“E-youth worker”

International Training Course
“E-youth worker“

20-28.05.2019
Fontenay-sous-Bois, France

 

Summary:

Virtual mobility is an extremely useful tool for facilitating or creating collaborative and learning experiences between people living in different countries without moving. Although more and more formal education and vocational training structures are using it, it is still little used in the field of non-formal education.

However, young people are increasingly confronted with the need to develop essential skills for a social and professional life in which internationalization becomes more and more important. The effective use of the NICT is part of it as well as a relevant interaction and a high mobility with people abroad whether physically or remotely.

Virtual mobility can also create a sense of European citizenship among young people who learn to work together and form teams across borders. In addition, it provides a European experience for all those who can not benefit from face-to-face programs for social, geographical or other reasons. At the institutional level, virtual mobility initiatives create strong competition between institutions, which contributes to the competitiveness and quality of the training and service offer. This enriches the usual environment of youth organizations.

However, there is often a lack of coordinated promotion of pioneering virtual mobility activities, and targeted communities are unaware of the key products, results and experiences of the pilot projects. As a result, many of the virtual mobility activities, organized by a few early adopters, remain isolated cases and are often seen as an interesting addition to, but not an integral part of, a classical course. This attitude towards virtual mobility is an obstacle to large scale collaboration at European level between youth organizations and young people themselves.

We wish to explore the pedagogical use of ICTs as learning tools in the context of nonformal education. Virtual mobility is possible through the use of information and communication technology-based environments, such as videoconferencing, live streaming, shared workspaces, and computer-assisted conferencing. How to conceptualize the virtual mobility of youth projects? And what place will young leaders have? Different types of virtual mobility?

The idea of “virtual mobility” in youth projects, the use of ICTs and other creative tools will be developed in a practical way.

Social networks are now unavoidable; they are used by individuals, as by companies; personally and professionally. They are particularly used during mobility experiences and anchored in everyday life. They induced new behaviors and created new trades. They are linked to an ever-changing technology that requires adaptations for both their use and their offer.

We initiated this project with the objective of:
– understand and be ready to include virtual mobility in youth projects
– recognize and analyze the specific learning outcomes of virtual mobility
– discover and encourage virtual mobility opportunities for youth projects
– improve digital skills and learn to learn the skills of youth workers

We also want to develop and create new online collaborative exchange tools to enable participants to make their mobility project for young people more efficient.

Participant`s profile required:

1. The activity is open for 3 youth leaders, project managers and voluntary and professional youth workers, working directly with project management and capable of making decisions about partnership.
2. Participants are expected to be part of the full duration of the activity
3. Be aware that this activity will be in English.
4. Participants should be over 18 y.o. and no upper age limit.

Venue:

The training course will take place in Fontenay-sous-Bois. Further information about the venue will be shared with the selected participants.

Working methods:

All the training will be done through the methods of non-formal education. The activities will be for example brain storming’s, plenary discussions, simulations, role plays, team building, energizers, ice breakers and many others. Non formal education we remember you that is voluntary, no hierarchical and all its methods are based on the concept of learning by doing.

What to bring with me:

• we will have an intercultural evening, so bring your national food and drink.
• bring your national flag, magazines, postcards what will help you to introduce your country.
• if you bring your laptop will be easier for working, but is not mandatory.
• and your good mood. This is the most important ☺

Intercultural night:

What we expect from you to present in these nights are: local or national dances, local music, games, little sweets, drinks, pictures, etc. from your countries.
Every country will prepare a short presentation of their culture, using all kinds of methods. It’s preferred a short and FUNNY presentation, such as showing pictures and commenting it, quiz, short video (either already existing or made by you), etc. (YES – use your creativity!). For the intercultural night, we ask you to prepare in advance a brief performance (singing, your traditional music, popular dances) to present your group (typical costumes are really welcomed!).
The main idea of this presentation is: What is important for a stranger to know about my country?
Any kind of presentation is granted, better not to do a power-point presentation to avoid yawning.
The Intercultural night is the “most wanted event” on the beginning of the youth exchange. It is a sort of traditional night opened to all participant audience made up of our group leaders, youth workers, facilitators, participants to the exchange. All National groups are asked to perform briefly (10 for your NGO and country/city not more, and 10 min for traditional dances and music) in order to introduce their self. Certainly, we need your enthusiasm and energy!!
For the Intercultural evening a Swedish buffet (cold buffet) will be organized. Here every country will bring traditional food dishes. The food that will be brought must be eatable without any processing (boiling, frying, etc). The dishes must also be accompanied by a brief description (their origin and ingredients, the way they are eaten…)

Travel Costs:

100% of the participants‘ travel costs will be reimbursed within the valid budget sums calculated according to the official rules of Erasmus+ programme. If a sum exceeds the limit, the excess will be paid by the participants themselves. The reimbursement limit is 360€ per participant from Bulgaria.

Financial support:

Project is supported by “Erasmus+” program. Accommodation, meals, program and travel cost (based on distance) are covered from grant. There is NO participation fee! However, 15 BGN will be deducted from the guarantee of 100 BGN which every participant must send prior the departure, in order to be covered the different taxes, related to the participation of each representative from Bulgaria (bank transfer fees, post expenses, difference in the exchange rates, etc.). This guarantee will be reimbursed after completing all the dissemination activities, the participant is required to conduct after returning to Bulgaria.

Insurance:

The travel insurance is not mandatory but it is highly reccommended. It costs 1 BGN/day and covers all the common injuries during projects up to 5000 Euro. Our organization is not covering insurance, it is individual, but we are going to support you to obtain a proper insurance for the duration of the project. For more information about the insurance, contact us.

YouthPass:

Every participant is individually entitled to receive a Youthpass Certificate, which confirms participation and validates the non-formal learning (NFL) experience of Training course project. Validating the learning experiences of participants is important in itself and the document can be of benefit in terms of the educational or employment future of the participant. Through Youthpass the European Commission ensures the Training course activity is recognized as a non-formal learning experience.
(*For more information on Youthpass you may click on this page to check it online)

Applicants MUST:

1. Read carefully the Terms and Conditions you are agreeing with, when sending your application!
2. Read carefully the Privacy Policy page.
3. Have a valid ID/International passport.
4. Possess valid European Health Card.
5. Fill in the application form and send it to: stanimir.chukov@gmail.com – APPLICATION FORM
6. Check the conditions your participation will be evaluated – Final evaluation form

IMPORTANT!!!
In the title of the e-mail, write down the name of the project.
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