TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Alenka Oblak
The general aim was to create space to support ongoing quality and inspiration of EVS through exchanging, reconnecting with colleagues and framework, and to celebrate and look in the history and the future of EVS. There were no further objectives developed.
Since the start of the new Erasmus + program there had not been any meeting of EVS officers specific. In the Youth in Action program that was an event which was organised regularly in order to have exchange of information, good practices and development of suggestions to stimulate improvements on the practice and content of the programme. In 2016 European Voluntary Service celebrated its 20th anniversary which made it a good occasion to take the initiative to organize the meeting again.
The group of participants existed out of the officers of almost all National Agency’s of the Erasmus + programme (Youth in Action), and the SALTO resource centres (Eastern Europe and Caucasus, South East Europe and EuroMed). In total there were 42 participants and one representative of the European Commission.
The event was based on non-formal approach, having in mind that the participants are colleagues that want to do a step further together. Methods used were facilitation methods: gallery, biographical methods, creative game and carousel, open space, world café, sharing practices, small groups discussion, graphic facilitation, presentation, individual and group reflection, celebration, living library with various stakeholders in EVS, creating next steps and recommendations, etc.
Participants shared their realities on several burning topics, identified some possible steps for that, fostered the feeling of belonging to something important and of being connected to each other.
They also prepared recommendations for Programme Guide and various stakeholders: European Commission, NA bosses, EVS organisations, trainers and accreditors.
With my colleague facilitator we developed the programme together with the organisers. The two of us implemented it, adapted it, and prepared evaluation. There were two facilitators on a job-shadowing and we supported their learning process to do a step further (supported their preparation for the sessions they were ready to take over, coached them for some specific tasks, discuss the process and adaptations during implementation, shared feedback to each other).