TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Bob McDougall
EVS training in general has a number of aims. Pre-departure training is an initial preparation for EVS volunteers before their placement begins On-arrival greets them in their new host country, gives them some cultural background and ensures they're starting their placement on the right footing. Mid-term asks them to evaluate their progress so far and to focus on how they can improve their own learning for the remainder of the placement and Final Evaluation meets volunteers after they return home to reflect on what they have learnt and to gain inspiring ideas for the future. Throughout the courses we focus on intercultural communication and what life will be like for them living in another country. I get them to think about their motivations and about the concept of volunteering. I include activities to ensure they understand what EVS is, how it works and what is expected of them as volunteers, as well as what they can hope to achieve and what they can expect from their host organisations.
The groups vary in size from 5 pax up to 25. Pre-departure training is nearly always all UK citizens, although the international make-up of the other trainings varies from all countries involved in Youth in Action/Erasmus Plus.
The activities are always very non-formal and include games, presentations from me, presentations from volunteers, self-directed learning and research, world cafe-style discussion activities, artistic film-making, individual reflection, group reflection, flip-chart though showers, silent floor. The training methods change regularly to keep the training fresh and fun.
The training is designed to empower the volunteers to take a certain amount of ownership over their projects, to give them confidence and make them feel at home in their host countries and to encourage them to take initiative inside their activities to learn as much as they can during the experience. When I meet volunteers at their mid-term training having met them at on-arrival they always speak fondly of the experience they had and how well it prepared them. Likewise, I stay in contact with many volunteers via email who give similar feedback. I collect evaluation sheets at the end of each training and the results are universally positive and stored in a database. Check the Intercultural Training Partnership website:
http://www.evs-training.org.uk/#
I have been solely responsible for devising and delivering the EVS training as well as acting as a conduit for the volunteers to reach the National Agency.