TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Celeste Maria Jafella
The training activity aimed to empower young people to become proactive leaders in environmental sustainability while addressing both knowledge and action gaps observed in the participating countries. Although environmental awareness is increasing, it often fails to translate into concrete, effective initiatives. Therefore, the training was designed to bridge this gap by equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to take meaningful action.
Specifically, the program sought to:
- Increase participants’ knowledge of climate change, waste management, and water conservation through workshops, peer learning, and practical activities.
-Develop practical skills for implementing sustainable practices and awareness-raising strategies adapted to each country’s context.
-Foster youth leadership in climate activism, encouraging participants to initiate and lead environmental projects in their local communities.
-Build a transnational network of young climate activists to promote international cooperation and the exchange of good practices beyond the training itself.
The activity directly aligned with the goals of the participating organisations, which are committed to promoting environmental responsibility, youth empowerment, and active citizenship. By combining education, skill development, and collaboration, the training contributed to the organisations’ broader mission of inspiring young people to act as catalysts for sustainable change in their communities.
The training brought together a diverse group of young people from Romania, Portugal, France, and Spain, creating a dynamic international environment for exchange and collaboration. The target group consisted primarily of young people aged 18–30, already interested in environmental issues but seeking the tools, knowledge, and confidence to take concrete action in their communities. Each national group brought unique perspectives shaped by their local realities: participants from Romania faced challenges related to urban pollution and low public awareness; Portuguese participants were concerned with coastal erosion and water scarcity; French participants highlighted the need for stronger youth leadership in climate initiatives; while participants from rural Spain emphasized the importance of addressing forest degradation, rural depopulation, and waste management through community-based approaches. This international composition enriched the training by fostering cross-cultural learning, mutual understanding, and the exchange of effective strategies for environmental sustainability and youth empowerment.
The training activity was based on non-formal and experiential learning methods, ensuring that participants played an active role in shaping their learning journey. The approach emphasized collaboration, creativity, and real-life application rather than passive instruction.
Throughout the program, participants engaged in interactive workshops, role-playing exercises, group discussions, creative simulations, and reflection sessions. Experiential learning was a key pillar, with hands-on activities such as zero-waste cooking sessions, upcycling workshops, and environmental policy debates, allowing participants to transform theoretical knowledge into practical action.
Team-building games and structured reflection moments helped participants strengthen communication, cooperation, and self-awareness. The training also included advocacy simulations, like the “Advocacy Arena”, where participants designed and presented their own environmental campaigns.
Furthermore, intercultural exchanges enriched the learning process, as participants from different countries shared their local environmental challenges and sustainability practices. Visits to local sustainability initiatives and community engagement activities, such as awareness-raising actions and clean-up events, allowed them to experience the impact of environmental activism firsthand.
Overall, these diverse methods created a progressive, participant-centered learning journey that combined knowledge-building, skills development, and empowerment for environmental action.
The training successfully met its objectives of increasing environmental knowledge, developing practical sustainability skills, fostering youth leadership, and creating an active transnational network of young climate activists. By the end of the activity, more than 80% of participants demonstrated a measurable increase in knowledge about climate change, waste management, and sustainable living, shown through pre- and post-training assessments. Participants also acquired at least two new practical skills, such as sustainable project planning, upcycling, or zero-waste practices, and showed greater confidence in applying them in their communities.
Leadership and initiative were notably strengthened—over 70% of participants reported feeling more confident to design and lead environmental projects in their local contexts. Furthermore, participants established an international online network for continued cooperation, which led to the planning of at least two joint environmental initiatives post-training.
The training’s success was confirmed through multiple evaluation tools, including daily reflection sessions, participant satisfaction surveys (with over 85% rating the experience as excellent), Youthpass self-assessments, and facilitator observations. A comprehensive evaluation report consolidates these findings, highlighting the project’s impact and lessons learned for future initiatives.
The project’s outcomes and dissemination materials were shared through ACT’s social media channels, documenting the activities and achievements of the training.
See one of the published highlights here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOVKCwLiqMC/?img_index=1
As part of the trainers’ team, my role was that of the main trainer. I was responsible for designing, facilitating, and evaluating the learning process throughout the training activity. This included preparing the training sessions, leading workshops and discussions, guiding participants through non-formal education methods, and ensuring that learning objectives were achieved. I also coordinated daily reflections, supported group dynamics, and adapted activities based on participants’ needs and feedback to create an inclusive and engaging learning environment.