TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Corina Pintea
- developing a common understanding of the mentoring procedure in ESC - what it is, what the
tasks of an ESC mentor are, what is the mentor’s profile
- developing concrete mentoring skills (facilitating and supporting learning, coaching techniques, evaluation of learning outcomes, uplifting volunteer’s motivation, learning to learn.
- creating a community of active mentors that have a common vision on their role and can empower each other
The target group was made up of current or wannabe mentors and support-persons for ESC volunteers from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
Non-formal learning methodology was intensively used during the training, making use of both individual and group methods, taking into consideration participants’ learning needs with a creative and participative approach. For this purpose we chose to work with play dough modelling, role-plays and case-studies, small groups, simulations, as well as introspection and guided reflection.
Sessions were designed using experiential learning methods directly involving participants, their skills, previous experience, interests and potential for growth.
- we created a very strong community of mentors, who still keep in touch today and actively support each other, both in mentoring activities as well as in general implementation and promotion of ESC projects (this for us is a clear sign of success)
- participants debated and defined a more detailed understanding of the mentor role and started forging their own powers as mentors
- participants got familiar with a number of mentoring tools and their use in specific situations, which they can anow adjust to the needs of the volunteers mentored and the challenges in the lifecycle of the projects.
- participants defined for themselves individually what type of mentor they want to become and what skills they still need to improve
I was a full-time trainer and co-designer of the concept (with my colleague from Cyprus), involved both in the preparation of the training (topic, design of activities, flow) and the promotion and evaluation of the training. At the same time, I am still keeping in touch with participants and sending them relevant information, tools or opportunities connected to mentoring.
Confirmed as stated!!