Spela Gorjan

Educational pathway

I have finished Art and Photography secondary school and than decided to study Youth Work at University of Social Work. Since high school I have been involved in youth NGOs and attended several non formal educational programs throughout the years. I started my journey as a young person, attending youth programs, continued as a volunteer, then studied social work - specialized in youth work and decided to stay in the NGO field for good. After taking part in several national and international trainings, I decided to give it a try as well.

since 2000 I have been guiding several workshops with youth in almost every high school in our country. Same goes with Social Skills trainings that I have been actively co-creating . I have guided several Assertiveness trainings for young adults and worked as a counsellor in our counselling office for youth in need. Internationally I have guided 5 youth exchanges, both sending and organizing.

Since 2016 I am an active member of Slovenian NA's Trainers Pool, I have attended and finished ToT for Balkan in 2023.

Since 2005 I have participated in more than 20 international training courses, connected to youth work topics:

2023: ToT - Training of Trainers - completed 4-month training for trainers in the field of non-formal education in international environments, organized by Salto South-East Europe and NA Movit, Online and residential in Slovenia
2023: "Management for the sustainability of organizations", training for mentors of NGO leaders, organized by CNVOS, Slovenia
2018: "Graphic Harvesting Trainers Skills Workshop", Ireland
2017: "Humor Matters!", TC for youth workers, Spain
2017: "Visions for Youth Work", TC for youth workers, Greece
2016: Training for trainers: "U-turn: learning journey for trainers in the youth field", Estonia
2016: "Include ME", Stakeholder meeting and Study visit on the topic of preventing early school leaving among young people, Brussels
2016: "Share the Right Story", TC for youth workers in Czechia
2016: Training on teamwork and improvisation techniques in working with young people, Slovenia
2015: International training for youth workers on the use of humor in youth work entitled "HA HA is A-HA 2/3", Norway
2015: Training on Positive Discipline and NLP, conducted by Janij Prgić, Slovenia
2014: International training for youth workers on the use of humor in youth work entitled "HA HA is A-HA 1/3" Finland
2014: Training: "A good leader. Development and upgrade of basic leadership skills", Slovenia
2013: "Unique Learning Badges" TC in Lithuania
2013: Training on "Street work with young people", Slovenia
2012: International training for youth workers entitled: "UNIQUE Year of Learning: Youth on the MOVE!", Lithuania
2012: International training for youth workers entitled: "Youth inn. You(th) better learn here" in Lithuania
2011: "I see you - EMOTIONS", L2L how to develop creative emotional and stress management skills in non-formal education; Áskorun ehf / The Challenge ltd, Iceland
2011: "Screw up and stay happy" TC for youth workers in Finland
2011: "L2L how to develop emotional and stress management skills", TC for youth workers, Spain
2010: participation in a two-day seminar on Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
2010: Faculty of Social Work, university post-qualification, topic: Volunteer work in an NGO
2009: Passed national professional exam in the field of social welfare,
2009: "Youth leader" TC for youth workers in Luxembourg
2009: participation in training on "Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and work with young people", Slovenia
2006: "Dealing with diversity", TC for youth workers in the Netherlands
2006: "Connecting Communities ... Playfully!", international congress, Slovenia
2005: "Youth vs. drugs", TC for youth workers, Slovenia

After gaining several formal and non formal experience, my path slowly guided me in the trainers roles, where I started gaining more and more international experience:

2023: trainer at the training for youth workers in the E+ program: "ImproWise Your Life", (connection of techniques and philosophy of improvisational theater and soft skills as tools for a better quality of mental health), Hungary;
2022, 2023: conducting pre-departure and post-arrival workshops with young people who have received tickets to travel around the EU as part of the DiscoverEU programme.
2022: trainer at the training for youth workers in the E+ program: "Social Games TC", Finland
2022: trainer at training for youth workers in the E+ program: "Lifelong Playing", Brežice, Slovenia
2021: trainer at the training for youth workers in the E+ program: "Power of Play", France
2019: Zveza Sožitje; co-designing and implementing a strategy for volunteers in lifelong learning programs, for working with people with special needs;
2018 - today: Guiding graphic recording, graphic harvesting and graphic facilitation workshops for different clients.
2017: trainer at the training for youth workers in the E+ program: "ImproWise Your Enterprise" (main topics: entrepreneurship in NGOs and the use of improvisational theater techniques in youth work);
2017: trainer and graphic harvester at training for youth workers in the E+ program entitled: "Share the Right Story" in Slovenia.
2017 - today: Graphic harvesting/graphic recording/graphic facilitation of different events, trainings, workshops, etc.
2015: organization and management of international training for youth workers within the framework of the MvA program on the use of humor in youth work "HA HA is A-HA TC 3/3" in Slovenia
2013: conducting an international seminar for heads of non-governmental organizations and developing entrepreneurship in NGOs for heads of non-governmental organizations from 13 European countries: "Economic Self-sustainability of the NGOs in the Youth Field", Slovenia
2011: trainer and manager of the international training "Everybody speaks teamwork" in Slovenia

I have years of experience with creating communities, running an NGO and working with volunteers (mentoring). I have extended experience in working with youth among 15 and 30 years of age, juvenile delinquents, adult persons with mental health and/or physical disabilities, groups, volunteers, youth workers on national and international level, public and private sector clients ...

Nowadays I'm a trainer, a youth-worker, a graphic recorder and an enthusiastic surfer on fun, engaging, non-formal and experiential ways of supporting learning.