We are excited to launch the call for Planning Team Members of YMCA Leadership Academy 2025: “Bridging Cultures: from personal transformation to community development” co-funded by European Youth Foundation.
YMCA Europe organises a new Leadership Academy training course for young leaders of Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) to strengthen their skills in the spheres of intercultural diversity, project design and management, governance and organisational culture. Learn more about the previous cohorts here.
We are searching for Volunteers to join the Planning Team and contribute to logistics management, design and delivery of the training.
Aim of the training: enabling young people and youth CSOs to promote peace, social transformations and intercultural dialogue through community projects and organisational culture.
Objectives:
• Providing space for young people to analyse and formulate their personal identities and values, life purposes and role in society, connected to the current social contexts and intercultural diversity;
• Supporting youth in designing and implementing of social transformational activities promoting peace and intercultural dialogue as part of community work in youth CSOs;
• Strengthening capacity of youth CSOs to promote peace, social transformations and intercultural dialogue as part of intercultural governance and organisational culture.
The Work Plan will have the following 3 main phases:
- International Activity One: face-to-face educational session focused on intercultural diversity, identity and values, role of CSOs and social projects design. 8-11 April 2025 (four full days of the training plus two preparation days before and one evaluation day after the training)
- Local Activities: socially relevant community projects promoting intercultural understanding and values of peace and inclusion will be implemented by the participants. April-September 2025
- International Activity Two: face-to-face educational session focused on analysis and lessons learned from the implemented activities; analysis of organisational culture of CSOs and exploring ways of its improving to more inclusive and democratic ones. 27-30 October 2025 (four full days of the training plus two preparation days before and one evaluation day after the training)
Profile of Planning Team Members we require:
- Being a YMCA active member for not less than three years, possessing YMCA values;
- Experience and knowledge in the sphere of non-formal education, project management and some topics of the training;
- Good level of English to organise educational process;
- Graduates of previous Leadership Academy sessions will get the advantage;
- Being of the age 18-30 years old;
- Being ready to work in diverse intercultural team;
- Being open-minded, flexible and solutions oriented;
- Being motivated to create a meaningful learning experience for the participants of the course.
We will make efforts to create a balanced team in terms of skills, geographical representation, gender, age, etc.
Expected tasks to be delivered
- Preparation for the sessions together with other team members, both logistics and the programme (online meetings, approximately twice a month);
- Preparation of materials for the sessions (if required);
- Delivery of agreed training sessions at the mentioned sessions (see the dates and countries) as well as supporting other trainers during their sessions;
- Being ready to arrive for offline sessions in advance for preparations and leave one day later for evaluation;
- Keep online communications for preparation and evaluation if needed.
Profile of participants of the training, expected target group
- Near 30 young leaders of civil society organisations from near 15 countries of Europe;
- Having some experience in the topics of the training, but little of theoretical background of it;
- Motivation to develop themselves in the areas of a project manager, Board member, Staff member of a CSO;
- Being part of a Civil Society Organisation and motivation to apply gained knowledge within the civil society sector;
- 18-30 years old;
- Good command of English;
- Ready for intensive education (the training days will include evening sessions) and for implementation of practical assignments (design and implementation of community projects);
- Working with youth with vulnerable backgrounds will be the priority for selection.
Key knowledge and skills to be obtained by the target group:
Knowledge:
- What is identity, how complex it is, what it impacts;
- Values and means of their implementation;
- Intercultural diversity;
- Cultures and Intercultural dialogue (at interpersonal and community level);
- Cultural issues in communities and ways to approach them;
- Algorithm of designing a project;
- Design and description of a social project;
- How to manage a project;
- Evaluation and reporting;
- Lessons learned from the implementation of the social local activities promoting peace and intercultural learning;
- Organisational culture, its components and what it impacts;
- Identity and values of CSOs, their mission and strategy;
- Ways of implementation of organisational culture and values;
- Intercultural dialogue within a CSO.
Skills:
- Identifying identities, cultures, values of own and others;
- Needs and problems identification;
- Designing a social project;
- Presentations of implemented social local activities promoting peace and intercultural learning;
- Analysis of organisational culture;
- Non-violent communication.
Remuneration:
This is a Volunteer Position. We cover accommodation, meals, travel costs; provide a good working environment and team spirit. A recommendation letter can be provided by request.
Application process:
Please, send your CV and a short motivational input (in the body of the email) by 15 October 2024 to Olga Lukina, olga[at]ymcaeurope.com
YMCA Leadership Acedemy 2025 is a project co-funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe.
