TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ismail Sehic
“InMediAct” (IMA) is a 7 days International Skills Development activity based on Non-Formal Education (NFE), which
took place in Sarajevo (Bosnia Herzegovina) between May 5 and 10 2019.
IMA will provide participating youth operators with the knowledge, skills and methodologies of NFE to foster
youngsters’ critical thinking in approaching mainstream mass-media narratives, with a particular focus on the issues
of migrants, migration and cultural diversity.
The focus of the activity will be therefore placed on contrasting the dynamics of stereotyping and dehumanization
against migrants/refugees and individuals of cultural minorities (i.e. Roma) stimulated by phenomena of shallowness
and sensationalism at the level of mainstream media.
The aim of IMA is delivering on Human Rights education of young people by means of fostering youngsters’ critical
thinking in approaching mainstream mass-media narratives- with a particular focus on the issues of migrants,
migration and diversity- through building capacities in youth operators to pursue the mentioned purpose by means of
Non Formal Education.
The general aim of the project will be achieved through reaching the following objectives:
- Empower 20 youth operators from MV International’s member organizations with the knowledge, skills and
methodologies of NFE needed to stimulate young people’s critical approach to mainstream media by means of nonformal
learning.
- Producing resources of external relevance for youth operators and organizations working/interested in working to
support youth critical thinking on mainstream media narratives in the whole CoEa area.
- Laying the grounds for local follow-up and multiplication through planning and executing local dissemination
workshops.
The audience of participants was composed of 20 youth workers aged 18-30 from 20 member organizations of the MVI network from 19 countries (presently comprising 37 members from Europe and 8 extra-European associate organizations). The ultimate targets of IMA were young people aged 18-25 established in their own communities, who are recipients
of media narratives and represent, in light of their embeddedness within their communities of establishment, potential
multipliers (youth leaders) of an aware and responsible attitude towards media consumption.
The methodology employed in the delivery of “IMA” will be Non-Formal Education, delivered by an international team
of experienced NFE Trainers from MVI’s member organizations. In terms of educational approach, NFE is supported by
its ever-expanding diffusion not only in activities targeted directly at young people but also in the frame of Train-the-
Trainer programs as the I.A. foreseen in GE’s frame.
Indeed, the use of a non-formal education approach is particularly suited not only from a perspective of
inclusive learning (the experiential and learner-centered nature of non-formal education is proven to be highly
effective in ensuring equal participation of al the learners to the process, particularly in the case of initiatives
involving persons from different national and cultural contexts) but also from the point of view of learners’ needs.
The participants are youth workers engaged in operating at the local level with the youth and experienced in the use
of NFE; through the program, they will achieve understanding and methods to employ NFE as a vehicle of media
literacy learning for the youth, with a specific reference to migration and minority issues.
At the same time, participants will be professional youth operators experienced in using English as an
international language, which will facilitate the learning process and make simplification of contents to suit the needs
of a non-English speaking audience unnecessary.
The concrete instruments employed in the delivery of the program will be Ice-Breaking, Teambuilding
activities, presentations, SWOT analysis, study visits, practical exercises, group work, collective and individual
reflection.
The structure of the programme will be the following:
1- Introduction to the project, its objectives and methodologies.
2- Team Building activities aimed at fostering group dynamics and setting the stage for the learning process.
3- Presentation of project topic and context;
4- Presentation of best practices and success stories in the field of promoting critical thinking on media in young
people.
5- Non-Formal Education workshops fostering the acquisition of topic-related skills and educational capacities.
6- Creation of products.
7- Setting the stage for follow-up.
A specific "Evaluation Group" will be held at the final stage of each day of activity involving participants divided
ingroups under the moderation of a Trainer.
In Evaluation Groups, participants will be allowed to express their feedback on the day of activities as a whole (in
educational, relational and logistical aspects), on the quality of the activities and workshops delivered throughout
today as well as on the project in its entirety (in educational, logistical and organizational terms).
A Final Evaluation of the activity will be performed by Trainers, together with participants, in the frame of the official
closing of IMA.
The first output to be produced will be a set of Videos “biAsWARE”. The Videos will be short simulations (brief
scenarios of young people tackling media stereotyping) aimed at raising awareness about the potential of youth
participation in laying the foundations of a critical approach to media narratives.
The second output of the activity will be a set of Video simulations of the original NFE tools developed by
participantsduring the activity. The tools, integrated in project Manual (see below) will be increasingly accessible,
diffused andimpacting at the direct level of the youth target through their digitalization (while the Manual will be a
resourcetargeted specifically at youth operators).
The last output of the I.A. will be a Manual (reMedia) conceived for an audience of youth operators and
produced directly by participants through group-work. The Manual will comprise general information about media in
the frame of migration and minority issues, NFE tools (developed by participants in the activity) andoperational
guidelines for Trainers (both per each specific tool and in general for what concerns the implementation of media
literacy programmes with the youth).
In the last phase of the I.A, participants will also be directly involved in the planning of project dissemination (phase
of local activities).
3. Evaluation and Follow-up
The Team of Trainers and organizers will implement an Evaluation and Follow up Meeting (Skype,13/05/2019) to
discuss a first evaluation of the activity and the details of follow-up.
Each MVI member organization involved in the project will implement a local activity (1 day training workshop
involving young people) to be delivered by the organization’s participant in the International Activity (2 support
Trainers from the sending organization will also be involved). Each local workshop will involve 15 young people.
Local activities will form part of project dissemination, which will have both an offline (i.e. local workshops) and an
online dimensions. The online dimension of disseminationwill include Social Media actions (of the MV
Internationalnetwork and of the participating member organizations), Newsletter and the establishment of a
“InMediAct” Web Platform wherein all the outputs of the project and the results of the Social Campaign itself will be
posted.
The local activities will result in the production of 20 Videos summarizing the results achieved in each country.
The final result will be a Video summarizing the follow-up process in all the participating countries.
I was one of the 4 trainers who took responsibility to transfer knowledge to the 20 youth from 19 different countries. It was a big challenge based on the 19 different cultures to work on such topic. I believe that we reach our goals and that participants are satisfied.
My main responsibility and tasks were focused on non-formal education and fake media.
Next, to the education part, I was one of the organizers and host of the activities, so I had much more obligations than usual.