a tool to discover identity (become aware of your own culture so that you can open to others who are different). The interaction with local community and environment is a very important element that was dealt within the process, during and after the training.
20 youth workers and youth leaders from 5 countries of South East Europe, Albania, FYRO Macedonia, Montengero, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 5 EU countries, Italy, Cyprus, Germany, Latvia and Romania.
The methodology used is specific to experiential learning, non‐formal education/learning, both individual and group methods, deeply applying the concept of “participants centered approach”, taking highly in consideration their learning/personal needs. Creativity and creative methods were used for digging, exploring, phenomena of culture and cultural diversity from the perspective of everyday life.
Specific methods used were:
“Photovoice “as a basic tool trough out the training course offering exploration and interaction with local culture;
2 specific methods designed by the team of DayCul, were “CookLab” (food and cooking), and “Dancing blind” (music, dance, body expression), “to touch and feel” cultural diversity, mostly from the personal identity perspective.
Learning Space Dynamics; reflection groups, individual learning and personal development were also part of the agenda.
Youthpass was also introduced and used as a tool for self-assessment and evaluation.
6 training days we achieved to:
• have different Photovoice presentations on various aspects of Culture in everyday life which were exhibited to the local community of Galatone, Lecce;
• understand the multiple forms of culture and intercultural dialogue through exploration of cultural diversity from a perspective of everyday life;
• stimulate and challenge youth workers to use very different cultural environment as a tool to discover identity;
• discover and acknowledge the importance that influence of culture has on person’s perception of reality, everyday behavior and identity;
• discuss common European values;
• take initiative to create activities and projects on intercultural learning for the local contexts and realities;
• create an interactive learning and reflection group of youth workers that will afterwards lay the foundations for future international cooperation in Youth in Action projects.
I had a role of a trainer, meaning that I was responsible for design, implementation and evaluation of the training program. The training program was reviewed and evaluated every day and adjusted according to the learning needs of participants.
I worked on this training for 6 days as a full time trainer.