TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Mirela Pašić
The seminar aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to improve the inclusion and diversity dimension of their current and future Erasmus+ projects, with a specific focus on Erasmus+ Inclusion Support Measures.
The objectives were to build a common understanding of people with fewer opportunities, explore how different Erasmus+ support measures are used in practice, identify gaps and possible improvements, exchange good practices across different educational sectors, and create space for participants to learn from each other’s experience. Another aim was to collect and share practical resources, examples and recommendations related to inclusion and diversity for future use.
The seminar brought together around 50 Erasmus+ KA1 and KA2 beneficiaries working in School Education, Vocational Education and Training, Higher Education and Adult Education, together with National Agency representatives, facilitators and organisers.
Participants came from Austria, Estonia, Finland, Malta, Romania, Croatia and Belgium, with the seminar also open to participants from additional countries. Most participants already had experience with Erasmus+ projects related to inclusion and diversity. The international team included National Agency representatives from several European countries and Croatian facilitators.
The seminar combined formal and non-formal learning approaches, with a strong emphasis on active participation, reflection and exchange of experience.
Methods included facilitated discussions, small-group work, individual and group reflection, experiential and hands-on activities, panel discussions, good-practice presentations, study visits, networking activities and peer learning. We also used tools such as More Than One Story cards, speed-dating conversations, a practical hands-on task followed by self-reflection, sector-based “Windmill groups”, Padlet for collaborative documentation and resource sharing, and a participant-led networking corner.
The methods were adapted to the needs of the group and were designed to connect personal experience with the practical application of inclusion support measures in Erasmus+ projects.
One of the main outcomes was the collection and exchange of concrete practices related to Erasmus+ Inclusion Support Measures, including examples of measures already used by organisations, additional support mechanisms outside Erasmus+, identified barriers and recommendations for improvement.
Participants contributed to a shared Inclusion & Diversity Padlet library and worked in recurring sector-based groups to develop concrete examples and recommendations. The collected seminar content was intended to be compiled into a document/compendium of practices and recommendations, making the learning available beyond the participants of the activity.
The seminar also supported networking and potential future cooperation between organisations from different countries and educational sectors. Evaluation was integrated into the final session through a written evaluation form, reflection activities and a collective review of the success indicators identified before the seminar.
I worked as a full-time co-facilitator/trainer and was involved in the preparation, design and delivery of the seminar programme.
My responsibilities included contributing to the design of the learning process and non-formal learning activities, facilitating plenary and small-group sessions, supporting individual and group reflection, moderating discussions and exchanges of practice, adapting the process to participants’ needs, and supporting the connection between expert inputs and participants’ own experience.
Together with the facilitator team, I also supported the overall group process, networking and participation throughout the seminar, the collection of participants’ inputs and recommendations, and the final reflection, evaluation and closing of the activity.