Cherry on the cake - youth exchange in the context of a long term work with groups of young people

Do you ever wonder how to keep the young people you work with motivated, and how you can take your local youth work to the “next level”? Have you already led a Youth Exchange within the Erasmus+ programme and remained interested in how you can better discover its learning potential and dig deeper into specific aspects? Would you like to know more about the use of digital tools in a meaningful way in different phases of a youth exchange? This 3-day training course will address many questions and try to open creative space for finding answers regarding different quality aspects of Youth Exchanges and their potential for non-formal learning in youth work. The course will also explore challenges that international setting brings to working with young people. The activity will consist of preparation exercises and residential training course. The training concept has been developed as a means for systematic support for organizations working with young people from Erasmus+ Programme Countries and the Western Balkan region, who already have the basic understanding and experience in Youth Exchanges. The training is also an opportunity for contact making and partnership building for future cooperation among the organizations. AIM AND OBJECTIVES The aim of the training course is to deepen the understanding of the potential and possibilities of a Youth Exchange as a tool for non-formal learning in long-term work with young people. The objectives of the programme are to: - Explore the potential of Youth Exchanges for motivation, learning and empowerment in long term work with young people; - Increase the participants’ understanding of the importance of involving young people in all phases of a Youth Exchange and the tailoring it according to their needs; - Increase the participants’ understanding of the role of a Youth Leader in all phases of a Youth Exchange; - Develop participants’ competences to recognize the potential for learning in all phases of a Youth Exchange and support the learning processes of everyone involved; - Identify the challenges of international setting a Youth Exchange brings and reflect on how to approach them; - Explore the use of digital tools in a meaningful way in different phases of a Youth Exchange. PROGRAMME OF THE TRAINING COURSE The programme will start on the 26th of June in the Evening and end on the 29th of June in the evening. Therefore, please note that the arrival and departure days are 26th and 30th of June. The programme of the activity will be designed based on the aims and objectives, connected with needs of the participants and they will receive it prior to the event. The training course aims to bring together 25 participants from Erasmus+ Programme Countries and Partner Countries of the Western Balkan region who: - Work with young people on a regular basis (youth workers, youth leaders…) ; - Have implemented at least one Youth Exchange within the Erasmus+ programme as a youth leader; - Are interested in the development of new Youth Exchanges; - Are interested in integrating digital approaches and tools in their work with young people in the frame of Youth Exchanges; - Are capable of working in English language; - Are 18 years old or older. TEAM OF TRAINERS The training course will be run by two professional trainers with extensive experience in the field: Laimonas Ragauskas, who has been training and facilitating for more than 14 years in Europe and beyond. Recently his main interests and passions have been related to recognition of non-formal learning and connections with digital technology and education. More info - https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toy/laimonas-ragauskas.322/ Vojislava Tomić Radivojša, working as a trainer for 20 years in the Western Balkans and at European level. For years have been focused at recognition of non-formal learning but also at intercultural education and human rights education in the youth field.  More info - https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toy/vojislava-tomic-radivojsa.643