TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Alain Crudenaire
This first preparation session in Lille aims to:
• better prepare youth worker for the exchange;
• address topics such as managing an international group and team, intercultural learning, active youth participation, wellbeing in the Youth exhange and the changes their project aims to bring about;
• exchange with other project leaders who have similar or completely different realities.
Other objectives included:
- Promoting the development of youth exchange facilitators.
- Encouraging the sharing and exchange of experiences.
- Implementing a concrete action plan to improve qualitative aspects.
- Preparing and equipping organizations/groups for the supervision of their youth exchanges.
- Strengthening the French-speaking Erasmus+ Youth community.
- Enhancing the anticipation of evaluation and dissemination strategies.
The team consisted of two Belgian trainers and one French trainer. Additionally, during the training, two officers from the French National Agency were present, as well as a officer from the Belgian Francophone National Agency.
We used non-formal education techniques to achieve the set objectives. We employed graphic facilitation, implemented self-directed learning approaches, utilized self-assessment techniques, organized moments of practical exchange among project leaders, and employed experimental methods.
This training is part of a longer-term cycle. Participants took part in the first stage in June 2023, and during the summer, they will implement their youth exchange projects. Finally, they will conclude the training cycle with another week of preparation in November 2023. It is at that point that we will be able to evaluate with the group whether the preparatory module in June 2023 had an impact on their project.
As a member of the team, I participated in various preparation moments with the national agencies and fellow trainers. I was able to take an active role in designing sessions such as "Monitoring and Dissemination," "Training Evaluation," "Welcome Evening," and "Well-being in a Project at Different Levels." Furthermore, I actively contributed to the development of these sessions as part of the team and also participated in facilitating them during the actual implementation. I also participated in various exchange moments with colleagues to facilitate any necessary adjustments, share observations, and have end-of-day discussions to review each person's role and the overall flow of the sessions.