TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Gvantsa Mezvrishvili
The project aimed to respond to the following challenges for building democratic civil society structures based on personal commitment and participation:
There was a lack of understanding about the "European Solidarity Corps" (recent issue).
Volunteering was not conceptually seen as an instrument for addressing social challenges.
Structural and organizational problems were present in managing volunteering projects, ranging from the selection of volunteers to the reporting phase of the project.
Volunteer coordinators had limited abilities to plan, structure, monitor, and evaluate the learning and work process of volunteers.
Marginalized youth and refugees were not adequately included in civil initiatives.
Volunteering initiatives had low visibility at the community level.
In this context, the training course aimed to train 27 project coordinators, mentors, volunteer coordinators, and volunteers to improve organizational capacities in managing local and international volunteering projects. The focus was specifically on the following aspects:
Concepts of volunteering in the civic sector.
Project cycle management in volunteering projects.
Selection of volunteers and integration into the project environment as equal members of the team.
Structure and monitoring of learning progress and work of volunteers.
Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities, marginalized youth, and refugees.
Visibility and dissemination of results.
Consequently, the objectives of the training course were:
To understand how European Solidarity Corps functioned and be able to adapt it in practice.
To conceptualize with the project partners the approach to volunteering in their work context.
To foster organizational and individual competences in planning, implementing, mentoring, and evaluating local and international volunteering projects.
To develop organizational strategies for the inclusion of young people in volunteering projects, specifically those with fewer opportunities, marginalized youth, and refugees.
To develop organizational checklists and procedures for the most essential steps in volunteering projects.
The participants in the project had diverse backgrounds and experiences. The partner organizations had been discussing and elaborating on the project idea to ensure that the interests and learning needs of the project were met. Youth worker who were selected in TC had different levels of experience in working with volunteers, ranging from involving local volunteers to extensive experience in international volunteering activities. The target group of the activity consisted of 27 youth workers, including project coordinators, mentors of volunteers, and volunteer coordinators. Participants were from the following countries: The Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovenia, Germany, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
To ensure the quality of the project, certain characteristics were considered for selecting participants. These characteristics included a good knowledge of the volunteering scene and the legal framework of volunteering at the national level, understanding of basic volunteering concepts, work experience or personal experience as a volunteer, willingness to engage in a mutual learning process in an intercultural context, a good level of English, willingness and ability to fully participate in the course, and willingness to be involved in further activities with volunteers.
Regarding participants with fewer opportunities, there were individuals from refugee families, migrant families, youth workers/leaders who faced social obstacles, and participants with economic obstacles from rural areas. The selection procedure for participants was conducted by partner organizations based on a common agreement, using instruments such as motivation letters, CVs, interviews, and recommendations.
Conceptualizing the approach of volunteering:
Interactive workshops and group discussions to explore different theories and models of volunteering.
Case studies and real-life examples of successful youth empowerment and change processes through volunteering.
Brainstorming sessions and group projects to apply volunteering concepts to participants' own work contexts.
Motivating, managing, and coaching young volunteers:
Role-playing exercises and simulations to practice effective motivation and management techniques.
Workshops and presentations on coaching and mentorship strategies for supporting young volunteers.
Guest speakers sharing their experiences and best practices in motivating and managing international and local volunteers.
Collaboratively setting learning objectives and monitoring outcomes:
Group exercises and discussions to guide participants in setting SMART learning objectives with their volunteers.
Tools and templates provided to assist participants in monitoring and tracking volunteer outcomes.
Regular reflection sessions and peer feedback to evaluate the progress of learning objectives and make adjustments as needed.
Developing strategies for the inclusion of young volunteers:
Workshops and training on diversity, inclusion, and intercultural communication.
Group activities and discussions to explore strategies for creating inclusive volunteering environments.
Collaboration with local organizations working with diverse youth populations to learn from their experiences and best practices.
Promoting volunteering and active participation in local communities:
Design and implementation of local community engagement campaigns to raise awareness about volunteering opportunities.
Development of promotional materials such as brochures, videos, and social media campaigns to highlight the benefits of volunteering.
Organizing volunteering events and initiatives that actively involve the local community and encourage active participation.
Creating checklists and procedures for volunteering projects:
Guided sessions and templates provided to help participants develop their own checklists and procedures.
