TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Edgar Rodrigues
General objective: to promote the awareness of the whole of society, especially young people from rural areas and marginalized communities, to act as agents of change for sustainable environmental development, developing personal and social skills, through inclusive dynamics of non-formal, informal education and environmental.
We therefore intend to achieve a cohesive society focused on environmental promotion, using young people as agents of change.
Specific project objectives:
-Empowerment of young people for environmental promotion and protection;
-Encourage a significant and active participation of young people in the search and implementation of attitudes favorable to the promotion and protection of the environment;
-To train young people to: promote environmentally friendly attitudes in their various social spheres and for intercultural dialogue, tolerance and active participation in society;
-Reflect on issues of the impact of climate change in the sense of transforming attitudes;
-To bring young people together and overcome socio-geographical barriers, promoting intercultural dialogue and diversity, reducing and avoiding social isolation, promoting the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities;
- Ensure the decentralization of different activities carried out by young people, for young people and with young people, in order to
support their inclusion and benefit local communities;
-Develop a spirit of initiative and critical thinking in young people;
- Create a video by young people for young people to raise awareness of climate change and promote the environment.
- Develop digital education skills, with a special focus on environmental issues;
-Promote healthy lifestyles, promoting quality of life and contact with nature;
-Promote awareness, the development of social and personal skills and the sharing of values and good environmental and social practices for the active participation/role of young people in the preservation of forests and other environmental environments;
- Promote visibility and quality information regarding European youth programs;
- Promote the sharing of good practices and increase international partnerships between organizations;
- Promote cooperation between organizations and stakeholders to achieve a cohesive society focused on promoting and protecting the environment;
-Promote the motivation of participants and their organizations to develop new initiatives in the field of youth and Erasmus+.
Therefore, we consider it essential to act and change attitudes and nobody better than young people to lead this change.
Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Armenia and participants took part on this TC.
Participants with few opportunities aged between 18y and 30y
During the project, several activities were carried out using non-formal education:
- Brainstorming
- Small group work (Buzz groups)
- Digital group dynamics
- Plenary sessions / Aquarium
- Interactive debate and discussions
- Interactive or cooperative games
- Theater / Simulations (Role play)
- Between others
NFE tools are important to stimulate learning in participants. However, these were just support tools to allow awareness and training, so they should not be seen as an end in themselves, but should be associated with specific educational objectives. Here the participants were seen as genuine protagonists of processes in which they analyzed problems, took the lead and made decisions, as well as articulated proposals that generated action and change. In this way, youth technicians get involved in actions in a more creative and committed way and become active agents of change.
This project provide to the participants:
- Encouraging the development of initiatives and the creation of social responses to environmental issues, of social inclusion that are perfectly adjusted to the contexts of young people, especially those with fewer opportunities;
- Training of participants through the development of social and personal skills, through NFE, increasing and improving social and civic participation;
- Enlargement of the European dimension and visibility of the Erasmus+ Programme;
- Development of environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviors that are also inclusive;
- Raising awareness of respect, interculturality, tolerance and European dialogue;
- Knowledge of techniques and methods to be adopted during and after pandemic states;
- Raising awareness of European policies and practices in the field of youth;
- Adoption of attitudes in their day-to-day and in their social spheres that promote the environment;
- Development of a spirit of initiative;
- Greater ability of young people to intervene to promote environmental issues, social inclusion and diversity, based on the NFE;
- Knowledge and recognition of the NFE methodology as a promoter of inclusive learning processes.
- Empowerment of young people to achieve an ecological and environmentally friendly society;
Expected results and impacts for partner organizations:
- Development of communication and cooperation skills in a European context;
- Development of their self-empowerment;
- Ability to internationalize the initiatives generated, reinforcing cooperation with other organizations and promoting work of recognized quality;
- Greater capacity of organizations to intervene to promote environmental policies, social inclusion and diversity, based on the NFE;
- Development of project planning skills;
- Development of ecological strategies to be adopted in their organizations and spheres of work;
- Greater awareness of adopting ecological strategies in their environments and developing projects on the topic;
- Development and expansion of contact networks at European level;
- Development of experience in the implementation of youth projects to promote strategies aimed at the environment and which are inclusive;
In this TC I was the main facilitator, I led the activities and I was in charge of the logistical part as well.
I prepared the activity plan and carried out the activities during the youth mobility period
Edgar Rodrigues was a great facilitator, great leader!