Guiding Paths

Aims & objectives

The training course Guiding Paths aimed to enhance the professional capacities of youth workers to offer transformational and meaningful learning opportunities for the social inclusion of hard-to-reach young people, including young people experiencing mental health challenges.

The objectives were to:

develop youth workers’ competences in mentoring methodologies (individual and group mentoring);

strengthen skills in working with young people with fewer opportunities, especially those facing mental health difficulties;

integrate nature-based, ecocentric and art-based approaches into youth work practice;

improve the capacity to guide young people in self-discovery, resilience, motivation and life direction;

support the creation of sustainable follow-up actions and transfer of learning within partner organisations.

The training responded to concrete organisational needs identified through a shared needs analysis and was aligned with the European Competence Model for Youth Workers.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

The activity involved 26 youth workers from 7 European countries: Italy, Romania, Cyprus, Estonia, Spain, Sweden and Greece.

Participants were youth workers, mentors and facilitators working with disadvantaged and hard-to-reach young people. The group included participants facing economic, geographical and/or mental-health-related barriers. The international composition supported intercultural learning, peer exchange and European cooperation among partner organisations.

Training methods used & main activities

The training was fully based on non-formal, experiential and self-directed learning, following Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. Methods included:

mentoring methods (guidance through questions, mirroring, identification of development needs);

mindfulness and body-based practices;

nature-based learning (sensory exploration, meditative walking, land-based reflection);

art-based and creative methods (symbolic art, intuitive writing, poetry, storytelling, Hero’s Journey);

embodiment, movement and dance;

teamwork and cooperation activities;

intercultural learning methods;

guided reflection, learning journals and Youthpass-based self-assessment;

action-planning tools and workshops for transfer to local practice;

online working methods and simulations for mentoring at distance.

Outcomes of the activity

The training was fully based on non-formal, experiential and self-directed learning, following Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. Methods included:

mentoring methods (guidance through questions, mirroring, identification of development needs);

mindfulness and body-based practices;

nature-based learning (sensory exploration, meditative walking, land-based reflection);

art-based and creative methods (symbolic art, intuitive writing, poetry, storytelling, Hero’s Journey);

embodiment, movement and dance;

teamwork and cooperation activities;

intercultural learning methods;

guided reflection, learning journals and Youthpass-based self-assessment;

action-planning tools and workshops for transfer to local practice;

online working methods and simulations for mentoring at distance.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I worked as a coordinator, full-time trainer and co-facilitator, together with one other international trainer.

My responsibilities included:

co-designing the training programme and learning flow;

facilitating sessions on mentoring, mindfulness, embodiment and nature-based approaches;

supporting group dynamics, emotional safety and inclusion;

guiding daily reflection and Youthpass learning documentation;

mentoring participants during and after the training;

contributing to evaluation, dissemination and follow-up activities.

I worked on this training for 7 days as a full time trainer.