TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Dushko Radevski
The overall aim of the project was to enhance the development of new non-formal teaching methods in different field of studies and to increase the competencies of youth workers, trainers, youth leaders from 7 countries in designing and delivering new activities based on the experiential learning model. Moreover this training enforced the synergies between formal and non-formal education by creating a toolkit with tested experiential tools, available for free for youth workers.
The project was open to 30 participants from 7 different countries. Participants were involved according to their motivation to work on the exchange and based on their previous experience. Participants came from: Poland, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Italy, Greece, Turkey.
All the activities were based on non-formal and experiential learning methodologies. They were run and supported by experienced practitioners and trainers. During the whole project we as a trainrs we were adapting, based on the changing learning needs of the participants.
The activities were structured in order to encourage the creativity and the enterprising spirit of participants within the group. In all the phases of the project, they experienced participative decision-making process and non-hierarchical work division.
During the project, based on the activities implemented on the previous days and the guidelines provided by us as a trainer about the experiential learning cycle, participants created their own training methods and activities, which helped which help them to enrich:
• their ability to develop and deliver activities based on the experiential learning cycle
• their training design abilities and capacity to create new and innovative methods and activities
• their creative thinking and innovative approach developed in contact with the non-formal activities used during the training;
• Their awareness about the importance of using experiential learning in designing educational activities for youth.
I was co-trainer and co-designer of the program and the project in general, for 7 days I was simultaneous working with one more trainer. I was also part of the process of preparing the toolbox and the final evaluation.