TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Alberto García García
The activity aimed to exchange experiences and best practices among volunteers with different backgrounds (by origin, field of work, target group) from Spain and Portugal. Giving visibility to the voluntary services was the second objective of the event, in accordance with the priorities of the European Year of Volunteering.
Follow a more detailed list of the activity stated objectives:
1. To promote voluntary work as a way of social participation.
2. To inform about a broad range of voluntary programs, including those mind for people over 30.
3. To foster European citizenship in the Galicia-North Portugal euro-region during the 25th anniversary of Spain and Portugal adhesion to the European Union.
4. To further networking between exEVS associations of Spain and Portugal.
A group of 27 volunteers from Spain and Portugal (roughly half and half) took part in the activity, among them people with fewer opportunities. The team also comprised trainers from both countries and Spanish and Portuguese ExEVS associations.
The methods used were based on non-formal education. Taking into account that one of the goals of the activity was sharing experiences and best practices, there was a special focus in structured debates, small groups work and similar methods in order to facilitate the exchange of information.
When it comes to visibility actions, the team defined a framework in which participants were granted enough flexibility to define street actions to spread the word about the course and the voluntary work.
The achievement of the goals of the seminar was confirmed through the evaluation activities performed during and after the course. According to them, not only the above mentioned objectives of the seminar were accomplished but the participants were also satisfied with the methodology implemented and the group dynamics.
From the very beginning, the organizers strived to involved different local structures (public and private) into the project. So, ten entities, belonging to six city councils (three from Spain and three from Portugal), two regional administrations, and both YiA National Agencies (from Spain and Portugal) were represented in the seminar. Therefore, a significant impact on public bodies was achieved.
As of visibility, the second axis of the event, it has to be said that there was a clear local impact. The following activities were carried out:
- Street actions to disseminate information about the Youth in Action Programme, the European Year for Volunteering and the voluntary work, in general. Eight populations hosted the actions that took place both in educational centers and public spaces (like main squares).
Participants in the event wore bags from the Spanish National Agency and T-shirts from the European Youth week. Moreover, roll-ups, posters and other promotional materials were properly tagged with the design of the European Year for Volunteering.
- The event had presence in the local media. The team of trainers was interviewed twice by local stations.
- A blog was created to inform about the event and its outcomes: www.anhoeuropeodelvoluntariado.blogspot.com
- A travelling photo exhibition about voluntary work and the European Voluntary Service went over the area where the activities took place.
The team of trainers comprised four people: coordinator, two trainers-facilitators and a person in charge of logistics. I worked five days as full-time trainer-facilitator and approximately half of the sessions where implemented by me.