TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Marija Wazi
Main objective was: To improve one`s personal and professional competences in order to create the impact the person wants.
Other aims:
-skills improvement of youth workers in handling social and cultural differences, cooperation,
teamwork, responsibility, communication, trust, openness, listening, self-expression,
initiative, creativity, handling unexpected events, motivation, expressing values in action
-experiencing how a competence-focused learning process works and understanding how
such processes can be integrated in youth work and non-formal learning – as an example,
introduction of YouthPass as a tool in international youth work
-creating the base and providing info for future networking and the creation of common
projects within the Youth in Action Programme
Increase your Impact was a training course for youth workers, youth leaders, mentors, coaches,
trainers, facilitators of non-formal learning processes:
- active in the youth and/or community work sector, using methods of non-formal learning
wanting to improve their own personal and professional competences, refresh their
approaches and exchange practices in order to become more effective in their work and life
-focusing on the increase of employability of their target groups
-eager to learn, open to new, enjoy being a full-time participant
Countries involved: Hungary, Bulgaria, Armenia , Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Jordania, Latvia, Palestina, Turkey, Croatia, Romania
Age limit: 18+
This is how this TC was delivered:
We will shortly deal with the „WHAT” in general, in order to have a common base in how we work
with the questions of the TC. We put a lot more focus on the „WHO” and practise the „HOW” - we
switch focus from general knowledge to YOUR unique composition of specific personal skills and values.
The trainers and the facilitators create the frame and support your learning process by questions,
explanations, and a variety of activities which all provide a unique event – participant`s role is to take part, go
for the challenges, enjoy, and learn.
The program contains a full „basic synergy training”. It is a training program to raise personal
awareness and intensively improve personal competences. Going through this sequence participants
improved their own skills, while by experience they could understand how the approach works. Extra program
parts were included to give you space to work on how they can integrate this approach in their work and
to facilitate future cooperation. The program and the method has been developed by a group of trainers and youth workers of the
network International Synergy Group, guided by experts of the Olde Vechte Foundation (NL)
We used the following method elements:
Learning questions: each one of participants set a learning question for themselves. It was a
question that helps them to work on the improvement of a skill – a practical action that or
expresses a value that is important for them. 4 of the 8 key competences were taken as
example: learning to learn will give the frame of the process, and 3 others - cultural
awareness and expression, social and civic competences, initaitive & enterpreneurship – were areas from which were free to choose according to their own needs and interests. Every
day they worked with their learning question, assess your progress and set their daily focus
in it.
Learning processes: they are individual, couple, small- and big group exercises and
assignments (groups re-mixed each time) built on methods from outdoor, dance, drama,
music and creative art. Some of them they expereinced as playful, while others as deep
and serious. While they fulfilled the assignments, they worked on their personal learning question
and they went through an intensive individual and group process.
Debriefings and sharings were facilitated small- and big group discussions, that followed the
learning processes. This was the time when participants reflected on their experiences, listened to the
reflection of the others, came to their conclusions, raised questions and had an opportunity to
clarify, realise, understand – to complete their learning.
Dialogue groups: in these groups they supported each other in their personal progress, and
shared experiences. A facilitator, a team member, supported in daily meetings. This way they had a
daily opportunity to assess and shape their progress, receive support and practice supporting
each other.
Presentations, explanations: their function was to serve participants to understand the context, to offer
a point of view, to share learning techniques and best practices, to give theory and and to
support the group in your progress.
Participants of this training according to their evaluation forms:
-recognised their own thinking and the impact of their behaviour better
-saw more opportunities around them and could
choose their reaction to events
-initiated, acted proactively in unexpected and intense situations
-expressed personal and European values through personal action
-practiced inclusion and responsibility on the daily level
-improved their performance as a team member or leader in a local project
-motivated themselves and others
-enjoyed and learned more about international interaction
-initiate future projects and partnerships
-understood the idea of „competence development” and its methodological
approach
As a trainer I was responsible for preparation and communication with a facilitating team, delivering program (including briefing for teams, activities and reflections for participants), monitoring and discussing group dynamics with a colleague trainer Krisztina Gyory and making common decisions with her on program changes.