"Leading our way - Self development through self directed learning for yourself and your community"

Aims & objectives

The topic was dealt with using self directed learning (SDL), which enables participants to take responsibility for their learning process. Participants decide what, when and how they want to learn and develop themselves. The process started 1 ½ months before the workshop on an online platform (leadingourway.ning.com) and the program was co-created with the facilitators and based on and constantly adapted to the needs of participants. Connecting self development to self directed learning allows participants to take a proactive role in their life to become a self responsible life long learner.
Topics of the workshop included: Connecting to myself and others, coping with difficult situations, Council as a community building practice, consensus as a group decision making process, creating a community mission and transferring the learning of the participants to their local communities.
Meditation, singing, drumming, painting, drawing and dancing were also important activities that ensured a holistic learning experience

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

PARTICIPANTS: 19 people from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Malta, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic

PROFILE of the Target group: This workshop was meant for adult learners that are interested in taking a proactive role in their lifes and their learning process and want to develop themselves further. Participants should want to share the outcomes of the training course with their communities and other people interested around Europe.

TEAM: Team:
Dagna Gmitrowicz (Poland)
Anna Wohlesser (Austria)
Tomasz Lubotzki (Poland)

Training methods used & main activities

The workshop was based on self directed learning and the needs of participants regarding their self development and the development of the group and the development of the communities. It puts participants at the core of the workshop and recognizes them as active agents who are capable of organizing their own learning. Therefore the programme was co-created with participants and based on their needs. This means that every part of the programme (morning and afternoon sessions) were planned in the team of facilitators in the process. Faciltiators were working in pairs with always one person observing and supervising the process, team meetings were held in the evening and during the lunch break to adjust the content of the programm and support the process of the group and the individuals.

The programme was the result of our common
journey and we all had the responsibility for it. It
start to develop during the online preparation process and continued during the course.
Here are some directions of the methodology:

 Exploring different dimensions of Self (Body, Mind and Spirit)
 Discovering what is alive in me/us and communicate this to others
 Values in life and their meaning for myself/ourselves and my/our community/ties
 Being present in the here and now
 Strengthening awareness of community
 Communicating in language which is connecting me, us and life
 Referring to the energy of nature
 Inviting/adapting my/our ways

Outcomes of the activity

Participants became more aware of their learning needs and how to formulate them and act upon them. Furthermore they understood how they deal with difficult situations, how to connect to themselves and others and how to take decisions in a community.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Full-time trainer

I worked on this training for 5 days as a full time trainer.