TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Miranda Zavrou
This was the annual Workplan of Youth for Exchange & Understanding International. It was comprised by 3 main phases, two interphases and expert work on developing a Quality Label for Youth Work of YEU and its member organisations.
The overall aim was to improve the quality of youth work and non-formal education provided by YEU and its member organisations by rethinking and redefining principles, practices and building the competences of their youth work providers, all in line with youth work recommendations and portfolio.
The objectives of the workplan were:
• To rethink what is quality youth work and non-formal education for YEU and its youth work providers
• To map the strengths and weaknesses, impact and capacities of youth work and non-formal education in YEU and member/partner organisations and create a common ground for understanding good practices and models
• To define a set of core competencies for practicing youth work in YEU universe (member organisations, pool of trainers and organisers, work on international level) and serving better young people and their needs
• To build capacities of youth work providers in order to be reactive to the needs of young people and adapt their practices and methods in line with quality youth work and non-formal education principles
• To disseminate quality youth work principles and practices by raising awareness about the Youth Work recommendations of Council of Europe and advocating for their implementation on local/national levels
The main target group of the workplan were youth work providers working on local, national and international level coming from YEU member or partner organisations and from YEU PET (pool of trainers). They were youth work providers willing to contribute to rethinking what is quality youth work and non-formal education when working locally and/or internationationally.
• At least 30 youth workers, trainers and organisers were directly involved in rethinking and reshaping youth work practices in YEU and member/partner organisations.
• At least 25 youth workers trainers and organisers who had their competences developed
• Similar local and international youth organisations - to provide feedback on YEU models
• Institutions and organisations with Youth Work portfolio were contacted, such as Council of Europe, European Commission, European Training Strategy, EU-CoE Youth Partnership - to get information and their perspectives on certain matters, as well as, to present to them YEU models and advocate for quality youth work and non-formal education implementation across Europe
Non-formal education methods have been used, including De Bono's 6 thinking hats, guided reflection groups, experiential activities like discovering street based youth work by actually going on the streets of Novi Sad and engaging with locals using predetermined questions, short guided meditation followed by designing "my river of youth work" and various other activities.
The Open Agenda methodology (developed by YEU with the support of EYF in 2017) was also implemented for several sessions of Activities 2 and 3 of the workplan.
• YEU and its youth work providers (youth workers, trainers and organisers) have a clear understanding and common ground of values, principles followed, types/models of youth practiced and core competences needed to be built further.
• YEU has defined and developed its quality label for youth work and non-formal education which will soon form the YEU Quality Label.
• 25 youth work providers had their core competencies on quality youth work and non-formal education developed
• A new generation of youth work providers also had their capacities and competencies built
• 10 testing actions have been implemented (trying out the frameworks in practice and giving feedback)
• Publication with YEU quality youth work and non-formal education models, practices and tested actions included, for further dissemination and usage by similar organisations, particularly member organisations
- I was a trainer in all 3 phases of the workplan, working by the side and with the valuable support and feedback of my three co-trainers (2 in each phase).
- The sessions during the activities were distributed quite evenly between us. Furthermore, I believe the responsibilities assigned to me and trust in me by my co-trainers had been growing through the process. For instance, I had the task of designing the first draft of the daily programme for the last activity.
- I also contributed in preparing the reports after each activity.
- I was present in preparatory and other necessary meetings for the activities (either in person or online).
- I have also been part of the experts team developing the aforementioned Quality Label (this process is still ongoing and it is being a great learning process for me).