TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Stefano Esposito
AIM
‘LOL: Laugh Out Loud, Stand Proud’ was an international initiative that involved youth workers through practical and hands-on experience on Human Rights Education with stand-up comedy techniques, like crafting jokes, to spark important conversations and inspire young people to think critically about the world around them.
The training aimed to combine Human Rights Education and Stand-Up Comedy to empower participants to address sensitive topics (Hate Speech, Freedom of Expression, Inclusive Language, and Intolerance/Discrimination) in new and creative ways.
OBJECTIVES
- Empower participants to become advocates for human rights in their communities
- Introduce how to use stand-up comedy techniques to enhance engagement in education.
- Expand participants' understanding of the four main pillars of the project.
- Develop communication, creativity, critical thinking, facilitation, and emotional intelligence skills
The Training Course involved 24 participants engaged in the youth work field from 8 countries: Lithuania, Portugal, Italy, Czechia, Greece, Romania, Belgium and Poland.
The participants were either Youth Workers, Educators or Youth Leaders residents in the Partners' Countries.
The trainers’ team itself was also international, with trainers from Lithuania, and Italy, to balance expertise in human rights education and stand-up comedy.
The 8 organisations involved in this project:
LOUD AND CLEAR (Lithuania)
APS FLOW (Italy)
YOUNG SPIRIT GROUP (Poland)
DEAR FUTURE SELF (Romania)
YOUTH PROGRESS (Czechia)
SUSTECHABILITY (Portugal)
YOUTHFULLY YOURS GREECE (Greece)
JOETZ International (Belgium)
The program was thoughtfully crafted to accomplish its primary aim: nurturing shared responsibility and a sense of ownership from a Youth Work perspective, while supporting participants in understanding and exploring Human Rights Education through innovative techniques (e.g., stand-up comedy methods). The team brought together a well-balanced group of participants with different levels of experience in Human Rights Education and Stand-up Comedy, ensuring a diverse and cooperative learning atmosphere. The project followed a sequential structure tailored to the participants’ learning needs. Using non-formal education approaches, participants were introduced to essential concepts of Human Rights, freedom of expression, inclusive language, discrimination, hate speech, critical thinking, shared responsibility, and ownership. Activities were mainly grounded in self-directed learning methods, complemented by techniques such as Forum Theatre from the Theatre of the Oppressed tradition to reinforce specific elements of the training. The program combined practical exercises with theoretical insights, enabling participants to build a solid understanding while strengthening their digital competences. Evening reflection sessions, held daily in small groups and guided by self-directed learning principles, offered a safe environment for participants to share their experiences, exchange feedback, and reflect on their learning process. Open discussions about challenges and accomplishments encouraged deeper engagement and ownership of their development. Participants also had access to an online resource center to further explore different dimensions of digital literacy and citizenship. A central aspect of the training was promoting collaboration. Participants were encouraged to actively support one another, exchanging advice, good practices, and perspectives to reinforce group dynamics and enhance collective learning toward becoming responsible citizens.
Outcomes:
The training successfully achieved its goals, empowering youth workers with the skills of navigating the Human Rights Education and Stand-up Comedy and understand the complexity of Human Rights Education among the younger generations. Throughout the project, there was one specific outcomes developed: an Online Resource Centre where to find all the information regarding the main topics of the project and accessible to the general public --> Link: https://sites.google.com/view/lol-erasmus/home
I worked as a full-time trainer and co-ordinator being part of the Loud & Cleaer Team (organizers).
The sessions were structured around Human Rights Education (specifically on Hate Speech, freedom of Expression, Inclusive Language, Discrimination and Forum Theatre).
My main responsibilities involved:
- Collaborating in the program design and creating structured, engaging training sessions.
- Introducing theoretical and practical tips on how to navigate the Human Rights Education and how to foster active citizenship.
- Leading interactive workshops, group discussions, and activities.
- Facilitating conversations on the Human Rights Education and Violations (specifically on the four main topics tackled by the project), helping participants incorporate these Human Right Education sensitivity into their projects/workshop/local activities.
- Coaching teams and providing customized feedback to enhance their design of non formal education activities and skills.
- Coordinating the team and managing the training schedule, including conducting daily team debriefs and adjusting the program as needed based on participant feedback.