Contributed by FITT, adapted from their website at fitt.ro.
Training of Trainers
In the framework of the Power Youth Up project, we participated from the 20th to the 27th of April 2023 in the Training of Trainers in Puerto de la Cruz, hosted by our partners POD.
The training was highly interactive as the youth workers brought their knowledge, skills, and insights. Therefore, the training included practical and creative workshops, role-playing, group discussions, and group work, all within the non-formal education methodology. We shared and exchanged experiences, tried methods from the other partners, discussed how they worked, and consistently sought improvement.
The training objectives were to test the different methods designed by the partners during the development of Intellectual Output 2 (IO2), provide training before the local piloting of each partner, and foster stronger bonds among the staff from different organizations.
FITT presented two activities we proposed for IO2, which are innovative and creative methods we hadn't used before. These activities are "Green Action through Photovoice" and "Participatory Art Activity" using murals or ceramics.
Pilot Activities
We also enjoyed most of the activities proposed by our partners but chose to pilot the "Eco Rally" activity proposed by our partners, Solidarity Track from Greece. This activity is a treasure hunt in the city with the primary goal of teaching young people about various environmental issues and how to take action. We implemented this activity in the summertime and received pretty good feedback and positive remarks from our local youth and volunteers. The activity was adapted to be implemented in the park with various quizzes, games, and practical and educational components.
The second pilot activity we chose was "Plastic Crafts", proposed by Youth Coop from Portugal. This practice focuses on plastic, how it is produced, and ways we can recycle it to take care of our planet. During this activity, we talked with our youth about different types of plastic, symbols written on all the plastic objects and the danger of microplastics.
We selected both activities because we observed that most of our local youth are interested in climate change and environmental action. FITT is interested in ways it can help the youth discover new passions, value their interests and help youth workers develop their competencies in the context of the 'Power Youth Up' project.
