TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ufuk Sabri Atalay
The training course aimed to train facilitators from youth organisation in non-formal education
for ensuring a high quality standard in preparing, implementing, evaluating and securing effective follow-up of international youth training activities in particular study sessions, organised and run in cooperation with the Council of Europe’s Directorate of Youth and Sport.
The objectives of the training course were:
To increase participants’ understanding about values underpinning European non-formal
education youth activities;
To familiarise participants with the values, mission, structure and ways of working of the
Council of Europe and in particular the Directorate of Youth and Sport;
To develop essential competences for facilitators in non-formal education with
multicultural youth groups assuring quality criteria in all aspects of study sessions and
international youth training activities;
To explore the concepts of intercultural learning and human rights education and how
these can be integrated in non-formal education activities;
To develop participants’ competences in implementing the study session cycle in
particular assuring administrative and educational follow-up and dissemination of results of a study session.
Participants representing mostly international Youth Organizations who will or may organize a study session at one of the youth centres of Council of Europe. There were 30 participants from about 23 member states of Council of Europe.
The course was build keeping in mind the following three main guidelines:
1. To provide relevant thematic background on the main topics of the course: human rights
education, non-formal education and the work of the Council of Europe's Directorate of Youth and Sport and the European Youth Foundation and its major values and principles, most specifically within the framework of study sessions and other youth activities.
2. To provide sufficient space for participants to develop key competences in facilitation of youth activities, starting from assessing their learning needs, and moving to the design of
a session, the implementation of an international youth activity and its evaluation.
3. To provide a safe environment to practice those competences and for sharing different
approaches and information about different organisations.
The training course from the onset was developed using a non-formal education approach. The programme incorporated a methodology designed to ensure the basic principles of active participation, holistic learning, intercultural learning throughout the programme. In terms of methods, throughout the week participants engaged in different activity types, as group work, group activities, presentations, workshops and personal assignments. The programme also provided space to share experience and know-how. An important element of the training course was the practice sessions, when participants in groups of 5 to 6 persons implemented a short workshop for their peers. The practice sessions were a safe space for participants to practice their own skills in facilitation. They included time for debriefing,
constructive feedback and reflection on the competences needed for facilitation.
A variety of methods was used in order to address different learning styles as well as meeting basic methodological principles of non-formal education ensuring the direct interaction between the group, participants individually and the topic.
A three-week e-learning phase preceded the residential course and allowed participants to have more information about the course, as well as to start to get to know each others. The e-learning platform became during and after the residential course the repository of the documentation of the course and the tool to keep in contact among participants and also with the trainers' team.
The course focused on the development of the competences of participants as facilitators of a
non-formal education process in line with the quality criteria for non-formal education activities
of the Directorate of Youth and Sport. The course addressed the concepts and principles behind
Human Rights, human rights education and non-formal learning. Participants were provided with
workshops to acquire facilitation skills specifically related to planning an activity, working in
international teams, working with challenging participants, debriefing and activity and providing
constructive feedback. The gained skills and knowledge were utilised by participants in the
practice phase , and development of idea’s for follow up. Non formal educational methods were a
guiding principle during the course and used in all sessions of the course. Creating a opportunity
for participants to learn by doing and through observation of the trainers and reflection on the
overall process they were taking part in.
I was member of the international trainers team composed of 4 trainers and 2 educational advisors responsible for the design, implementation and the evaluation of the course.