TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Julia Motta
During this training course, social workers from different organisations in five countries were to be trained about concepts and methods of international youth work. Also we aimed at them developing ideas for international projects for youth with fewer opportunities and to continue building their network.
Social workers from organisations working with youth with fewer opportunities were the target group of this activity. The foundation "Dr. Georg Haar" has organised a partner contact seminar two years previous to this training course at which organisations from Finland, Romania, Poland, France and Germany took part. One of the results of this first networking was to organise a training course about how to prepare, organise and undertake international youth activities.
The training course offered a mix of non-formal learning methods in order to let participants get an idea of the design of youth exchanges too. We worked with non-formal methods in the phases of getting to know each other, but also when it came to developing ideas for common projects. During the course we also worked with little "inputs" to put forward some topics (about international team work, the concept of culture, group dynamics etc.) and with discussions and small group work. Another element was "adventure pedagogic" to introduce this tool especially for the work with so-called "disadvantaged" youngsters.
The participants got a good overview about how to plan, organize and realise international youth exchanges. Also common projects were thought of, of which a reasonable number has been realised in the following years.
Another training course was undertaken a couple of years after.
I was part of the trainer-team, preparing and planning the programme, and facilitating the training course from the arrival of participants until their departure.