TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Aiste Slajute
Aim: to empower youth workers and youth leaders to engage in the process of integration of the CoE Recommendation on Youth Work in the programmes of youth work organisations and relevant youth policies in different European countries.
Objectives:
- To introduce the CoE Recommendation on Youth Work among youth workers as a tool to support development of youth work across Europe;
- To explore how the measures in the CoE Recommendation are linked to practice;
- To increase the participants' understanding and knowledge of youth work policies and structures in Europe;
- To share experiences and good practice regarding advocacy on youth work, such as policy making, funding, etc.;
- To support participants to plan concrete actions for engaging in the implementation of the CoE Recommendation on Youth Work through their organisations.
We had 34 participants from 22 countries: Ireland, UK, Italy, Armenia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Belgium, Slovakia, Armenia, Georgia, Romania, Portugal, Serbia, Montenegro, Cyprus, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece. These were Youth Workers – volunteer or employed, full or part time - working directly with young people and involved in planning and implementing the youth work activities in their organisation or service. Also, the Youth Leaders who are engaged in the decision-making structures of their youth work organisations.
Composition of the international trainers’ team: 4 people from ECYC, Educational Advisor from the Council of Europe Youth Department and me, a freelance trainer in the field of Youth.
This Study Session was built on non-formal education methodology that stimulated discussions, experience shares and group work. We used creative approach to introduce the Recommendation on Youth Work and invited the expert guest speakers for additional inputs.
In 2017, the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights organisation, adopted the very first Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on Youth Work. The document, which aims to support and promote youth work across Europe, represents a valuable advocacy tool for youth workers and youth work advocates at local, regional, national and European level. During this Study Session we created a space for introducing the CoE Recommendation on Youth Work as a tool to support development of youth work across Europe and explored how the measures in the CoE Recommendation are linked to the current youth work practices in Europe. We increased participants' understanding and knowledge of youth work policies and structures in Europe and opened the floor for sharing experiences and good practices regarding advocacy on youth work. In addition to participants gaining new skills and knowledge, very concrete outcomes of this Study Session are 20 Action Plans on ‘using the Recommendation on Youth Work as an advocacy tool’ created by participants!
Together with other 5 members of the trainers’ team I was preparing, implementing and evaluating the education content of this Study Session. My main focus directed at mapping the European Youth Work realities and fostering the links between the Recommendation on Youth Work and current work practices of participants.