TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Charis Charalambous
This seminar, organized as part of the 3-year "i3 - Education for ideas, inventions and innovations for entrepreneurship" project - with funding by the EU (Interreg Balkan-Mediterranean program) - was the 4th in a series of 5 seminars that will take place during the project.
The overall objective of the i3 project is to develop and promote entrepreneurial learning and knowledge transfer through the education of young persons and entrepreneurs.
This particular seminar aimed at:
- Giving the participants the tools and knowledge in the Entrepreneurship and Energy sectors that would enable them to present - in small groups - an innovative idea as a viable business model.
- Allowing the exchange of ideas, innovations and good practices between the trainers and the participants and between the participants
- Offering the opportunity for networking between the participants
The overall aim of this seminar was to give the participants a meaningful and interactive experience through which they would absorb the necessary entrepreneurship skills and attitudes for the future
Forty-five participants aged 19 and above from the 5 partner countries of the program (Cyprus, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Republic of Northern Macedonia), together with 1-2 delegation coordinators from the partner countries, arrived in Larnaca on March 16th and engaged in the activities of the project from that day until the evening of March 19th.
All of the non-formal activities used (both previously used activities and activities created on the spot) were customized for the particular group, based on the profile of the participants, the time available and the settings (indoor and outdoor) of the training venue. Spaces in the conference room, the hotel's rooftop and the beach across the hotel were used.
- Getting to know each other activities: The participants were invited to bring with them an A4 page representing their background, their expectations from the seminar, their hobbies and something unique about them. They used this paper during the arrival day to introduce themselves to their country group. These profiles were then used to allow the participants to get to know each other regardless of country of origin.
- Energizing activities were used every morning and after coffee/lunch breaks to keep the participants activated.
- Team-building activities were used every day to break the ice, allow for interaction between the participants and the achievement of common goals. The team-building activities were labeled as "Mission Impossible", "Mission Is Possible" and "Mission Is It Possible?", which built suspense and excitement by the participants.
- Communication activities to build communication skills
- Daily evaluations and self-evaluations using written word, body movement and stickers
Based on the daily evaluation methods used (verbal and non-verbal) and the final written evaluation, the participants were overall satisfied to very satisfied with the training. With the excitement that was built every day due to the non-formal methods, the participants were seeking for even more such activities.
The seminar was documented here: https://www.facebook.com/i3Educationideas/
I was fully responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of the non-formal activities of the seminar and also participated in the evaluation of the formal activities and other characteristics of the seminar.