TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Rasa Tucinskaite
AIM
The training aimed to strengthen youth workers’ capacity to translate human rights from abstract principles into practical tools for everyday action. By providing spaces for open dialogue, creative learning, and experiential exploration, the programme supported participants in deepening their understanding of human rights and in recognising their responsibilities as mentors and facilitators. Through this process, they gained new perspectives and concrete methods to foster critical thinking, empathy, and active citizenship among the young people they work with. The learning journey was shaped by shared responsibility and a strong sense of ownership, reflecting the belief that a more just and inclusive society begins when everyone feels empowered to contribute to it.
OBJECTIVES
- Open up conversations about human rights and shared responsibilities
Create safe and inclusive spaces where participants can explore the meaning and relevance of human rights today, and reflect on the collective role we all play in upholding them.
- Encourage critical thinking, not just quick answers
Support participants in questioning assumptions, comparing perspectives, and engaging with real-life scenarios to understand how human rights apply both online and offline.
- Support youth workers as mentors and changemakers
- Strengthen the competences of youth workers so they can inspire young people to recognise their rights and responsibilities, challenge injustice, and participate fully in democratic life.
- Bring (digital) human rights into the spotlight locally
Explore the connection between human rights and digital rights, and promote ways to integrate both into community life to build a fairer and more inclusive democracy.
The Training Course involved 24 participants engaged in the youth work field from 8 countries: Lithuania, Cyprus, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Spain and Poland.
The participants were either Youth Workers, Educators or Youth Leaders residents in the Partners' Countries.
The trainers’ team itself was also international, with trainers from Lithuania, and Italy, to balance expertise in human rights education, active citizenship and democratic participation.
The 8 organisations involved in this project:
AGOJE (ROMANIA)
LOUD AND CLEAR (Lithuania)
APS LA FINESTRA (Italy)
YOUNG SPIRIT GROUP (Poland)
WHEEELING2HELP (Greece)
DYNAMIC YOUTH ASSOCIATION (Hungary)
PERIKLIS DEMETRIOU (Cyprus)
AYUNTAMIENTO DE MARACENA (Spain)
The programme was built to support participants in exploring Human Rights Education, active citizenship, and democratic participation through practical and experience-based methods. The group brought together youth workers with different backgrounds and levels of experience, which helped create a collaborative and supportive learning environment. The flow of the training followed a gradual structure, allowing participants to build knowledge step by step and connect it to their own practices.
A wide range of non-formal education methods was used to introduce and deepen key themes such as Human Rights, freedom of expression, discrimination, active citizenship and (democratic) participation. The approach combined theoretical elements (for example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Pyramid of Hate, and the Ladder of Participation) with activities that encouraged participants to reflect, take part, and learn from one another.
Among the used methodologies there were: gamified activities, simulations, debates, Forum Theatre, perspective-taking exercises, and moments of self-directed learning. The different methodologies helped and introduce the group to explore topics such as intersectionality, migration, media literacy, digital rights, and youth participation in a practical and accessible way. These activities supported participants in translating complex concepts into tools they could later use in their own youth work.
One important part of the training took place in a local school in Sighișoara, where participants designed and facilitated workshops directly with young people. This day gave them the chance to apply what they had learned, test different methods in a real setting, and receive honest feedback from the students. It also helped them reflect on how to tailor human rights and participation activities to different age groups and community contexts.
Finally, collaboration and co-creation were central throughout the course. Participants were encouraged to contribute actively, support one another, and exchange ideas and practices. This helped strengthen group dynamics and made the learning process more collective and meaningful.
The training reached its main goals by helping youth workers strengthen their understanding of Human Rights Education, active citizenship, and democratic participation in a very practical way. Throughout the week, participants worked with a variety of experiential and reflective methods, which supported them in exploring topics such as discrimination, intersectionality, migration, media literacy, digital rights, and the role of youth participation. Many of them shared that the activities helped them connect theory with practice and gave them concrete ideas they could bring back to their local communities.
The training also contributed to developing key competences among participants — including facilitation, critical thinking, group dynamics management, and the ability to design non-formal learning spaces for young people. The school workshops in Sighișoara were an important moment in this regard, as they allowed participants to test methods directly with youngsters and receive immediate feedback on their approach.
The overall atmosphere, group engagement, and level of participation throughout the week were strong indicators of the programme’s success. Participants consistently showed motivation, curiosity, and a willingness to support one another, which contributed to a meaningful and collaborative learning environment.
Concrete outcomes of the project were:
- the creation of the Online Resource Centre (LoudLand), a space where youth workers can continue exploring tools, materials, and methodologies introduced during the training. The platform helps ensure that learning does not end with mobility but can be transferred and adapted to local contexts.
Link: https://sites.google.com/view/loudland/home
- An introduction of HRE, Active Citizenship and Democratic Participation through non non-formal education approach in a high school of Sighisoara, namely Liceul Teoretic Joseph Haltrich Sighisoara
Full-time trainer.
My main responsibilities included:
- Co-designing the programme, contributing ideas and helping shape sessions that were structured, engaging, and meaningful for the group.
- Introducing theoretical frameworks and practical tools connected to Human Rights Education, participation, and youth work, making sure they were easy to understand and directly useful for the participants.
- Facilitating workshops, simulations, and group discussions, and guiding the group through activities in a way that created a safe and inclusive learning environment.
- Leading conversations on human rights, discrimination, freedom of expression, digital rights, and youth participation, helping participants link these topics to their own realities and the needs of the young people they work with.
- Supporting participants with coaching and individual feedback, especially when they were preparing their own activities or reflecting on their facilitation skills.
- Working closely with the team during daily debriefs, adjusting the programme when needed, and making sure the learning process stayed coherent and responsive to the group.