TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Spela Gorjan
Develop self-awareness and self-empathy, recognizing their own feelings, needs, limits, and resources in demanding youth work contexts
Strengthen their ability to empathize with others, including young people holding radically different views, without agreeing or losing personal integrity
Understand and apply the core NVC framework (observations, feelings, needs, requests) for honest and respectful self-expression
Respond more effectively to conflict, polarization, and hate speech, seeing them as expressions of unmet needs rather than fixed identities
Transform “enemy images” and us-versus-them thinking into opportunities for dialogue and re-humanization
Gain basic tools for conflict resolution and mediation in youth groups and community settings
Facilitate group dialogue and participatory processes that support inclusion, safety, and shared responsibility
Design concrete action plans to integrate NVC principles into their everyday youth work practice
Youth workers, educator and trainers in the field of non-formal education from 10 European countries. 27 participants in total.
Experiential, interactive non formal methods, reflections, discussions, creation, talking in pairs, groups, plenary...
By participating, youth workers will:
gain greater inner stability and resilience, reducing burnout and reactivity,
feel more confident engaging with difficult conversations and strong emotions,
learn how to create spaces where young people can disagree without dehumanizing,
strengthen their role as facilitators of dialogue, understanding, and social cohesion,
become better equipped to challenge hate speech without reproducing violence or polarization,
contribute actively to building communities based on dignity, participation, and mutual respect.
At its core, this training supports youth workers in becoming agents of connection in divided times — capable of holding complexity, nurturing dialogue, and supporting young people in finding constructive ways to express themselves and relate to others.
Full time trainer in pair with Jaka Kovač.
I hereby confirm that the above-described training was successfully delivered, and that it was a genuine pleasure to cooperate with Špela. She brought to the training her extensive experience in facilitating trainings and working with youth, along with a wide range of innovative methods that can be applied in everyday youth work.
Špela is particularly skilled at creating a relaxed, supportive, and encouraging environment throughout the training, which allowed participants to engage openly and get the most out of the experience. Her professionalism, creativity, and genuine care for participants made the collaboration both smooth and inspiring, and I would gladly work with her again on future trainings.