AIM & ONBJECTIVES:

This project aims to train youth workers who work with groups of young people to ensure the highest quality standard in organizing, implementing and evaluating workshop sessions with different groups by developing strong facilitation competences.. The training program is designed in the context of non-formal education methodology and offers an open and interactive learning platform for youth workers.

The specific objectives of the training course:

• To increase participants’ knowledge and understanding about group work and group dynamics

• To develop participants’ skills for facilitating group processes with special emphasis on verbal and non-verbal communication

• To explore different methodologies and concepts within non-formal education that can improve the quality of group work

• To offer participants a safe learning environment for trying out the tools and methods they learned by implementing small workshop sessions

• To increase participants’ awareness of providing and receiving constructive feedback as a very important learning tool

• To promote and support intercultural learning as core principle when working with groups of young people

• To present to the youth workers the different learning opportunities on European level that are offered by the Erasmus+

DESCRIPTION

The training course "YOUTHIFICATION of Group Facilitation 2018" organized by SUBKULT, is the third edition of the set of training courses for youth workers. The training course took place from 20th - 28th August 2018 in a small village Leysin on the Alps in Switzerland. There were 32 youth workers, representatives from 12 different partner organization from abroad, who are coming from 12 countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, N. Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom. There were also youth workers coming from Switzerland.

SUBKULT identified that the work with young people is mostly done in groups. Youth workers have a need to always improve their competences in managing youth groups in order to achieve their goals. We recognize the area of facilitation competences as a crucial element in youth work and that is why we would like to contribute into the development of these competences among youth workers from Europe.

Facilitation as a method has been incorporated by many youth organizations and groups as a tool which will enhance the integration, inclusion, involvement, participation and equality of all members of a community. Facilitation enables and empowers young people to carry out a task or perform an action. The facilitator does not perform the task, but uses certain skills in a process which allows the individuals/group reach their decision/ set their goal/learn a skill. Facilitation is a developmental educational method which encourages people to share ideas, resources, opinions and to think critically in order to identify needs and find effective ways of satisfying those needs.