The use of role-playing and metaphor in experiential educational pathways with young people.

Aims & objectives

The training course, titled "The use of role-playing and metaphor in experiential educational pathways with young people," aimed to increase awareness among youth workers and organizations about these methods. The project was designed to explore the use of role-playing and metaphor to involve participants on both a physical and emotional level. It also provided a personal and group experience based on experiential learning and reflective practice. The training was structured to give participants tools for reflecting on their current work and to provide theoretical inputs on common models used in experiential education, group dynamics, program planning, facilitation, and reflective practices

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

1. Aims & objectives
The training course, titled "The use of role-playing and metaphor in experiential educational pathways with young people," aimed to increase awareness among youth workers and organizations about these methods. The project was designed to explore the use of role-playing and metaphor to involve participants on both a physical and emotional level. It also provided a personal and group experience based on experiential learning and reflective practice. The training was structured to give participants tools for reflecting on their current work and to provide theoretical inputs on common models used in experiential education, group dynamics, program planning, facilitation, and reflective practices.

The training course was intended for 25 professionals or volunteers who are engaged in non-formal educational activities with young people and who come from:
- Italy
- Spain
- Hungary
- Belgium
- Latvia
- Slovenia

Training methods used & main activities

The training activity utilized non-formal learning methods, primarily focusing on experiential learning and reflective practice in an outdoor setting. The core methodology involved exploring the use of role-playing and metaphor to increase awareness among youth workers. The course was structured into three main phases: a personal and group outdoor experience to practice technical skills; theoretical inputs on experiential education models, group dynamics, and program planning; and a final phase for deepening learning and transferring new knowledge into youth programs

Outcomes of the activity

The training successfully enabled participants to create new training modules for their local activities with young people, directly applying the methodologies and skills learned during the course. This outcome demonstrated the tangible success of the training, as participants were able to immediately transfer their new knowledge into practical, real-world projects

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

My role in the trainers' team was multifaceted. I served as the project coordinator, overseeing the entire activity. In addition, I was one of the trainers and coaches, responsible for facilitating the sessions and providing continuous support to the participants. I also took on the role of post-training coach, providing ongoing guidance to participants as they designed and implemented their follow-up activities in their respective contexts

I worked on this training for 5 days as a full time trainer.