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Inclusive Youth Leaders
Inclusive Youth Leaders
Start date: May 1, 2015,
End date: Oct 31, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
Because we believe in a more inclusive and fair society we want to participate actively in the the empowerment of technicians who will be able to promote activities which support this dream. We believe that by changing and developing our attitudes, skills and knowledge we can create a social reality closer to our dreams.
The project was the result of a local partnership with a school which is a reference in the area of inclusive education for young people with special needs/learning needs, and because the technicians working in this school are willing to share and disseminate their knowledge to youth workers and other educators.
The project aims to involve and empower organizations to increase their abilities in the field of non-formal education and inclusive activities in the area of youth work.
This mobility project, create the opportunity for the self development and empowerment that can bring long lasting benefits to the participants and their local communities. As well the effort that was developed to promote the recognition of non-formal education is part of the objectives of Erasmus+ programme.
The project aimed to involve and empower organizations to increase their abilities in the field of non-formal education and inclusive activities in the area of youth work.
Project objectives:
1 - Facilitate the attainment of knowledge, skills and attitudes in the framework of non-formal education;
2 - Increase quality and quantity of projects using non-formal education approach;
3 - Boost non-formal education reputation and sensitize about its value and impact,
4 – Empower youth leaders, youth workers and educators to better deliver inclusive activities for participants with special needs and disabilities;
5 – Empower the creation of new projects and new training opportunities within the Erasmus+ programme, using non-formal education to young people with special needs and disabilities.
In this project participated 27 young people, youth workers, social and community workers or teachers and educators coming from different disadvantage social, economical or/and problematic geographical areas and very rural areas from Europe.
The trainers were three:
-Two non-formal youth work experts with more then fifteen years of combined practical experience, coming from Portugal.
-One teacher, from the local school, which work with students with special needs (specially visual impaired).
The methodology of the TC was built on the learn-by-doing approach of non- formal education and learning. Workshops, visits, group debates, group dynamics, ( team building, icebreakers, energizers, tolerance games and role play), lectures, group work, panel discussions were used as tools to engage participants actively in the learning process.
We dived the activity in three different phases:
1st- get to know and social competencies:
- the participant had the time to get to know each other, interact and introduce
- focus on promoting cultural acceptance and diversity, by exploring different cultural learning processes.
- Promote tolerance - through a multicultural group, create the atmosphere to share cultures supported by acceptance.
2nd- Practicality, Leadership and Empowerment
- During this phase, the non-formal activities, embraced the practicality of international youth work by sharing best practices and experiences;
- Explore different leadership processes and how to put them in practice.
3rd- Inclusion of young people with special needs
-the participants got in touch with techniques to use with young people with special needs;
-Practical creation or adaptation of non-formal inclusive activities;
-Project writing sessions, where they developed their professional network and design new inclusive Erasmus+ projects.
This training contributed to increase participants’ capacities to work with young people with special needs, learning need and with fewer opportunities using the non-formal education approach. During the course participants learned diverse skills, values and knowledge necessary to youth workers, working in this context. These new, or reinforce, learning achievements will contribute to the expected impact in their work. This way we expect an increasing in the quality and diversity of activities delivered to young people special those with special needs in the field of non-formal education. As a second wave impact it's expected to create one European mobility project to include young people with special needs, in balanced numbers.
With this new skills, knowledge and competences, they will recognize and answer to the special needs of young people in their activities. So they went through attitude change regarding to special needs, and they have more understanding of individuals in their local and international communities.