TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Agnes Berecz
“Live sustainably” is a training course for youth workers, trainers and facilitators with an interest in promoting and facilitating sustainable living practices in the youth they work with.
The aim of the training is to provide the knowledge, attitudes and skills participants need in order to effectively encourage and facilitate lifestyle changes towards environmental sustainability with young people they work with.
Detailed aims:
- provide participants possibility to understand more the current environmental situation locally and globally and improve their competences (knowledge, attitudes and abilities) to be able to choose more respectful life with the planetary boundaries and to facilitate effectively a change of habits towards sustainability among the young people they work with;
- equip youth workers with methods and practices to be able to facilitate group processes with young people on sustainable related issues
- encourage critical thinking to learn to unmask frequent phenomena such as “green washing” (or fake sustainability), fake perceptions of certain commodities as “cheap”, etc.
- share resources and tools to inform and raise awareness of young people about the importance of caring for the environment, inspire and motivate them to modify their lifestyle towards more sustainable ones;
- join in an international group of youth workers interested in promoting sustainability among the youth they work with.
The Szatyor Association is a Hungarian non-profit organization founded in 2011 to promote sustainable living and conscious consumption through community-focused activities in both urban and rural settings. They organize workshops, events, and farm visits, operate a community garden and a green shop, and engage in activities like community cooking classes and intercultural programs for children. The association is also an active participant in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) program, hosting international volunteers to help with their projects.
Composition of participants team:
30 participants from Albania, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom
Composition of trainers tream:
Esther Vallado (Spain)
Ági Berecz (Hungary)
Era Kármán (Hungary)
The course followed a methodology which was experiential and participatory, utilising the same tools that the participants can afterwards put in practice in their work with young people. We did dig deeper and explored the root causes of the unsustainable behaviour patterns that most young people have, and we explored different ways in which we can change this rationale in order to create sustainable lifestyle changes which don’t compromise the survival of future generations.
One example of a session I held:
Input on the 3 divides, followed by a somatic activity to work on the 3 divides (based on the "stuck exercise"): https://innerpathways.eu/toolbox/stuck-exercise/
We asked participants in the training course what they learned during the week. Here are some of their answers:
"Concepts about sustainability that I did not know, an internal perspective to start the change from ourselves. thousands of resources to continue growing outwards and inwards. – Silvia, Spain"
"I was able to fulfil my expectations and was able to create a beautiful connection with people. It was also important for me to be in tune with myself, others and nature. Throughout the training I got to realise that I still have power inside me and that the fire that I thought was extinguished, is still here." – Fi, Portugal
"I learned that: I am not alone, I can meet amazing people. There is a lot of positive energy to share and receive. Doing things with heart is one of the most important things." – Maja, Slovenia
"I learned how to connect more to nature and take it as a self learning. I also learned methods, tools that I will use in my youth work." – Mica, Germany/Romania
"I learned to listen to others, to myself and to nature. To be more gentle with myself and allow myself to feel the way I feel about the world around me. To look at things from a different perspective." – Mathilde, France
"I learned to better respect my environment and have a better understanding of everything that is surrounding me." – Tiago, Portugal
"The time to act is now. Start from yourself." – Brigjilda, Azerbaijan
"I learned new ways to create activities and a sustainable lifestyle, new practices related to nature… and I got many resources to continue improving this knowledge." – Mota, Spain
"Technical sustainable aspects. Being part of something bigger than me. Connect with my surroundings." – Afonso, Portugal
"The most valuable experience was to pay attention to the professionalism and knowledge of the 3 trainers that I really appreciated. I will take this with me, in the heart, as an example. It empowered me to have trust in my inner voice and act more." – Andreea, Romania
https://padlet.com/szatyorprojects/live-sustainably-tc-sgf8kod98uxvrejc
https://asociacionbiodiversa.wordpress.com/2022/08/31/live-sustainably-testimonies-resources-gratitude-and-3rd-edition/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNukJZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk5xq4jRDG24zLjATfLldBQyHLtllB7ycbfTvy1Vy9X62QvinpqwiEUfdDdH_aem_o1mv6Q5fjqn-6-xbXPhuEA
I was one of the three trainers, we designed the programme and the sessions together and delivered them in cooperation. Each session was facilitated by one of us, and we leant on each others' outcomes. We made sure the traiing methods were varied.
The sessions I designed and lead:
- Team-building - getting to know each other
- Learning with Head, Heart and Hands - the transformative learning model
- Meta level: The Three Divides and healing the divides.
- Nature as Holding, Grounding, container , immersion in Place. Forest Bathing
- Exploring the ecological self.
- Dealing with eco anxiety. Active hope. The Work That Reconnects (methodology by ecophilosopher and facilitator Joanna Macy).
- Exploring my gifts and motivations, what do I want to bring to the world?
- Meta level: Connecting with Nature, using outdoor work in learning
- Evaluation
"meta level" refers to activities focusing on shifting to a perspective of participants as youth work trainers and focusing on how they could lead non-formal educational
activities.