Trainers4Democracy - Democracy Reloading Long Term Training Course for Trainers & Consultants

The involvement of young people in developing youth policies and in decision making is fundamental to increase the sense of belonging and active citizenship of young people to their communities. This calls municipalities and regional public authorities for addressing the needs and interests of youth, for engaging youth as actors in the solutions for their problems and thus developing the quality of local democracy. Building on the lessons learned since 2015, a reference framework of competences was designed for municipalities for engaging youth in decision-making. Based on that an online Toolkit was created. This Toolkit is the basis of a long term strategic development plan to address municipalities through the Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps programs. It is designed to help municipality staff dealing with youth / citizens policy to become empowered, competent and ready to engage young people into decision-making and thus improving active citizenship and democracy in local communities. The Toolkit is available here: www.democracy-reloading.eu  

This long-term training course aims to further train practicing trainers and consultants with specific competences of the Democracy Reloading Partnership and its Toolkit so that they can provide quality support to municipalities and assist national agencies to implement national activities. Trainers and consultants will be trained to provide services (training courses and consultancy services) for staff of local and regional municipalities based on / with the help of the Democracy Reloading Toolkit. 

The learning process will take place between June 2022 and April 2023 and will include the following activities:

• 22nd June 2022 - online seminar 10.00-17.00 CET  
• 5-9 September 2022 - residential training activity in Italy (Salerno or Torino)
• October 2022 - March 2023 - practical experience of participants in a training activity or consultancy project, supported by online consultations 
• 17-21 April 2023 -  residential training and evaluation activity in Hungary (Budapest)

The specific objectives of the long-term training course:

• to understand the content and the functions of the Democracy Reloading online Toolkit,
• to design, learn and practice training and consultancy methods using the Democracy Reloading Toolkit,
• to understand how Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps projects can support municipalities in developing youth participation in decision-making,
• to prepare for supporting (working for) the relevant national agencies and the European activities of the Partnership.

Selected participants:

• should have experience in training (as trainers or facilitators) in the field of youth participation,
• or should have experience in providing consultancy services (as consultants) to municipalities in the field of participation of citizens / young people or related fields,
• or should have experience in managing youth participation in decision-making and  in non-formal education (as youth workers) and be ready to provide services to municipal authorities.
• commit to taking part in all activities of the training course,
• need to have conversational level of communicating in English both spoken and written,
• are ready to work in at least one of the national or European activities of the Partnership (on the basis of specific agreement (contract) with the national agency or the European coordination of the Partnership)

Participants will be selected from these countries: Belgium (both French and Flemish speaking communities), Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estona, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.