Group discussions and peer review to ensure comprehensiveness and practicality of the created checklists.
Sharing of best practices and examples of effective volunteering project management.
Understanding and applying the European Solidarity Corps (ESC):
Presentations and workshops on the objectives, opportunities, and application process of ESC.
Case studies and interactive exercises to demonstrate practical applications of ESC in youth work.
Discussions and brainstorming sessions to explore potential projects and partnerships within the ESC framework.
Enhancing critical and self-reflective thinking:
Journaling and reflective writing exercises to encourage participants to critically analyze their own working procedures.
Guided reflection sessions and facilitated discussions to identify areas for improvement and develop action plans.
Peer feedback and group discussions to share insights and learn from each other's experiences.
Increasing cultural sensitivity and supporting integration:
Intercultural workshops and activities to promote understanding and empathy among participants.
Reflection sessions and discussions on the challenges and strategies for integrating foreign volunteers.
Collaborative projects and exchanges with youth activists from different countries to learn about their realities and experiences.
Acquiring knowledge about youth realities in different countries:
Guest speakers and presentations from youth activists sharing their insights and experiences from different countries.
Interactive workshops and discussions to explore youth issues and realities in various contexts.
Cross-cultural learning activities such as group projects and exchanges to gain firsthand knowledge of different youth realities.
Developing skills for effective dissemination and visibility measures:
Training sessions on effective communication strategies and storytelling techniques.
Hands-on practice in creating compelling content for different channels, such as social media and websites.
Peer feedback and group discussions to refine and improve participants' dissemination and visibility measures.
By the end of the course, participants were able to:
Conceptualize the approach of volunteering and apply it within the context of their work as a means to empower youth and facilitate change processes.
Effectively motivate, manage, and coach both international and local young volunteers.
Collaboratively set learning objectives and monitor outcomes with volunteers.
Develop strategies to foster the inclusion of young volunteers.
Successfully promote volunteering and active participation in their local communities.
Create their own checklists and procedures for the essential steps in volunteering projects.
Understand the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) and apply it practically, both as individuals and organizations.
Enhance critical and self-reflective thinking to evaluate and improve their own working procedures.
Increase cultural sensitivity by reflecting on the challenges of integrating foreign volunteers into their organizations and supporting their integration into new communities.
Acquire new knowledge about youth realities in different countries through exchanges with youth activists.
Develop skills for effective dissemination and visibility measures for their volunteering projects.
Learning outcomes related to the 8 key competences:
Participants enhanced their competences according to the YouthPass methodology, particularly in the following areas:
Digital competence: Acquired skills to effectively utilize online resources for youth work.
Learning to learn: Became aware of their learning processes and needs, identified opportunities, overcame obstacles, and assimilated new knowledge and skills.
Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology: Improved logical and spatial thinking, utilized knowledge and methodology to explain the world, identified questions, and drew evidence-based conclusions.
Social and Civic competence: Enhanced personal, interpersonal, and intercultural competences, enabling effective participation in social and working life, particularly in diverse societies, and resolving conflicts when necessary.
Communication in mother tongue and foreign languages: Improved communication skills through project preparation, implementation, and follow-up activities.
Sense of Initiative and Entrepreneurship: Developed the ability to turn ideas into action, fostered creativity, innovation, and risk-taking skills, and contributed to social or commercial activities.
Cultural awareness and expression: Gained competence in intercultural learning through working in a multicultural environment and preparing for intercultural experiences.
Transnational cooperation: Expanded their ability to work on a transnational level and benefited from the international youth work network and opportunities for their target group.
Additionally, the training course provided participants with new contacts in other countries, enabling them to work on a transnational level and benefit from the international youth work network for their own target group.
I was responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating training programs for youth workers. I worked collaboratively with other trainer to develop training materials, design training sessions, and deliver content to participants. Also to facilitate group discussions and activities, provide feedback, and evaluate the effectiveness of the training program.
As a full-time trainer, my role involved working closely with other trainer to ensure that the training course meets the needs of the youth workers and achieves the desired learning outcomes. I was responsible for developing and delivering training sessions that were engaging, informative, and practical, and that helped participants to develop their professional and personal skills. Additionally, I contributed to the evaluation of the training program to ensure that it is effective and meets the needs of the youth workers.