TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Marco Santos
"What you get is what you give" training course main topic was based in voluntarism, its promotion to youngsters, exchanging of experiences and improving competencies of participants while dealing with EVS projects. The idea of this project was to also create an opportunity for trainers, youth workers, SO-HO mentors (and future mentors) with different to meet and exchange their experiences discussing for different positive and negative situation that are created while working with EVS. This Training Course aimed also at giving the participants knowledge, skills and developing their attitudes towards future work with partner countries from SEE, both in Balkans and in other parts of Europe.
The main need was to train youth workers dealing already with EVS projects in practical procedures from the mentors perspective to the project manager perspective, while also sharing information for possible future EVS. The need of the organisations that took part was to improve the quality on the EVS projects and develop a standard to host and send volunteers (especially from/to Programme countries to/from South East Europe (SEE) or to/from SEE from/to SEE too.
Because the whole training was based in the EVS cycle, it was possible to give a practical experience for the participants of the TC.
The training team was composed by 3 people, one from Albania, one from UK/Poland and me. The profile of the participants were project managers and youth leaders that are involved with EVS management in their organisation. We trained 33 participants from All South East Europe and Programme countries, gathering in total 14 countries.
During the training course we used a wide range of methods, from “forming” (ice-breakings, name learnings and teambuilding activities) from group discussions (where do you stand), role playing (project audit), simulations (ICL related), group work on EVS main documents, training cycle and finances, beside conflict management tests.
Actually several methods were developed in this training, all adapted to deal with practical exercises that EVS managers and volunteers itself have to deal during their project.
Beside of the 33 project managers and youth leaders trained we developed some practical methods to work in EVS issues and group discussions to facilitate the understanding and application of the new EVS approach and rules. We also updated the information about EVS with the partner’s organisations of the project and shared the latest recommendations and rules launched by the EACEA.
My role was the senior trainer of the project. I was responsible to adapt, give coherance and flow for the activity sessions beside implementation some of the sessions. I was also responsible for the reflection process of the participants based in daily reflections and evaluation, mid term and final one. Those moments were done in group and personal level.