TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Aleksandra Szmurlik-Dominguez
THE AIM OF THE TRAINING COURSE
developing the creative competencies of 24
European youth workers to equip them with the tools to
enhance the employability of the youth they serve.
THE OBJECTIVES
1. Increasing the knowledge of the participants as to what
creativity is, who is creative, and how to unleash
their creative potential by learning the elements of
creativity, creative competencies sought after by employers,
and using creativity and innovation for employability.
2. Developing skills of the participants to overcome fear,
embrace creativity, unblock their creative potential for
professional development, and formulate goals for their
professional futures.
3. Increasing the awareness of the participants on the
importance of creativity for professional futures and
employability, and recognizing that creativity is more than
just using the arts.
PROFILE OF PARTICIPANT
aged 18 +,
with an intermediate English level to engage fully in
discussions and activities,
actively engaged in the field of youth work and currently
working with young people,
able to attend all working days and sessions (sometimes
more than 8 hours a day),
motivated and interested in the topic of the TC,
motivated and willing to implement dissemination
activities and share with others through workshops back
home what you learned in the TC,
with a positive attitude and motivation to cooperate in
international teams and learn from and with the
participants.
Experiential learning: The training was designed around experiential learning principles, with participants actively engaging in hands-on activities to develop their skills.
Creative problem-solving workshops: Participants learned and practiced different methods for creative problem solving, including the Debono, Double Diamond, and Walt Disney methods.
International Business Simulation: This activity connected creative problem-solving to professional job market skills.
LOESJE Creative Writing Method: Participants used this technique to create slogans promoting creativity for employability.
Self-reflection and evaluation: The training incorporated Youthpass as a self-reflection and self-evaluation tool for participants to assess their learning process throughout the project.
Interactive workshops: Sessions on topics like "Youthpass & 8 key competencies" were conducted to help participants understand the competencies they could develop during the training.
Field visits: Participants visited local professionals and entrepreneurs to gain real-life examples of how creativity is used in daily work.
Intercultural nights: These events promoted cultural exchange and learning among participants from different countries.
Group cohesion activities: The training included exercises aimed at developing trust and creating a safe environment for participants.
The training aimed to:
Develop creativity and innovation competencies in youth workers
Provide youth workers with new methods and tools to use in their daily work with young people
Enhance employability skills for youth
Promote non-formal education methods
To evaluate the success of the training, the organizers implemented several assessment strategies:
Daily reflection sessions for participants to reflect on their learning
Mid-term and final evaluations using non-formal methods like a "closing circle"
Written evaluation forms at the end of the project addressing various aspects of the training
Follow-up questionnaires sent to participants 1 and 2 months after the training to assess long-term impact
Use of Youthpass as a self-reflection and self-evaluation tool
Evaluation meetings among partner organizations to discuss cooperation and project outcomes
Assessment of dissemination activities and their reach
The success of the training can be measured through:
Participant feedback on knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained
Implementation of new methods by youth workers in their organizations
Reach and engagement of dissemination activities (e.g., social media posts, local presentations)
Number of people reached through dissemination (each partner aimed to reach at least 70 people)
Long-term changes reported by participants in follow-up questionnaires
Publications or websites documenting the training:
A manual guide compiling creative methods created and used by participants, to be shared on partner websites, social media, and the Salto Youth website
Blog posts and website updates on partner organizations' websites
Social media posts using hashtags #DesignTheLiveYouLove and #DIYLIFE
Videos and audio content posted on partner NGO Facebook pages and YouTube channels
I was one of the main trainer and co-writer of the training.