TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Patrícia Amaro
“Democracy Reloading – Training Module B” was a training course included in the Democracy Reloading partnership, the training course will support municipality staff in designing, developing, and implementing youth participation in decision making and improving local democracy using the Democracy Reloading online Toolkit.
Specific objectives:
To share experience, existing practices amongst the participants regarding local youth participation in decision-making.
To understand the content and the functions of the online toolkit, and to prepare the participants for further independent use.
To understand the potentials of Erasmus + Youth key actions, European Solidarity Corps, Democracy Reloading, and Europe Goes Local tools in further developing youth participation in decision-making.
To identify ways and ideas to further develop the local scene of youth participation in decision-making.
117 applications were submitted through www.salto-youth.net from 24 countries.
34 participants were pre-selected by the National Agencies.
The final number to attend was 25 participants, representing 10 countries: Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain.
The trainer´s team was informed about all the participants, their motivations, and expectations before the start of the TC.
“Democracy Reloading -Training Module B” was targeted for municipalities staff, and the profile of the participants that attended the training course really fit our expectations.
The diversity between different realities in municipalities presented in our training proved to be a valuable element once participants could learn from each other in a safe atmosphere and share some experiences and previous backgrounds.
By using non-formal education methods and activities (such as team challenges, brainstorming, reflection moments, experiential learning, discussion) this TC allowed participants to experience, reflect and learn how they can use the Toolkit of Democracy Reloading to involve young people in decision-making at the municipal level.
We also prepared and shared the link for a Padlet page designed for the training course (the platform used during the training with the contains, activities, and all information).
https://padlet.com/DemocracyReloading/ye72x02ey9iyce85
In the activity to agree and disagree about democracy, the group started to have a common ground about the concept of democracy with some group activities and the team presented the Reference framework competence. The main topics worked on this morning were: Democracy; Citizenship; Youth participation.
The team also used open space for learning here they had different presentations of practices delivered by some participants and reflect on these good practices.
World café; about the quality of youth participation in decision-making and the quality behind the reference framework (Toolkit). First, the participants had the opportunity to reflect in groups about what are the indicators of success (quality and quantity), and for that, we made 8 groups each group have a statement from the organizational environment from municipalities, young people, management, and strategy) and for the 2º round, the groups with the same task join and share ideas.
Activity for self-assessment, regarding the Toolkit.
Besides achieving the planned objectives, I believe we, the participants, with the support of the trainers and the organizers achieved much more. We didn't just listen to each other, but learned from each other, learned from successes and mistakes, learned about structures and approaches. Most importantly during this short time, we made great connections and possible collaboration ideas emerged.
Sharing the experience between the participants was an important part of the training for me, it helped me to better understand how to use the Toolkit and what are the different possibilities of the Toolkit and different projects in further developing youth participation in decision-making. The training course helped me to identify ways and ideas to further develop the local scene of youth participation in decision-making. I get new ideas and contacts. The training course provided a very good overview to understand the content and the functions of the online Toolkit. To fully achieve the objectives of understanding the content and the functions of the online Toolkit I have to work through the material in depth. For me, the Toolkit seems logically built-up (I have a human resource management background).
I was involved in the activities regarding Welcome Space (objectives, methodology, activities, expectations), Self-assessment and Learning plans for the future, Conclusions and closing the learning process and preparing some tools for the reflection moments, I am also responsible for the Open Space for Learning.
Session to evaluate and youthpass