TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Daniel John Carter
The main focus of the training “Europe & Sex" wss to gain an understanding of the situation regarding Sex, Pregnancy & Relationships in the youth community in Europe for the purpose of further education and harm minimization. The training was arranged to share good practice in methods of increasing youth understanding of sexual health & pregnancy issues. Especially in the marginalized youth communities such as young people from Roma communities, ethnic minorities and those in poverty as noted across 15 nations in the European Union, women who gave birth as teenagers are twice as likely to be living in poverty, in comparison to those who wait until they are over 20. The aim was to gather youth workers, leaders, researchers and policy makers, and will emerge them into dialogue with the aim to identify new approaches and methods in building accessible resources for youth to promote education and understanding. The training tackled the issue of understanding the vast differences in sexual culture across the young people of Europe such as the differences in teen pregnancy rates from country to country. In 2001 UNICEF stated that within every 1000 females aged 15 - 19 the Netherlands had a rate of 7.7 births, the UK had a rate of 29.6 and Romania had rate of 40. The training aimed to educate youth workers in the facts and issues regarding contraception Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) with workshops on the symptoms and effects of STDs as well as the success rates of different forms of contraception and what they protect you from.
The training course gathered together youth workers, policy makers and young volunteers from 12 European and neighboring countries, working on topics related to development of sexual education in their own youth work contexts. These countries included Italy, Wales, Slovenia, Macedonia, Georgia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Morocco.
The first part of the training course provided the participants with more input and practical examples where they also shared their opinion and experience but as well gathered information about the course topics. It opened the space for learning about the main- key aspects of the topics. This part focused on exploring the participants’ personal reflection to sexual education and the current situation.
The second part of the training focused on working together in order to build tools for sexual education in youth work. Within this part of the training the participants explored practical examples within youth work in their local realities and international encounters. While practising and concluding the participants developed various 2 sets of tools in the following areas:
- Practical workshops included information about STIs, relationships, LGBT rights
- Practical tools included a board game on STIs, a contraception booklet as a story, a video and an article.
The trainers’ team created a space where participants worked actively together and used the possibility to learn. Participants were lead through a curriculum designed by international team of trainers specifically designed to achieve the stated objectives. After the training the team was able to conclude the following: Participants gained particular competences and are aware of the variety of different skills that exist on field of sexual education for young people. They are able to act as multipliers and are aware of the process of establishing a proper youth work programme for young people to learn about these important topics. Participants have understanding on intercultural learning and its usefulness in youth work. The very visible results of the training are the tools developed by the participants which can be used onwards.
During the training course, the participants and trainers worked a lot on ensuring proper dissemination of results can take place. The following are some of the measures announced and implemented:
1. One of main outcomes of the project – to offer the training course as model for future trainings to learn about establishing sexual education processes in youth work. In this sense the project methodology and approach was well documented as a pilot training course (organisers, participants and trainers will work together to learn about sexual education). In this way, all the project outcomes can be used in the youth work field and relplicated.
2. The development of the workshops for youth workers is a strong outcome useful for many small and large organizations. It was also shared online with all partners in order to promote its using in the different contexts arround Europe where young people are affected by lack of information related to STIs and safe sex in general.
3. A set of online and offline practical tools were developed. These tools are very strong and can be used in the different youth work contexts:
- A video about relationships (online and offline) and how the concept of relationship is changing
- A story about love and same-sex love
- A storybook about using condoms as a contraception
- A board game which gives information about different STIs
As creator and instigator of the training course I was the educational facilitator on the course, creating and designing the educational programme and methods. I was also a trainer on most of the workshops as awell as logistics and particpant support.
After creating the programme, educational layout and metodology of the training and initiated a number of the workshops personally included the most taboo topics of rape, abortions, teenage prenancy and age of consent.