TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Patrícia Amaro
“PLAY-Plan for Active Youth” was a Training Course included in the Transnational Cooperation Activity (TCA) that aimed to increase the impact of youth participation in local communities by sharing methods and good practices.
The activity was especially addressed to Youth Workers, Trainers, Youth leaders, Youth project managers, Youth policy makers and had the following objectives:
•to explore the concept of Youth Participation and Empowerment and the role it has in the local communities;
•to equip youth workers and leaders with tools necessary to support youth participation amongst young people;
•to reflect on youth workers’ own paths of participation
•to exchange good practices of youth participation, empowerment, and Learning and develop new ideas for local youth work.
•to encourage the participants to work together in other Key Actions of the E+ Youth in action program.
Through the principles and practices of non-formal education and in an atmosphere where participants can learn and share from each other, “PLAY-Plan for Active Youth” wanted to explore three main components of youth work: active participation, empowerment, and recognizing learning with different online facilitating methods.
16 participants, representing 9 countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.
“PLAY-Plan for Active Youth” was targeted at youth workers and youth leaders working directly with young people. The profile of the participants that attended the training course was mixed in background and experience. There were participants directly working with young people (youth workers), some teachers, volunteers in youth organizations, youth leaders, and project managers. For 5 participants this TC was their first one.
This richness and diversity proved to be a valuable element during the TC once the participants could learn from each other in a safe atmosphere and share some experiences and previous backgrounds.
By using online non-formal education methods and activities (such as team challenges, brainstorming, reflection spaces, experiential learning, discussion), this TC allowed participants to experience, reflect and learn about how they can empower young people and promote more active youth participation.
I have blended course, he has 4 days work online but the also created Canvas-Course, that completed the learnings and allowed participants to get all the sessions and materials.
https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/GB6FXL
Icebreakers and activities were also delivered and provided participants with the opportunity to get to know each other, adapt, and experiment with the online platforms that were used during the training. Still, in the first session, we create a mural of short bios of the participants and the team on the Padlet platform and create speed dating where the participants had the possibility to share some curiosities and funny stories about their work. We ended the first session with a funny picture.
Mini Me’s, this exercise gives the participants the possibility to reflect on their path as youth workers by underlining, on a piece of paper, their strengths, knowledge, and values that they have.
Learning outcomes of the participants, they create a river of learning with the most important dates and spaces of learning and they could share in small groups. They could realize the link between empowerment and learning
The participants enjoyed the Training Course and all flow that allowed them to understand better the role of the Youth Worker and how to empower young people.
They felt that the TC was exceptionally smooth and inspiring to future actions and projects.
On the TC we have the following outcomes:
●Possibility for the creation of 2 partnerships activities
●Creation of a WhatsApp group for the exchange of good practices and youth work methods
●Sharing of the Facebook profiles.
In this course, I was more responsible to create the Canvas -Courses; https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/GB6FXL
I was responsible for the same activities as speed dating, to present the methodology where I Connected the youth work, with the principles of NON-Formal Education, which most of the time are related. Share with the participants these principles: Cooperative learning; Inclusive approach; Learned centered approach; Holistic Learning.
I am responsible to share and work with the participants on the concept of youth work, that we can have in Essentials of Youth Work in the Council of Europe.
Exercise: AGREE / DISAGREE - Statements about Empowerment.
In Jamboard with statements in the middle. Discussion about: Empowerment.
I was also responsible for some exercises for the reflection day and for the moment about Learning Experience and for that, I used the Learning Experience Canvas.com.
On the last day, I worked with the participants on the youthpass.
Working with Patricia was very enriching. She is very active in the filed of youth work and brought to this TC a lots of experience, new ideas and inspiring methods to work with youngsters.
She gives special attention to the well being of the group and to the team of trainers and she created a good atmosphere that allows the participants to get a more online fruitful experience. The visual facilitation and her clear communication was one the strongest points in this TC.