TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Manina Ott
The online training course, aimed to support National Agencies to organise their activities in a diversity-aware way, tailored to a wide range of identities and requirements. This training invited ID officers, TCA/NET officers, and other National Agency staff who organise events, to strengthen their skills, competencies and attitudes—so that their activities would be more inclusive, and everyone feels welcome and can participate regardless of individual background or requirements.
The training aimed to
- explore aspects of inclusive and diversity-aware activity design - including outreach, logistics, methods, team and communication - and understand how to prepare for and adapt to barriers and participant requirements.
- develop a deeper awareness of (potential) participants’ requirements and the wide range of barriers that might hinder them from feeling welcome and safe.
- reflect on why inclusion and diversity matter and how they relate to the participants and their organisation
- take concrete steps to improve their practices.
The group consisted of 17 participants from 15 different European countries. The prep team was comprised of representatives of Salto Inclusion and Diversity, German and Lithuanian National agencies as well as 2 trainers from Germany.
The training used a non formal learning approach and aimed to transfer this to an online space. The knowledge and practices of participants where valued and given space in peer learning, interactive input, working in small groups, case studies, storytelling, interactive whiteboards and tools were introduced as well as reflection and feedback.The training also endeavoured to be an example of an inclusive activity, so participants could take tips, practices and tools from it to their own work. Central online tools were Zoom, Miro and Mentimeter
The results of the evaluation form indicate that the training was received very positively and was considered highly relevant for youth work practice. Participants reported a clear increase in awareness and understanding of inclusion and diversity, both personally and in relation to their professional roles within National Agencies. Many highlighted that the training supported them in better identifying barriers faced by participants and in reflecting more critically on how activities can be designed to be welcoming, safe and accessible.
- Designing and implementing the learning process (learning flow, session outlines, schedule) together with the co-trainer
- Designing, drawing and setting up the virtual learning space in Miro
- taking part in the prep meeting
- providing 1:1 mentoring after the event for participants
- writing a report on the activity