Through this international training the participants (from Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia and Romania) will learn coaching techniques, communication styles, emotional intelligence skills, learn and share examples of good coaching practice.
This event introduce a new working method – Coaching – which organizations can perfectly adjust and use in their own programs. Coaching is a new approach to non-formal learning, which offers high-quality information content, instructions for applying the information and personal guidance in reaching the pursued goal. The aim of this project is to train youth workers in using coaching as an intervention, education and development tool, in their daily work. As coaching is becoming a more and more popular and validated approach, we consider that understanding and mastering the correct, healthy and productive structure, concepts and tools of it is imperative. Coaching techniques are flexible and can serve various types of needs, thus they suit perfectly the diversity of problems our network of partners deals with: youth unemployment, ethnic minority groups- especially rroma communities, poor neighborhoods, socially un-adapted youth, youth coming from less opportunities areas. Coaching, is the perfect training alternative which equips learners with skills and tools they can fit to specific contexts. For example, developing emotional intelligence components, such as empathy, can be productive and can help break barriers both with youth with socio-economical difficulties and with youth dealing with gender issues or other type of challenges.
Profile of participants: youth workers, leaders active working closely with youth, youth with less opportunities.
The program is designed in two parts:
- theoretical sessions which aim at establishing conceptual frameworks, offer new working models and styles, teach the use of new tools and techniques;
- practice sessions using non-formal education tools which combine exercises, role-plays, simulations, intercultural learning and outdoor activities.
Methods used: coaching, experiential learning, playing to learn & learning to play, simulations, role plays, action planning, media workshop, energizers, lectures and debates, indoor and outdoor team-buildings, workshops, debriefs, reflective sharing, post-training support.
The approach is that great coaches and performers become proficient and create results through awareness and practice. The organizers strongly believe that one without the other is insufficient. This is why, in this training, they will combine everything that comes from the awareness level with direct actions that stimulate constant practice. Is a ‘holistic’ approach: exploring the human being from a perspective of a ‘whole’, serving in this way the YMCA mission: empowering young people in body, mind, spirit.
We expect to impact first the quality of the work done by the participants in this training. This quality also reflects in the development of programs and services for youth provided by all partner organizations, which lead to capacity building and movement strengthening.
The impact on European level is determined by the variety of partners who will contribute in bringing beside knowledge and skills, the culture and the awareness of building the future and better Europe for youth. As youth workers we have the mission of serving the best we can the young people , we need to know specific situations in each community and embrace learning from each other in order to correct mistakes and take good practices as models. By supporting dialogue and intercultural encounters we create a consortium working in togetherness and for common aims: empowering young people .
