TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Fabio Meazza
The "Mind-Drawing!" project was developed as a follow-up to a successful previous project by YoWo Poland in 2021. The positive feedback from participants and partner organizations led to the idea of enhancing youth work through creativity, graphic facilitation, and visual digital tools. The aim was to make youth work more accessible and attractive to diverse youth, including those with special needs and various learning styles.
The project, spanning 9 months, targeted 21 youth workers and aimed to develop their theoretical and practical competences in graphic facilitation and digital tools. It also sought to emphasize the power of visual creativity in youth work and improve accessibility through visual support in the learning process.
The outcomes of the project included enhancing the competences of individual youth workers in creativity, graphic facilitation, visual thinking, accessibility, and diversity awareness. Additionally, the participants created a video using graphic facilitation methods to encourage other youth workers to adopt graphic facilitation in their daily activities with youth, promoting its potential to enhance the accessibility and attractiveness of youth work.
The training course had 21 participants from 7 different countries: Poland, Spain, Estonia, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, and Denmark. The participants were required to be at least 18 years old, have an intermediate level of English, and be active youth workers, NGO workers, teachers, leaders, or individuals interested in working with youth in the future. They were expected to be motivated and enthusiastic about learning, commit to being present throughout all project phases (preparation, activity, dissemination), and ready to apply the acquired competences in dissemination and follow-up activities.
To align with the objectives of the Erasmus + program and promote inclusivity, the project encouraged the selection of participants from disadvantaged social, economic, educational, cultural, or geographic backgrounds, including immigrants and refugees. The selection process involved candidates filling out an application form to showcase their existing skills and express their interest in participating in the course. Some candidates were also contacted for interviews as part of the selection procedure.
Partner organisations:
- POLAND, YoWo Poland
- SPAIN, Asociación Cultural L'Ayalguina
- ESTONIA, Partner Up
- ITALY, APS Kinetès
- CROATIA, Eutopia
- DENMARK, Søholm 4H
- LATVIA, Active Rainbow
The training course utilized non-formal education methodologies to achieve the main aim of developing the competences of youth workers (who were beginners in graphic facilitation) in graphic facilitation. Trainers introduced participants to graphic facilitation methods and tools in a step-by-step manner, allowing them to discover and try out the techniques on their own, fostering efficient and enjoyable learning.
The project activities were all designed around non-formal methodologies, creating a friendly and effective learning environment. Participants engaged in various activities, including workshops, simulations, role-playing games, outdoor activities, and group discussions, problem-solving, and brainstorming sessions. They were encouraged to develop their own ideas, guided by the trainers, and had the opportunity to create and run their own workshops, which were later included in the project guide.
Every day, participants engaged in evening reflections through non-formal education methods, where they shared their daily experiences and provided feedback to organizers and trainers. Safe spaces were created to foster sharing and exchanging of experiences and good practices, enhancing active participation in the course. The activities aimed to make participants feel like protagonists, encouraging active involvement through experiential learning, dialogue, and exchange. The overall objective was to build collective knowledge and foster positive group dynamics among all participants.
- Competence Development: Participants experienced significant development in various areas, including creativity, graphic facilitation, visual thinking, accessibility, and diversity awareness. By acquiring these new competences, the individual youth workers became more skilled and effective in their roles. The enhanced competences also contributed to improving the quality of services and activities they conducted in their local organizations and communities.
- Video Production: Participants successfully produced videos that utilized graphic facilitation methods. These videos aimed to encourage other youth workers to adopt graphic facilitation in their daily activities with youth. This outcome demonstrates the participants' ability to apply the skills they learned during the training course to create valuable resources for the youth work community.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN5WqFhksHhzP9zqO8lUCsz3rFEhmPUzz
As a full-time trainer in a team composed of 3 total people, I had the opportunity to deliver engaging and informative sessions on various topics. These sessions covered essential subjects such as the design thinking process, visual communication, and the principles of graphic facilitation, among other relevant themes.
One of my primary responsibilities was to conduct sessions on digital tools that are useful in design and graphics creation within the context of youth work. These tools offered innovative ways for participants to enhance their projects and effectively communicate with their target audience. Moreover, I took on the role of guiding participants through sessions on Erasmus+ and Youthpass, crucial aspects of youth work that empower young people through international mobility and recognition of their learning achievements.
In addition to delivering the training content, I played a significant role in supervising the reflection process of the participants. Encouraging them to reflect on their learning experiences and personal growth during the training was vital in helping them gain deeper insights into their development as youth workers.