TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Francesco Cavicchioli
The training activity aimed to respond to training needs in the field of green entrepreneurship, environmental awareness and the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour, adapting to the objectives of the organizations involved and the needs of youth workers from different European cultures.
The activity was developed to achieve several key results:
Promotion of green entrepreneurship: The main objective was to train a group of youth workers so that they could acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to promote green entrepreneurship among young people from the project partners' international communities. This responded to the need to stimulate the creation of businesses and initiatives with low environmental impact, contributing to employment growth and the strengthening of economic dynamics.
Change in youth mentality: The training activity aimed to work on the mentality and attitude of youth workers, causing them to reflect on how they could contribute to solving environmental and social problems in their local community. This responded to the need to stimulate values such as solidarity, transparency and social responsibility.
Practical skills development: The training focused on acquiring practical skills in the field of green entrepreneurship, giving participants the tools and skills needed to start and manage sustainable projects and initiatives.
To adapt to the objectives of the organizations involved, the training activity was specifically designed to provide practical and transversal training. This included the use of innovative methods and interactive tools to actively engage the target group, as well as a mobility in a real context such as the eco village in Torri Superiore in Italy, which allowed youth workers to directly apply their knowledge .
Furthermore, the training activity was flexibly designed to adapt to the needs of the group from different countries with unique cultural and social backgrounds.
This has favored an inclusive and multicultural approach to training, helping to cultivate a shared European perspective on sustainability and green entrepreneurship issues.
The target group of the activity consisted of 24 youth workers from nine different countries: Romania, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Serbia. These youth workers ranged in age from 20 to 45, which represented significant age diversity within the group. Each of them brought with them their own cultural and social uniqueness, thus contributing significantly to the multicultural spirit of the project.
In terms of background and skills, the selected youth workers already had a structured profile in the field of socio-cultural education. Some of them had extensive experience in this area, while others had less, but all played a significant role in providing guidance, emotional support and educational resources to young people in their communities. Their experience and expertise in socio-cultural education were key to the success of the project, as they had the ability to interact and communicate effectively with the target youth, helping them overcome challenges and developing their potential.
The main objective of this target group was to acquire tools, skills, and know-how to provide green entrepreneurship education services to young people from the international communities of the project partners. Furthermore, the project aimed to improve the sense of initiative, entrepreneurship and skills of the young workers themselves, thus contributing to their integration into the labor market and their role in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship among young people.
The main activity of the project was a training course implemented in Italy for 24 youth workers from eight different European countries.
The location of the mobility was the Torri Superiore ecovillage in Italy.
The topics and workshops included by the two trainers in the calendar of the educational training course developed on three levels: personal level, social level and intentional learning level.
The two trainers were involved in international group preparation, implementation, follow-up guidance, tool development and evaluation of the training course. The calendar included experiential learning and non-formal education methods (integrative methods, creative methods, intercultural learning, learning by doing, reflection and self-reflection, study visits and overall evaluation). The entire project was built around the green deal and sustainability, therefore youth workers were exposed and encouraged to embrace an ecological mentality during mobility in Italy.
Furthermore, the following practices were included during the activities to increase sustainability and environmentally friendly spirit among participants: waste sorting and recycling; recipients of reusable water; locally grown food; energy and water saving; reused materials.
The training activity achieved several significant objectives and results which testify to its success:
Development of green entrepreneurial skills: Youth workers acquired specific skills in green entrepreneurship, which included understanding sustainability principles, creating eco-friendly business models and promoting entrepreneurial initiatives with low environmental impact.
Environmental awareness: The training helped raise awareness among young Europeans about the green deal and sustainable entrepreneurship. This helped promote awareness of the importance of addressing environmental and social challenges through green entrepreneurship.
International collaboration: The involvement of 8 international partners fostered cooperation and the exchange of good practices between participants. This international network can continue to be an important resource for the future development of similar projects.
Youth inspiration and motivation: Learning about European start-ups run by young people under 30 and their advice inspired participants and fueled their desire to contribute to a greener and more sustainable Europe.
Mobility and direct learning: The mobility experience in Italy provided youth workers with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a practical environment and to see concretely how green entrepreneurship can be implemented.
I led the group of youth workers in their journey of learning and developing skills related to green entrepreneurship.
My specific responsibilities included:
Training course design: I contributed to the design by identifying the key contents, teaching methodologies and learning objectives. This required creating training materials, planning training sessions and defining success indicators.
Conducting the training: I conducted the sessions in Italy, providing youth workers with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes. During the sessions, I used different non-formal educational teaching methodologies to ensure effective and engaging learning.
Monitoring and evaluating progress: I closely followed the group's progress throughout the training program. This included evaluating their performance, providing feedback and providing one-on-one support when needed.
International collaboration: I actively collaborated with the other trainers and international partners of the project to ensure a coherent approach to training and share good practices.
Raising awareness on the topics of the green deal and sustainable entrepreneurship: I contributed to raising awareness among young Europeans on the project topics, sharing knowledge on European start-ups managed by young people under 30 and their best advice for a greener and more sustainable Europe .
In summary, my role was crucial to the success of the project, as I helped train and support the group of youth workers in acquiring the skills needed to promote green entrepreneurship among young people from the project partners' international communities .