TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Katerina Chantzi
The Climate Leadership Journey is an extracurricular program aimed at empowering young changemakers to lead climate action initiatives by developing future-oriented skills and fostering a systems thinking approach. It addresses the need for specific skills to tackle complex climate challenges and nurtures leadership qualities in participants. By focusing on climate action and sustainability, the program aligns with the organization's goal of promoting sustainability and addressing climate change. Additionally, it creates a network of like-minded individuals and indirectly supports cleantech entrepreneurship by empowering participants to drive innovation in the climate sector.
The target group of the activity included last-year Bachelor students, Master students,PhD students and young professionals. Participants came from various countries, including Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands. Trainers involved in the activity represented nationalities such as Greece, Estonia, Germany, and the UK.
The training utilized a variety of non-formal learning methods to engage participants actively and promote collaboration. Examples include:
Icebreakers and get-to-know-you activities to establish rapport among participants.
Self-awareness exercises to encourage personal reflection and understanding.
Group sharing sessions to foster openness and peer learning.
Creating spaces for experiential learning, allowing participants to learn through hands-on activities.
Accountability buddy system to facilitate connections and mutual support among participants.
"Sugar cubes" activity for appreciation and building emotional connections.
Reflection sessions to consolidate learning and encourage critical thinking.
These methods were carefully chosen to create a supportive and dynamic learning environment, promoting active participation and meaningful engagement among participants.
The training activity achieved significant success, with all 18 participants actively engaged and successfully completing the program's main assignments, including self-reflection, local projects, and group projects. The high retention rate until the end of the program and the follow-up call indicating that 85% of participants remained active in their field further demonstrate the program's effectiveness. This sustained engagement suggests that the training not only met its objectives but also had a lasting impact on participants, encouraging continued involvement in their areas of interest.
Furthermore, positive feedback received from participants further attested to the success of the training. Their satisfaction with the content, delivery, and outcomes of the sessions underscored the effectiveness of the training in achieving its objectives.
As a full-time trainer within the team, my role involved significant contributions to the design and facilitation of the learning activity. I collaborated closely with fellow trainers to conceptualize and structure the training program, ensuring that it effectively addressed the needs and objectives of the participants. Additionally, I played a crucial role in facilitating the training sessions, leveraging my expertise to guide participants through discussions, activities, and exercises to promote active engagement and meaningful learning outcomes.