Venue: Limerick Youth ServiceType of project: Training Course for Youth Workers (paid or voluntary)Title of Project: Share Our Stories (SOS)Theme of Project: This project will be based on the theme of 'Storytelling'. This theme has evolved from Limerick Youth Service's involvement in a project of storytelling as a means of capturing the 'cornerstones' of youth work and the unique aspects that distinguish youth work in the human professions. The theme has evolved from the influence of the 'In defence of youth work campaign' (IDYW) in the UK, and particularly the influence of Bernard Davies, a renowned intellectual in the field of youth work who has been leading this work in Limerick. IDYW have captured Youth work stories as part of a challenge to predominant managerialist approaches encroaching on youth work. The theme of this training then is to impart the theory behind storytelling and skills necessary to utilize 'storytelling' as a method of embracing and protecting the core of youth work practice.The Objectives: 1. to discuss and analyses current youth work practice across the EU, so as to trace commonalities in practice2. to impart the storytelling method to participants as a means of capturing youth work practice3. to undertake practical workshops implementing storytelling to build participants confidence and ability in utilizing storytelling as a method of reflective practice and project dissemination4 to creatively capture stories of youth work from participants, to create a picture of uniqueness and diversity of EU youth work, 5 to pass on skills of asserting the 'voice' of youth work as a distinctive practice6 to create a European circle of practice, fostering relationships and collaboration between youth workers from different backgrounds.Duration: 4 daysNumber of Participants: 28Countries Involved: Ireland, UK, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, MaltaImplemented Activities & Methods:All promoters will be involved in preparatory activities, two key activities include exploring and preparing a presentation on the history of youth work in their countries and identifying the 'cornerstones' of youth work in there countries. During the preparatory stage, meetings using SKYPE and other multi-media packages as well as informal contact through social media will be utilised to encourage contact between all promoters and to foster familiarity and cooperation in advance of the training programme.Training Project Implementation - the training project will focus on imparting the 'storytelling' method as a means of capturing youth work practice. The main aim of this project is to share the method and also to capture stories of EU youth work to trace commonalities in our practice. This method has been delivered to key staff in Limerick Youth Service & our expert from the UK. We will be deliver this training through structured workshops which includes small group facilitation and group work methods. All these workshops are guided by a programme adapted from the In Defence of Youth Work programme, prepared by Dr. Sarah Banks of Durham University. The method devised by Dr Banks, “is derived from the first stage of a Socratic dialogue approach” (IDYW; 2013). Ancillary activities during the training programme will include workshops on ice-breakers, co-operation activities and intercultural awareness workshops. During the project there will also be space for informal cultural awareness through a culture night, where all participants will have prepared activities and displays / presentations on their cultures.Evaluation Activities - We will use the 'capturing the benefits of learning' tool to formally evaluate the training. This tool measures where participants have progressed in regards to expected outcomes for the programme. It also allows for the wider benefits of learning to be captured eg. impact on the person, influences in regards to future plans for self or organisation. On a day to day basis we will operate a pre / post brief with all participants to ensure the programme is meeting it's expected outcomes. On completion a survey monkey evaluation will invite participants to relay post training reflections and recommendations for the future.