Youth.Info: Peer-to-peer in Youth Information Work

The training activity took place

in Vilnius, Lithuania

organised by NGO Creativitas

2015 March 1-8th; June 24-28th

Aims & objectives

Objectives of the long-term training course project:
- to improve quality of youth information work and expand the variety of methods used to deliver youth information and counselling service
- to provide youth information workers with competences needed for motivating, organising, facilitating and mentoring peer to peer groups in youth information and counselling work
- to empower youngsters to recognise information needs of their peers and provide them with skills to implement different informing and counselling activities

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

Luxembourg, Portugal, Lithuania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia and Latvia

Training methods used & main activities

This project is highlighted through the main youth workers mobility activity – long-term training course which has been split into three main parts:
1. Training course (2-8 March 2015, Lithuania)
2. Practice period
3. Evaluation period (24-28 June 2015, Lithuania)

Both 1) youth information workers and 2) their volunteers/youth leaders came together and simultaneously discovered the potential of using peer to peer education from both perspectives.
Through experience participants discovered their roles and responsibilities in peer to peer process (simulation when Youth information workers directly practice with young people and vice versa)

Outcomes of the activity

After each event participants have been filling survey forms and considering learning outcomes these are the results. After the training course fully and almost fully reached have been these obejctives:
70 perc. - to improve quality of youth information work and expand the variety of methods used to deliver youth information and counseling service;
85 perc. - to provide youth information workers with competences needed for motivating, organizing, facilitating and mentoring peer-to-peer groups in youth information and counseling work;
85 perc. - to empower youngsters to recognize information needs of their peers and provide them with skills to implement different informing and counseling activities.
Overall satisfaction of expectations met was at 80 perc.
Evaluation meeting survey results, fully and almost fully reached have been these obejctives:
95 perc. to reflect and evaluate the practice period and methods of peer-to-peer in youth information work;
74 perc. to further develop competences for peer group facilitation and peer activity delivery;
90 perc. to reflect on personal development as peer educators and peer supporters.
95 perc. have felt that their expectations have been met.

The final outcomes turned into recommendations for peer-to-peer method implementation in youth information work.
https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/recommendations-for-peer-to-peer-in-youth-information-work-what-why-how.1699/

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I was responsible for facilitating the group and give training inputs as well as coordinating the practice period.