TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Mara Arvai
The overall aim of the training course was to gain deeper knowledge onEuropean Youth Strategy as main direction of youth work between 2019 and 2027 in local and European level. Experienced youth workers, trainers and project managers shared their point of views, experiences and practices concerning the Strategy and its objectives and youth goals. Inventing tools and projects based on the needs of their target groups along the Strategy.
Learning objectives of the training course were:
- To raise understanding on the objectives of new European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting and Empowering young people”;
- To foster understanding of its main objectives as engaging, connecting and empowering young people and its youth goals such as 1. Connecting EU with youth; 2. Equality of all genders; 3. Inclusive societies; 4. Information and constructive dialogue; 5. Mental health and wellbeing; 6. Moving rural youth forward; 7. Quality employment for all; 8. Quality learning; 9. Space and participation for all; 10. Sustainable green Europe; 11. Youth organisations and European programmes.
- To exchange experiences and good practice on local and international youth activities based on the objectives and youth goals of the Strategy then to discover and explore its challenges.
- To prepare a recommendation on possible tools and projects in order to put the Strategy into practice.
Target group was 24 youth workers, trainers, project managers directly working with young people, having experience of working with different European youth projects as Erasmus+ programme from Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain. The training was financed by the Italian NA of Erasmus+ Programme in the field of Youth.
The training course was based on methodology of non – formal education. As our participants were experts on the youth work field and working with different European youth projects e.g. Erasmus+ programme and European Solidarity Corps, we used absolutely participative methods as Open Space Methodology, workshops run by participants, presentations of good practices, project development, etc. Preparation phase included: Prepare presentations of their represented organisations; Collect photos and movies from successful projects of their represented organisations;
Implementation phase: trainers provided active, creative and participatory methods based on the methodology of non-formal education to participants during the training course therefore made them creative and active, support them in sharing and exploring new and old topics. Participants shared experiences and practice critical thinking concerning the Strategy. Participants invented new local and European youth projects based on the Strategy. Evaluation phase: Participants made an ongoing self-assessment process concerning their learning outcomes during the whole project.
Tangible results of the training:
E-Recommendation Booklet on non-formal learning tools, methods and projects in order to put new European Youth Strategy “Engaging, Connecting, Empowering young people” and its Youth Goals into local youth work practice.
Inventing 12 new youth exchanges on promoting and achieving the Youth Goals of the new European Youth Strategy according to the proposals of Erasmus + programme – our participants got and will get full support from represented organisations to write a project and apply or being a partner in common youth exchanges in the close future.
Having a cooperation agreement among represented organisations – based on the outcomes of this experience, we made a new cooperation agreement among the leaders of represented organisations and set up common aims and values, what we would like to achieve in the next years and how we would like to make it.
The training achieved a high impact on multiple levels:
- Directly on participants, by providing them with knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary in exploring, understanding, implementing and achieving the new European Youth Strategy and its Youth Goals based on the needs of disadvantaged young people in local and European level. Their competences were improved based on their needs such as
Knowledge: 24 participants got acquainted with the general overview of the new European Youth Strategy and its history and youth goals through information, emotions, project management, theory and practice. Participants learnt more on the represented organisations and represented their own organisation in European context. Participants learnt more from the local youth NGOs and their work and explore how they could adapt the Youth Goals into their local youth work activities. Participants understood each Youth Goal and explored what type of non-formal learning methods and tools are needed in order to achieve its aims and put them into youth work practice locally and international level. Participants shared their experiences regarding to Erasmus+ programme especially KA1 Mobility project for young people and youth workers and explore how Youth Goals can be achieved through these project.
Skills: Participants invented non-formal learning methods and tools in order to put each Youth Goal into local and international youth work practice based on the needs of their young people. They invented youth exchanges, youth workers’ mobilities, strategic partnership projects, volunteering projects and solidarity projects in order to support young people along with Youth Goals of the European Youth Strategy.
Attitude: They became more optimistic regarding to the implementation of the Youth Goals of the European Youth Strategy. Being positive and motivated to put Youth Goals into local and international youth work practice based on the needs of their target groups. Being motivated to support young people to be active in Erasmus+ programme and European Solidarity Corps in order to fulfil the Youth Goals of European Youth Strategy. They appreciated the rich cultural context of Europe and explore the similarities and differences among the European countries.
Directly on partner organisations, by increasing their capacity to organise projects to achieve the Youth Goals of the new European Youth Strategy, as well as in using the Erasmus+ Programme and European Solidarity Corps as a funding support sources.
- On Studio Progetto, by gaining knowledge about youth work realities in countries and cultures of partner countries - learning more about their realities helped us to better assist them in our line of work.
- On local young people in the local communities of partner organisations, as we advertised the project with a view to encourage local youth to use European mobility programme opportunities.
The project had a strong multiplying effect as it was designed specifically in order to train participants in organising European youth work projects, and particularly – new Erasmus+ projects based on the Youth Goals of European Youth Strategy.
I was involved to the preparation phase to provide digial support for participants. With my trainer colleagues, I created the programme flow of the training and based on the knowledge and competence baseline of participants I prepared, implemented and evaluated non-formal learning methods in order to support their learning process during the different sessions. My responsibility was to provide self-assessment tools for recognising the learning outcomes of participants as I am member of the Youthpass Advisory Group of the European Commission.