Fw: [hr-education] Training for facilitators involved in non-formal educational activities (Budapest, 1-10 February 2008)

Wed Nov 7 13:46:48 CST 2007

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From: Council of Europe <hr-education at lists.hrea.org>

Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 19:40:22 
To:mzaleski at idebate.org
Subject: [hr-education] Training for facilitators involved in non-formal educational activities (Budapest, 1-10 February 2008)

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Training for facilitators Involved in non-formal educational activities 
1-10 February 2008 
(including arrival and departure day) 
Budapest, Hungary 

Application deadline: 16 November 2007

Background 
Over recent years, the number of training and educational activities supported and/or organised by the Council of Europe’s youth sector has significantly increased. Non-formal educational activities have become a very important instrument to pursue the aims and principles of the Council of Europe’s youth policy. Similarly, within youth movements and institutions, there is an increase in the volume of the youth activities, and in particular an increase in the complexity and diversity of the youth work. All these non-formal education activities require competent and motivated volunteers or staff members to secure quality and a maximisation of results. Those active in non-formal education, on a voluntary or remunerated basis, temporarily or permanently, apart from their commitment, enthusiasm and experience have a constant need for developing the competences for the youth activities they run. From these youth workers and leaders, it is expected to be capable to organise and facilitate the learning processes of the other young people who attend the different youth non-formal educational activities. 

It is necessary to ensure that quality standards of seminars, training courses, study sessions and other educational youth activities are defined in the early stages of the development. In other words, quality should be a concern from the very outset; standards should be considered in the definition of objectives, design of the activity, composition and competences of the team, implementation and evaluation and should be considered by all stakeholders. Competent members of preparatory teams are one of the most important factors to guarantee the quality of the educational youth activities. In most cases these members are neither professional trainers, nor experts in non-formal education practices. These are young people who act as facilitators of other young people’s learning processes. The facilitators should be able to understand and cater for the learning processes, be able to plan, structure, run and evaluate educational programmes; and be capable to facilitate individual and group learning processes. 

At the level of European youth activities – and what may be broadly defined as European youth work – the need of understanding intercultural processes and capacity to work with multicultural groups are additional essential competences. Many young volunteers or professionals need to be prepared to act within an international and intercultural environment and, generally to develop their competences to work and act within a European framework. Within non-formal education, training and educational activities form the backbone of youth work. While their non-formal nature gives it credibility, flexibility and increased relevance to the young people’s needs, their status and quality can only improve with an increase in the number of qualified and trained youth workers and facilitators working in the field. 
Why a training course for facilitators? 

The training activities of the Directorate of Youth and Sport are aimed at young people and youth workers who are in a position to act as "multipliers", based on a socio-educational philosophy of participation, pluralist democracy, intercultural learning and human rights as a basis for an open and just European society for all. 

The activities of the European Youth Centres have been trendsetters in Europe and remain a benchmark for international youth activities. The programme of study sessions, consisting of some 25 activities every year, involve hundreds of participants every year and some 120 people are involved in preparing them, as course directors and team members of the youth organisations cooperating with the Directorate of Youth and Sport. Securing a good quality and accessibility of the activities is an essential pre-requisite to allow the occasional trainers and leaders of youth organisations to actively contribute with their points of view and to act as multipliers of the activities and thus spreading the principles and values of the work priorities of the Directorate of Youth and Sport. 

The training course for facilitators addresses the needs of youth organisations and other youth work institutions to have competent and autonomous volunteers and staff capable of facilitating training and education processes for their membership needs. The “transitional” nature of youth work implies a very regular turnover of volunteers and staff in the organisations active in this field, especially those doing training on a sporadic and voluntary basis. Therefore a constant training of the new generations of young people should be ascertained. For the Directorate of Youth and Sport it is also a particular investment in the quality of the sessions and other educational activities in its programme; and an expression of the undisputed competence of the Directorate in intercultural training of youth leaders, youth workers and trainers. This competence should thus be put at the service of the quality standards it seeks to preserve in its activities. 

Main aim 
The main aim of this training course is to train participants on ensuring a high quality standard in organising, implementing and evaluating and securing an effective follow up of study sessions in cooperation with the Council of Europe’s Directorate of Youth and Sport. 
Objectives 

The main objectives (personal, organisational and institutional) of this course are: 
* to increase participants’ knowledge and awareness about values underpinning European non-formal educational youth activities; 
* to familiarise participants’ with the values, mission, structure and ways of working of the Council of Europe and in particular the Directorate of Youth and Sport; 
* to develop essential skills for facilitators in non-formal education with multicultural youth groups (e.g. programme design, leadership, team work, chairing and facilitating, communication, group dynamics, evaluation and follow-up) assuring quality criteria in all aspects of study sessions; 
* to develop participants’ awareness and skills about organising the followup, in particular writing reports and securing other forms of dissemination of the results of study sessions; * to increase the participants’ competences and motivation to introduce and work on intercultural learning and human rights education in study sessions; 
* to further develop quality criteria for study sessions and their contribution to a youth organisation’s needs, realities and overall strategy; 
* to support better integration of the study session results within the programme of the Directorate of Youth and Sport. 

