TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ana Jovanovic
This project aimed to train young people to become great EVS mentors and peer-to-peer educators within the field of youth work. The project helped them to gain a clearer understanding of the importance of youth work, as well as the possibilities for personal development in the youth field. Participants were young people who already worked as mentors for EVS volunteers, or who wanted to become one within their sending organizations.
Knowledge was transferred to the participants through non-formal education implemented during games, creative workshops and psychological activities. By producing a fresh and motivated group of future EVS mentors and peer-to-peer educators, this project ultimately aimed to improve the implementation of the Youth in Action programme, and the realization of youth work in the local communities of the participants.
Youth workers that took part in this training were young people aged from 20 to 30 comming from Italy, Germany, England, France, Poland, Austria, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary,Serbia and Slovenia. They were all actively involved in EVS programs in their sending organizations as mentors or tutors and they participation on the training contributed to their non formal education in this area.
Methods that were used were mainly focused on interactive activities, games, presentations, team work, work in small groups and sharing experience. One of the activities that I implemented was connected with youth work where each of the participant had to draw big picture of his mentee, how does he look, how does he dress, what are his hopes, wishes, ideas... Afterwords they should present it to the group, explain of how do they help to their mentee to cope with his problem and to present it through the new drawing of the "path" that they will help them to take. All of the mentees had to have names and we were coming back to those drawings how the training was going on, using them as examples and working on their "growth"
Many of the participants were more familiar with a process of becoming a good mentor. They were more skilled in communication with young people (EVS or local volunteers) and they gained practical knowledge about peer to peer education. Work in a great atmosphere, very well co trainers and motivated group of participants showed as a good combination considering the results that all partner organizations had.
I was one of the organizers of the training and trainer. It was very demanding responsibility to be responsible for logistic and program but I believe I managed to cope with it. I was responsible for part about communication and conflict management and I have used the tools from T kits and Kompas. Before this I did more than 15 different training, so I was happy to cope with new challenges like this training was. Topic was very demanding but interest and motivation of participants helped a lot in its successful implementation.