EUROPEER TRAINING COURSE

The training activity took place

in Konstancin, Poland

organised by Polish National Agency of Erasmus+ Youth

26-30/10/2014

Aims & objectives

During this four-day international training course participants learn:
 How to reflect on their own learning outcomes.
 How to share their European experience effectively with their peers, also in innovative way.
 How to organise different types of EuroPeer events.
 How European programmes and initiatives open the possibilities for young people to get involved.
 How to network with each other after the course.
 How to reach different target groups with information about European Mobility Programmes.
 How to use different audio-visual methods as a non-formal education tools.

It is a great opportunity for them to start planning their first own event and to create their own networks, too! For all that they need to be trained in:
 Basic information on Europe
 Awareness of learning
 Project management
 Charing and presentation techniques
 PR activities
 Mobility programmes in Europe
 Youth participation and opportunities to participate in Europe
 Teaching others about Europe
 Developing their own project ideas
 Working in an international environment

The sessions cover the various aspects that are relevant to EuroPeers when they organise and hold their own events.

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

The team of trainers was composed out of 3 trainers: 2 from Poland and one from Germany.

Participants were young people who have already taken part in the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme, so in a European Voluntary Service, youth exchange or they realized a (transnational) youth initiative. They gained lots of experiences and got to know Europe from an exciting perspective. They are interested in staying involved and sharing their experiences with others and can imagine telling other young people about their European experiences and encouraging them to try.

In our training took part twenty participants from eight countries:

Training methods used & main activities

PART 01 Introduction
PART 02 EuroPeers
PART 03 Motivations
PART 04 Active in Europe
PART 05 Transcultural perspectives on Youth
PART 06 EuroPeer Tool Market
PART 07 Project Management in youth projects
PART 08 Open Space: My first EuroPeer project
PART 09 Networking & Support
PART 10 Reflections
PART 11 Youthpass
PART 12 Evaluations

Outcomes of the activity

The training activity achieves to train young people to be EuroPeers in future. Participants have already experienced that Europe is not necessarily a matter of acquiring dry knowledge. Within the training course they get an idea and tools how to share their experiences with others, how to motivate peers to take part in the creation of Europe, how to demonstrate how rewarding active European citizenship can be.

Participants learn how to organise their own events and projects in formal and non-formal education institutions like schools, youth clubs, youth information centres, or even in public space, in order to meet and contact their peers and share their European experiences with them. They become more skilful in planning and preparing a project, making a budget for a project, communicating their European message, debriefing and evaluating a project. They also learn cooperating with others such as getting to know each other in a group, sharing experiences and getting feedback from others. They get more knowledge about mobility and participation opportunities for young people and the EuroPeer network in general: communication tools, possible partners, annual meetings, best practice projects, etc.

Participants learn a lot about themselves, for instance being self-confident to enter learning processes with others, knowing their own learning preferences, having an ability for self-awareness and assessment or giving and accepting feedback, but also a lot about group climate like developing a feeling for the group atmosphere or motivating a group of people.

As EuroPeers they stay in touch with people who have been through very similar things as them and can continue to feel part of a young European network. If that wouldn‘t be possible, all the experiences they gather while abroad or involved in a youth initiative or youth exchange may be forgotten in the general confusion of daily life. They can join regional groups, get involved in joint projects and communicate with other EuroPeers. To promote this exchange, there are annual meetings, too, where besides training sessions, there’s a plenty of time to sit down with other EuroPeers and develop creative new projects.

Besides self-organised events, various institutions are also approaching EuroPeers to come and hold a talk or presentation. Clubs, schools, career counselling centres and other institutions planning a European-themed event can request a EuroPeer to come and hold a talk or presentation.
Being a EuroPeer is entirely voluntary on principle, but of course volunteering has some valuable benefits. For instance, EuroPeers maintain a strong link with Europe. And they are part of a long-term process that allows them to acquire precious personal and professional skills for the future.

Each participant gets the Youthpass. Youthpass is the instrument for validation of non-formal learning experiences acquired by young people through participation in the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme, thus it provides a real added value for young people at the European level. It functions also as a bridge between the youth field and Education and Training because it already now makes full use of the Key Competences framework.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I was part of the team responsible for designing and implementation the whole TC. I was leading the session, debrieffing and evaluation of the day both on my own and as a co-trainer. I wrote some parts of the report and I was involved in the follow-up (skype meetings) with the participants.