Methodology 

The course will give participants the opportunity to experience, and reflect upon activities and concepts crucial in designing, running and evaluating educational activities for young people. The entire course is designed as a mutual learning situation in which, with use of diverse methods, participants can compare their approaches to education, facilitation and leadership, non-formal education and international youth work. Contributions from experts in the training and nonformal education field will establish a theoretical framework and common reference points for learning and communication. Towards the end of the course, participants will have the opportunity to analyse the format of different study sessions of international youth organisations and design a programme for some of them. 

The programme of the course will include: 

* analysis of the role of educational youth activities within European/International youth work 
* introduction to and reflection about different concepts of training and nonformal education 
* reflection on the role of intercultural learning and HRE in training and nonformal education 
* reflections on Europe, ethics and values in training and non-formal education 
* skills training for facilitators, e.g. using methods, understanding group dynamics, facilitating individual and group learning, programme organisation and planning, evaluation etc. 
* analysis of the format of different educational activities and design of a sample programme 
* reflection on the role of educating young people in the building of European civil society and European integration 

Working language 
The working language of the course will be English. Candidates must have sufficient understanding of the working language in order to comprehend and complete this application form without assistance from another person. 

Participants' Profile 

Voluntary or employed staff of International non-governmental youth organisations, and other youth networks who are conducting occasional training and other educational activities for young people and who are, or will be, responsible for or involved as facilitator in a study session at one of the European Youth Centres in 2008 or whose organisation plans to apply for a study session in 2009. 

All candidates must 
* be aged between 18 and 30 (exceptions may by made on the basis of justification) 
* be actively involved in a youth organisation or network, while preparing to take on occasional responsibilities in the field of training with an international dimension 
* be well informed about their organisation, institution or service and be prepared to explain to the other participants about the training activities in which they have been involved 
* be able to work sufficiently in English 
* be in the position to act as a facilitator after the course whether as course director or member of a team in charge of a study session. 
* be committed to attend for the full duration of the course and be supported by a youth organisation. 

Preparatory team 

The programme of the course is designed and conducted by a multicultural team of experienced trainers. These trainers are recruited from the DYS trainer’s pool and from the pool of trainers of the European Youth Forum. They will be supported by other experts if needed. 

Application, procedure and selection of participants 

All candidates must apply on-line, completing the application form under this link: http://www.extraweb.coe.int/team40/educational_unit/default.aspx . 
Applications must be submitted by 16 November 2007, a letter of support from the sending organisation has to be sent separately by e-mail, post or fax. In case of several applicants of an IYNGO, the INGYO is asked to set a priority within their applicants. 

The preparatory team will select thirty participants on the basis of the profile outlined above. It will try as far as possible to respect the organisations’ priorities, but also to ensure a balance between sexes, geographical regions, different types of experiences, cultural backgrounds and organisations, institutions or projects. A waiting list may be established. Candidates will be informed about whether their application has been accepted or rejected, and if they have been put on the waiting list, by 30 Novembre 2007. 

In particular, priority will be given to members of teams of study sessions being held in co-operation with the EYCs. 

Deadline for applications 

The application form must be submitted on-line and the letter of support needs to be sent by 16 Novembre 2007. 

Financial and practical conditions of participation 

Travel expenses 

Travel expenses and visa costs are reimbursed upon presentation of the relevant receipts, according to the rules of the Council of Europe. Only the participants who attend the entire training course can be reimbursed. The payment will be made either by bank transfer after the course, or at the end of the course in cash (in Euros). 
Accommodation 

Board and lodging are provided and paid for by the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre Budapest. 
Enrolment fee 

An enrolment fee of 55 Euros is to be paid by each participants. This amount will be deducted from the amount to be reimbursed for travel expenses or paid at the EYCS during the course. 
Other DYS training courses 

If you are interested in a training course in international youth work, but your profile does not fully correspond with the requirements of this course, please note that the Directorate of Youth and Sport organises other training courses. For details please consult our webpage www.coe.int/youth <http://www.coe.int/youth>  or contact one of the EYCs. 
European Youth Centre Strasbourg 
30, rue Pierre de Coubertin F - 67000 Strasbourg, France 
Tel: +/33/ 3 88 41 23 00 
Fax: +/33/ 3 88 41 27 77/78 
youth at coe.int 
http://www.coe.int/youth  

European Youth Centre Budapest 
Zivatar utca 1 – 3 
1024 Budapest, Hungary 
Tel: +36 1 212 40 78 
Fax: +36 1 212 40 76 
http://www.eycb.coe.int 

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