Coaching the Learning process for volunteers (European Solidarity Corps & Erasmus + Volunteers)

Are we creating learning and reflecting spaces? Why do I do that? What am I learning while supporting? Youthpass process?

Coaching the Learning process for volunteers (Erasmus + & European Solidarity Corps) is a non-formal education Training Course created for people involved in the mentoring of the volunteers and that are also interested in discovering more about learning reflection processes and the Youthpass process; mentors, former EVS volunteers, trainers and other people involved in supporting volunteers, who want to discover, get deeper, understand and experience a Training Course that will help them be able to support their future volunteers, enjoy doing a better work as mentors, coaches, supervisors... and move forward in their own learning processes while doing it.

Main Aim:

The main aim of the project is creating a space, discovering and understanding how learning processes work. For both, mentor and volunteer, taking the most from their experiences and reflections to build fun and meaningful  learning process along the period together. During the week train themselves to be able to support better the volunteers, and along the process, to become better mentors, coaches, supervisors, supporters, helpers…

Specific objectives:

Share, understand and analyse our own previous learning processes.

Share questions, doubts, challenges, mistakes, successes, tips and experiences, when supporting learning reflection processes.

Discover and understand concepts as learning to learn and self-directed learning.

Dialogue, observation, analysis, link-creation, feedback, mentoring, support, motivation… as concepts not just to understand, also to use and analyze.

Discover the Mono-Myth (Hero´s Journey), as a way to understand the phases from which volunteers may pass throughout the big learning journey of their experience, and understand the key moments for the mentors and supporters. 

Understand the variety of learning styles, and learning theories (Multiple intelligences, Kolb cycle…)

Discover the different competence models: EntreComp – DigiComp - Lifelong learning Competences – Youth Worker Competences and Trainers Competences.

Share and discover existing tools that support the reflection of the learning processes of the volunteers.

Exchange and discover examples and good practices of the use of the learning experience while volunteering and Youthpass, related with the further studying, employability and being more competent in different relevant aspects of adult life (job, family, civic engagement…).

Design the implementation of the outcomes of the training in their future work with volunteers, considering their own work environment and characteristics.

Approach and Methodology:

We’ll create a space for the participants to learn and share; analyse their previous personal learning experiences and then create a supportive environment in which they can practice and test the best ways/methods to support others in their learning process, with a special focus on the Erasmus + and European Solidarity Corps Volunteers.

The approach of the team will base on:

-Non-formal Learning and having spaces for informal learning.

-The group as the main resource of the Training Course (Peer Learning and Peer support)

-Variety of ways of working and reflecting:  we all learn in different ways.

-Challenge yourself, step out of the comfort zone, try the other way… at least we’ll try to question our points of view.

-Understand yourself and your own learning process to be able to understand others.

Towards that direction, our methodology will be based on learning from our own experience in an atmosphere where participants can learn from each other and feel empowered in a safe space.

Spaces for participants to share experiences will be provided in order for the participants to be more actively involved in the course. Additionally videos, story-telling, walks, movement exercises, awareness sessions, open space activities… will support the flow of the Training Course, in order to have a holistic approach.

We will work on knowledge, also skills, but mainly in attitudes and behaviours, using our minds, our emotions, intuition and bodies to express, learn and share.

Participants:

Mentors, Supervisors, Project Coordinators, trainers, former volunteers that want to learn how to support future volunteers experience… people involved in the supporting projects of the volunteers.