Title: “Broaden your mind” Activity type: Mobility of youth workers Hosting organization: Youth Empowerment in a European Society – YEES, n. o. Partners from programme countries: Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Turkey and Greece Duration of the project: 9 days (7 working days - 2 days travel) Venue of the project: Ruzomberok, Zilina region, Slovakia Total number of participants: 28 Context/background of the project: The 9 days long project is set in the environment that is full of cultural heritage, diversity, and it is the place where Roma minority lives, too. There are local authorities and public bodies that provide locals with social work activities in order to strengthen the cooperation among each other. The project objectives are: 1. Embedding diversity in youth work 2. Designing a programme of activities on cultural understanding 3. Designing and delivering session on interculturalism and inclusion 4. Tackling multicultural barries 5. Practical support for doing youth work 6. Intercultural Awareness and Cultural Competency 7. Developing an Intercultural/Diversity Policy a Implementation Plan Profile of the participants: youth workers, leaders, graduates, and members of minorities Description of the activities: The project hosts a number of intercultural workshops delivered by skilled facilitators and peer led skills sharing sessions in diverse context. Through these activities, the participants will gain practical skills that are need in youth work. Throughout the project, there are main activities, evaluation as well as cultural night performances and a social activities programme. Methodology used in carrying out the project: The methods vary depending on the topics and are as follows: workshops, simulation, discussion, role-plays, icebreakers/energizers, group work, learning-by-doing activities, presentations, group reflection, self-reflection, supplementary activities of the participants, etc. Short description of the results and impact envisaged: - to introduce participants to the use of a Diversity Toolkit manual for youth workes - to carry out a diversity assesment on their youth group or organization - to develop an action plan based on identified gaps in their service - to learn practical ways to achieve new diversity goals - to learn how th engage with minority groups in a youth work setting and identify and overcome barriers to involvement - to develop practical skill to engage with young people in a culturally diverse setting - to deliver their own session on interculturalism and inclusion - to devise a programme of activities on the topic of cultural diversity and awareness for youth groups - to gain resources for doing anti-discrimination activities and use practical strategies for managing coflict - to learn how to interact with people of different background - to prepare intrercultural policy template and develop implemetation plan This knowledge will be complemented by the competence to compare different approaches to integrate minorities and to evaluate them in general as well as to give examples the European context, given insights into single case studies and experiences. The participants will overall know the major challenges of multiculturalism on the European level. They will also analyse and develop effective multicultural communication skills and cross-cultural competences for work. Envisaged Impact: -Increase in understanding and accepting minorities and people with different background as a inspiration and uniqueness to learn from rather than seeing them as a threat -Deepening cooperation among organizations (non-profit, non-governmental, local authorities and public bodies) in effort to build up a “chain of people willing to cooperate and share new ideas in the field of breaking of multicultural barriers -Having trained youth workers who can continue training youth in their country -Positive influence on Roma minorities in order to boost their personal development and growth -Increase the value of Youthpass as the certificates recognizing and validating learning outcomes in non-formal and informal education for employers The potential longer term benefits: - Rouse an interest in developing and extending cultural competences and awareness among youth -Less conflicts, prejudice among people with different background -Increase in perceiving cultural diversity as a space for inspiration -Promote broadening youth´s horizons of intercultural education and cultural knowledge -Boost people´s morality and preserve cultural heritage (traditions, habits, customs) for youth and next generation