TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ferah Şenaydın
The training course “RAISE YOUR VOICE ”, which took place from in Hatay ( TURKEY) aimed to provide space for capacity building of youth workers, youth leaders and municipality officers working with young migrants and youth with migrant backgrounds. The training also allowed for synergies between civil society organisations such as youth non-profit organisations and local authorities representatives.
In the context of this Project, In agreement with the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field and the Erasmus+ Programme priorities and putting into action the funding principles of the European Union and these two declaration, participants addressed and sought answers for questions like:
- How can partner institutions better respond to the need of young migrants?
- How can they better shape their initiatives to offer real scope for them to become actors and to take decisions, thusmconcretely encouraging their participation?
- Are they prepared for the possibility of young people changing the old script?
- Which support should come from civil society and youth workers to support both parties?
- Which actions are required by local authorities and NGOs to reduce socio-political disadvantages of migrant youth and young people with migrant backgrounds?
- Which competences and methods do local authorities and youth organizations need to better reach out to marginalised young people and preventing their violent radicalisation?
The project was held at international level with cooperation of 7 countries including Germany, Ukraine, Romania, Italy, Georgia, Finland and Turkey. Total 32 participants participated in the project.
This training course was based on non-formal pedagogy and worked through the principles of Kolb's Experiential Learning cycle and Dewey's reflective practice framework. It involved several non-formal activities such as debates, games, simulation, role-plays, poster presentations, and drama.
Overall the participants were involved in important discussions, which gave them tools to better engage and cooperate with young migrants and young people with migrant backgrounds within their organisation, youth councils, local authorities, while also integrating and empowering them.
The results of the Training Course were to improve the partner organizations' quality of work with migrant youth, and improve their capacity to manage and implement projects like this. It helped to enhance their skills to capacitate future youth leaders or youth workers in working with migrant youth increasing cooperation at international level among the partner organisations.
During the project, my role was a a trainer/facilitator and it involved chairing debates, designing activities, leading group discussions, providing feedback and scaffolding when needed, arranging group activities. I located myself as a facilitator during the training and worked on how to help participants reflect on their thought processes, critically evaluate their learning.