TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Enrico Elefante
Rural areas are constantly changing from a physical, economic and social point of view, with the constant presence of critical issues: the number of inhabitants decreases due to the lack of opportunities for employment and professional training; boundaries dissolve due to environmental changes; the way of producing and what is produced and consequently also the places where the production takes place changes. The complex nature of rural problems
means that answers can be sought outside traditional planning tools.
The first step is to identify the needs of the "marginal communities". "Take P.Art! #Back2thefuture" identified, in this sense, the need to "take care" of community, space and the environment, understood as a human and natural capital, with a view to imagining and building the future responsibly. The ability to re-evaluate public spaces in marginal areas in an artistic way, especially with young people from other European countries, aimed at the following objectives:
● to be able to restore stimulus and creativity to the entire population involved;
● to trigger exchanges of ideas;
● to activate new innovative and creative processes for the development and revaluation of European marginal areas.
Participants carried out analysis activities, through non-formal-education methods, on an emblematic case, implementing replicable actions. They undertook to use art for the purpose of urban revaluation of the reference context, involving at the same time local inhabitants and local institutions. Participants carried out educational and creative activities at the same time, they developed transversal skills with constant teamwork.
"Take P.Art! # Back2thefuture" has been a training process for participants and evaluation of urban spaces of rural areas, its upgrade is the development of new methodologies of: territorial analysis, evaluation of the works to be carried out by the participants, integration and team work.
It took place in Rofrano and with its community, a small village located in Campania, a suggestive region that lies in the South of Italy. The creators and partners of the project are seven organizations coming from Italy, Serbia, Romania, Spain, Greece, Macedonia and Germany. They sent 4 participants and one youth leader who represented their country. Youngsters who joined the project developed excellent knowledge in creative expression, public art and rural development.
The project was focused on non-formal education methods, social media tools and public art techniques in order to support participants in the learning process, using a wide range of activities such as:
● Ice-breaking activities: energizers, ice breakers, and social games to break the ice among participants and create an optimal environment.
● Informative activities: to communicate the knowledge needed to participate in Europe, mainly about Erasmus+ Programme (Youth Exchanges, ESC, etc.), Youth Pass session, and discussion on future projects in order to build partnerships and cooperation among NGOs.
● Non-formal activities, outdoor activities, team building activities to build group dynamics.
● Cultural activities: intercultural nights in order to discover more about other cultures and countries; intercultural learning activities, workshops on public art and rural development.
● Leisure activities: active debates and meditation to release tensions and stress.
● Reflection and evaluation activities: reflection activities, final evaluation by sharing feelings, emotions, ideas and feedback, in order to measure the way things are going.
We expected participants to improve their awareness of rural development, public art and creative expression of themselves; improve their learning results, self-esteem, and knowledge of foreign languages; their sensitivity towards the EU project and its values. We also wanted them to gain better intercultural awareness and enhance social participation.
Accordingly, we expected them to acquire the following knowledge, attitudes and skills
(summary):
● multilingual competence;
● personal, social competence and learning ability;
● social and civic competence in matters of citizenship;
● entrepreneurial competence;
● competence in cultural awareness and expressions;
● digital competence;
● mathematical competence and basic competence in science and technology;
● functional alphabetic competence;
The project got visibility through the planned final event that has been prepared by the participants with the help of trainers and local artists that led the project. The event took place in the last few days and involved local communities. Artists, trainers and participants performed in public spaces (streets, main square, municipal parks). Then, the artworks created during the project has been donated to the local population and exhibited at the headquarters of Cilento Youth Union, located in the main square of Rofrano.
Educational Advisor, Trainer
The activity was very interesting a and partecipate. People was engaged and interested from the argu and the activities.