Towards new frames of Youth work in Europe

Aims & objectives

An action 5.9. project organised by myself for my association Oelalaa in February 2006.
My role was coordinator and trainer
This was the second part of a series of trainings with as main objective to bridge Formal and non-Formal education. So it is a partnership between from the participating countries one association (NFE) and one university (FE). It consists in a one week non formal education training for last year students in (depending on the country) animators, social workers, educators, social animators. The training itself is organised by the associations and the teachers are actively involved in it and present during the course.
Aims & Objectives:
Toward participants:
-To enlarge the competences of future youth workers to intercultural and European context
-To make them understand the European context of their work
-To open their future daily work toward intercultural and European dimension
-To train on intercultural learning, international team work and on European youth programs
-To create links between future youth workers of different countries
-To improve youth initiatives and youth involvement from local to European level
-To show the relevance of the direct articulation between local, intercultural and international dimension
Toward organisations and institutions in partner countries:
-To bring European context, intercultural learning, in structures educating youth workers in the partners countries
-To create bridges between formal and non-formal education in youth work (integrating gaining competencies by the becoming youth workers at universities, schools, private structures/NGOs, adequately to realities in each of the countries)
-To create good conditions for future networking and partnerships between structures educating youth workers in the partners countries
-In a long term perspectives – to open this network to other countries.

Main topics : Non formal education, Intercultural learning, Europe and European possibilities and realities in youth work in Europe (comparing the formal educations and realities of the participants)
In 2007 as of result if the previous work done, the universities have intergrated this training in the curriculum and they have taken the responsibilities of the practical organisation, the educational part is being organised in partnership with the associations. And for 2008 we are planning to expand the partnership with Turkey.
The main methods that were used during the training were based on non-formal education approach, meaning:
-Starting from the realities of the participants and their countries
-Based on interactivity, promoting active participation of everybody
-Based on research-action approach (links between theory and practice)
-Based on a diversity of methods (games, activities, debates…)
-Based on a diversity of group dynamic tools mixing individual reflection, small and big group work

Team composed by Denis Morel (Fr), Marta Medlinska (Pl) , Anita Silva (Pt) and myself.

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

Denis Morel - France
Anita Silva - Portugal
Marta Medlinska - Poland
Pieter - Jan Uyttersprot

Training methods used & main activities

Th etraining was based on Non formal education methods

Outcomes of the activity

The main outcome of this activity (and the previous we also did in France) was that the partner universtities were convinced about the importance and relevance of the work doen for their students that they created an official partnership between them.
This resulted in already 5 Intensive programmes (Erasmus programme) and going on, and in most of the universities it is recognised by study credits

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Practical organisation
Financial organisation
Co-Developing the training
Part of the team
Giving sessions
Evaluating

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.