UpRural

Aims & objectives

Our project seeked to train youth workers and NGO project managers living in rural areas to learn how to use the tools of social innovation and entrepreneurship to accompany the revitalization of rural areas and contribute to the socio-territorial and economic resilience of their territories. Research and history show that youth have always been in
the center of action and major stakeholders for all revolution and resilience in times of crisis. The recent pandemic is a perfect opportunity to re-engage such youth and induce their participation in the impending change that EU needs to restart its forward progress
after the pandemic.

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

The training courses aimed to involve 30 project leaders, youth leaders and youth workers from Romania, Spain, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Slovakia and Portugal.

Training methods used & main activities

The training course was based on the nonformal education including methods such as intercultural groups, ice-breakers, group exercises, intercultural nights, local visits, simulation games, civic hackathon etc.

Outcomes of the activity

The training had the following outcomes:
- 5 smart village projects resulted in the Civic Hackathon;
- 3 local visits in a cheese production farm, an artisanal brewery and a social cooperative farm.
- a toolkit that contains tools and methods that will help youth workers engage & empower their youth for rural development
- an empathy map to illustrate the rural context of each country;

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

My role was the one of a leading trainer, coordinating the pedagogical process and involving the other contributors, experts and facilitating the learning process during the local visits.

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.