YMCA Leadership Academy 2024 is an International Training course to strengthen young leaders’ skills in the sphere of non-formal education: “Youth Educates: strengthening the capacity of youth civil society organisations to run non-formal education activities” co-funded by European Youth Foundation.
“It has been a before and after in my personal and professional life, I feel way more confident and I feel that I can control my emotions on a best way”
The second session of the YMCA Leadership Academy training programme was held from 28th October to 3rd November 2024 in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Learn more about the first session held in Slovakia, earlier this year.
Aim of the project: Raise the quality of youth work by strengthening the capacity of youth civil society organisations to organise non-formal education activities
Objectives of the project:
- Equipping young leaders with the necessary skill set to plan, deliver, and evaluate non-formal education activities;
- Promoting the competencies framework described in the Council of Europe Youth Work Portfolio;
- Involving youth from marginalised communities in activities of non-formal education promoting intercultural learning, equity, inclusion, peace and diversity.
25 participants from 15 countries gathered for five full days to develop their skills on non-formal education as trainers and youth workers operating in diverse intercultural contexts.
“The experience not only taught me about leadership but also showed me the importance of empathy, trust, and adaptability. I am leaving with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose, ready to apply what I’ve learned in future opportunities.”
All participants have designed and implemented the educational activities after the first International Training in spring.
On the first day after warming up, setting personal learning objectives, joint agreements and teambuilding, the participants presented the results of the implemented activities. It was critical to reflect on successes and challenges, and outline key learnings. Every day the evening sessions were devoted to exercises exchange. The first evening aimed to analyse the criteria and best practices for “getting to know each other” games.
“The YMCA Leadership Academy has not only sharpened my decision-making skills but also enhanced my ability to connect with and motivate individuals in a team setting. It has inspired me to lead with confidence, authenticity, and a focus on continuous improvement, making me more prepared for the challenges ahead.”
The second day continued with presentations on educational activities and then with the session on critical competences of trainers according to the European Training Strategy of Youth in Action. After studying the essence of the competences, each person went to individual reflection on the level of development of every sphere, building a personal roadmap for further growth as professionals.
Then the group continued with recalling previous topics and theoretical materials. The young people collected the puzzle with topics of previous International Training, and recalled what was happening each session. Then the small teams ran for Treasure Hunt, refreshing the critical theoretical material through practical exercises and tasks.
The day continued with Interactive methods of education, when the participants were bargaining with cards, searching for definitions of the key methods. The group received knowledge on the notion of interactivity and enriched their toolkits for methodology. The day finished with reflection groups and exchange of team-building exercises.
“I got a bigger understanding for the differences we as people have, but also our similarities. My will to continue as a trainer also improved and I have already gotten so many ideas and future plans.”
The third day was remarkable by several elements. The first session was devoted to the art of giving instructions when the educators realised the importance of clear instructions, communicating messages at trainings and all spheres of life. The next session let the participants discuss the principles of working in a pair and a team while preparing and running educational events. Participants acted out the situations and searched for the best ways of solution.
After lunch the group headed to Brussels, explored YMCA Europe’s office and met with the President of the Board of the European Youth Forum Rares Voicu. It was a highlight to understand what the alliance is doing, which issues they approach and by which ways.
The participants were involved in conversations about the age and voting rights and then visited the office of the association. The day finished with tasting of the traditional national food of Belgium.
“The Leadership Academy was not only a great experience but it was also a time of reflection and growth when it comes to facilitating a session. During each session I felt there was a take away which I could add into my own work.”
Day number four started with deep discussions on the notion of “culture”, its layers, and meanings. The participants practiced communicating with people of “different cultures” and then reflected individually on their own “cultural lenses”, developing one of the key competences of educators: perceive, be curious and accept various cultures without stereotypes and judgements. Then the young leaders dived deep into the topic of motivation and resistance, studying specific cases and elaborating the best approaches on how to deal with “difficult” participants.
It was important for the group to discuss the aspect of management of educational events, so we organised “spin the wheel” exercise, suggesting various unexpected situations which might appear during organising the logistics. Two sessions on exercises’ exchanges ended the day: “maintaining the energy of participants” and “trust building” ones.
“For me the cultural exchange was especially enriching, I gained so much from both the training and informal interactions with participants. In a safe, supportive space, we created an ideal environment for learning. ”
Day number five started with the topic of online educational events, where the participants discussed pros and cons, best tools for education online, methods on how to make education interactive. The method “World Cafe” has let the participants discuss each subtopic thoroughly. After it the group emerged in studying monitoring and evaluation of educational activities, and outlined various examples of tools to evaluate the educational events.
The last half of the day was devoted to finalising the training course, outlining key learning and how they led participants to the set learning objectives. Each individual wrote a postcard to themselves, describing what steps they need to do so to achieve bigger goals in the career of educators.
The group reflected which short term objectives were fulfilled, which not and which mid-term and long-term ones stayed. The Planning team helped the group to recall all the topics through the metaphor of “the journey by train”.
The training ended with the possibility to highlight people who influenced their training journey and development, voice gratitudes and share what Leadership Academy meant for their own growth in the joint final circle.
“The deep connections with people of shared values and mission, I believe, would be lifelong and even more motivational for each other to grow professionally and personally. This experience indeed made me more open-minded, empathetic and action oriented, since these connections and our meetings show how small the world is, and what opportunities individuals can have in case of having the required skills and commitment to the betterment of the society”
The Planning Team of YMCA Leadership Academy 2024 wishes every participant to have a Beautiful and Meaningful Journey!
Check out the full photo album.
A project co-funded by European Youth Foundation
