TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ilona Olehlova
The training course "We All Are on the Way" was developed with goal to reach following objectives:
in the case of the non-government organizations:
• to increase ability of non-governmental organization to use intercultural learning techniques, to work with minorities and to empower young people;
• to create and develop new strategies for work with minorities and youth empowerment;
• to educate non-governmental organization about phenomenon of migration and globalization in the way to increase their ability to deal with these challenges;
• to develop projects under YiA programme and support future cooperation on European field.
-In the case of the participants:
•to develop participants’ intercultural competencies and skills which are more than important for the work in non-government sector, for the work with minorities and which are part of the life learning process – communication skills, team building skills, problem solving skills, critical thinking;
• to building up confidence of the participants, because building up confidence is a cornerstone of intercultural learning in order to achieve the openness necessary for mutual process.
• to encourage the participants to experience their identity, because the departure point of ICL is our own culture which means, our own background and experience. It is in our roots where we encounter the obstacles and chances of the leaning process. Trying to understand ourselves, our own identity, is a prerequisite to encounter others.
• to develop participants ability of using creative thinking and creative working methods in way to empower youth and support civic engagement of young people in their communities;
• to develop participants’ ability to create and lead projects on European field as well as in their communities.
The target group of the training course were youth workers, leaders coming from Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia. Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland, Montenegro, Slovenia and Czech Republic.
Training course We all are on the way was based mainly on intercultural learning techniques and methods and by this training course we were trying to promote intercultural learning and encourage the participants to use the methods and techniques of intercultural learning in their work with young people of different cultures, religions or ethnicities minorities.
The common sign of working methods of this TC was non-formal approach. For providing theoretical background we were using lectures, case based presentation, and interactive lectures, for supporting of learning process we used discussions as in team as in small groups, self-assessments forms, exercises of creative thinking, role – plays or group work. For supporting open, team discussion was used for example techniques of brainstorming and collective texts. For improving communication skills we used simulations and different kind of feedback methods.
The training course contribute to develop participants’ intercultural competencies and skills which are more than important for the work in non-government sector, for the work with minorities and which are part of the life learning process – communication skills, team building skills, problem solving skills, critical thinking;
• to build the confidence of the participants, because building up confidence is a cornerstone of intercultural learning in order to achieve the openness necessary for mutual process.
• to encourage the participants to experience their identity, because the departure point of ICL is our own culture which means, our own background and experience.
• to develop participants ability of using creative thinking and creative working methods in way to empower youth and support civic engagement of young people in their communities;
• to develop participants’ ability to create and lead projects on European field as well as in their communities.
As trainer I was directly responsible for leading several training sessions tackling the issues of communication and conflict in intercultural environment including sessions focused on conflict managemetn, discrimination among young people - its sources and ways how to deal with it.