<< Objectives >>IMPROspective training course aims to develop improvisation skills in youth workers, specifically those working with diverse young groups, living and working in dynamic environment of modern Europe (and the world) with constant changes and development, having the need to respond to fast changing needs of its youth and the community, so they can function more efficiently and creatively, with more awareness, listening and acceptance.There is sound body of practices that use improvisation as functional approach in many areas from drama and art through education to health and business administration. We will focus on the application in youth work.IMPROspective is a training designed to fullfill following objectives:-to develop improvisational skills underpinning educational processes, which cannot be scripted in advance-to create inspirational, friendly, safe environment for participants to explore the topic of improvisation within youth work and to refresh their trainers skills and approaches-to introduce innovative, attractive and interactive methodologies in youth work field and to stimulate the exchange of best practices to train participants how to design, facilitate and debrief existing and novel non-formal learning sessions and opportunities-to explore the challenges and possibilities inherent within the use of improvisation in formal and non-formal practice and in work with marginalised young people and diverse groups to encourage participants-to incorporate new techniques and improvisation principles into their daily personal practice-to increase capacities of involved NGO's through development of their members, networks and future cooperations<< Implementation >>The main activity of this project is a training course happening in inspiring natural in Waldheim Selbitz - near Selbitz - in Germany between 4. and 11. Dezember 2022 and will gather 25 youth workers from seven different countries - Germany, France, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, Italy and Greece.This training course is designed for youth workers, volunteers, mentors and teachers ( aged 18+ ) working with youngsters through various non-formal activities, especially those ones who are involved or cooperate with our partnersorganizations and can bring gained competences back to their organizations and communities and so multiply the impact of this project.<< Results >>Participants of this training course will fully explore and experience improvisation in context of youthwork offering them the possibility to develop their skills and competencies, which can be individually transformed and implemented into their professional and personal lives on many different levels as improvisation offer and cultivate various qualities and elementswhich can be utilised on daily basis.In the first part of the training course participants will go through experience of full circle of experiential learning involving activities connected with inovative techniques and approches, which will serve them as inspiration and base for designing and facilitating their own acitivities and finaly they will be guided how to transform the experience into results and outcomes such as follow-up events, educational materials, future cooperations and life time connections and friendships which will enrich their personal and professional lives together with their organizations, communities and target groups.

<< Objectives >>The traning course IMPROnauts has the ambition to develop improvisation skills of youth workers, living and working in the dynamic environment of modern Europe (and the world), that is environment with constant changes and development that has to respond to fast changing of the needs of youths in order to function more efficiently and creatively, with more awareness, listening and acceptance.IMPROnauts is a training designed to answer at this objectives :- develop improvisational skills underpinning educational processes, which cannot be scripted in advance- create inspirational nice and safe environment for participants- explore the topic of improvisation within youth work - refresh the trainers skills - introduce innovative, attractive and interactive methodologies in youth work field - stimulate the exchange of best practices to train participants how to design, facilitate and debrief of non-formal learning sessions- explore the challenges and possibilities inherent within the use of improvisation in formal and non-formal practice and in work with marginalised young people and diverse groups - encourage participants to incorporate new techniques and improvisation principles into their daily personal practice- increase capacities of involved NGO's through development of their members, networks and future cooperations<< Implementation >>The main activity of this project is a training course which takes place in the inspiring nature in Chartier-Ferrière in Corrèze, at the hamlet of ages from 3 to 10 July 2023 and will bring together 25 youth workers from nine different countries - France, Republic Czech, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Latvia, Spain and Greece.This training course is designed for youth workers, volunteers, mentors and teachers (aged 18+) working with young people through various non-formal activities, especially those who are involved in or cooperate with our organisations partners and can bring the skills acquired to their organizations and communities and thus multiply the impact of this project.<< Results >>Participants of this training course will fully explore and experience improvisation in context of youthwork offering them the possibility to develop their skills and competencies, which can be individually transformed and implemented into their professional and personal lives on many different levels as improvisation offer and cultivate various qualities and elements which can be utilised on daily basis.In the first part of the training course participants will go through experience of full circle of experiential learning involving activities connected with inovative techniques and approches, which will serve them as inspiration and base for designing and facilitating their own acitivities and finaly they will be guided how to transform the experience into results and outcomes such as follow-up events, educational materials, future cooperations and life time connections and friendships which will enrich their personal and professional lives together with their organizations, communities and target groups.

"<< Objectives >>When we design and write the project was before pandemy starts and our organisation was activated in urban area in Oradea fortress. In that time there were national elections for our prim-minister and there were street manifestations for sabotaging the vote and youths were encouraged not to vote. This was the starting point of our thinking and research for the importance of elections and importance of youths opinion.Our organisation was in need of staff and we want to be heard and seen on a national and international level, also because this is the first Erasmus+ project of our organisation. We have 18 years of experience in similar mobilities, retreat, training courses, camps, but not under Erasmus+ Programme.We want to increase the knowledges and awarness of the voting importance and also of the opinion importance and to teach youths what could happend if they don`t use their right to vote.And also, Asociatia de Teatru Experimental Clandestin was looking for colaborations, as the pandemic affect us and we want to train people to work in our organisation.The initial objectives of the project were:- Creation of a network of 24 youth workers enabled to deliver workshops on the importance of election processes, by the end of the project. Evaluated through individual questionnaire.- Deeper understanding of the methodology for 80% of the participants involved in the TC, by the end of implementation. Assessed through an individual questionnaire and online interview.- Increased internationalization of the project’s topic by initiating minimum 3 new international actions in the field of voter education by the end of implementation.We saw that in Europe participation on vote by the 18-25 youths is low and we saw the need of an intervention on encourage and stimulate youths to vote and to understand democratic values and principles. In Romania the non-participating to vote among youths (18-25) is a problem because they aren`t educated in that direction. So, with this project we want to have a start on this kind of training courses with the intend to address this topic more and more. That`s why we apply for youth accreditation with democratic topic.<< Implementation >>After project approval we announce our partners and start to rediscuss the schedule of activities. Our organisation was the hosting for participants and we start thinking about logistics and details of the main activities: accomodation, selecting the participants, the environment created specially for them because in theatre methodology we want to introduce also scenography for making the experience more deep, so we start to look for suitable equipments, some of them already have in the organisation but some of them we need to buy it. During this process, the lockdown start in our country but also in Europe, so we wait some time to see what`s happening and we think about the mobility and how to book it. So we decide to postpone the mobility for the next year 2022 and to extend the project dates, it was a good decision. At the beginning of 2022 year, our organisation relocate all of the activities in rural area and start managing an activity centre with 40 pax capacity accomodation, an activity room, professional kitchen and a lot of outside space, near a forest, on a hill. So, we rethink all the activities from the schedule and to adapt them to our new environment, in nature, with accomodation in wood houses and adapting the activities in a way that we can make it also outside.The mobility was at the end of summer, so the wather was good and sunny. We designed a document with relevant information for partners and participants. Our partners start looking for participants and also we start the selection process and we have difficulties in finding all the participants number, two of our partners didn`t find any participant, and a lot of participants form the applying lists withdraw before few days of mobility, so we need to relocate the positions. There were partners that suplement the number of participants from their country and finally we have a geographycal and gender balance number of pax. The pandemy have an impact of participaton in our mobility and also some of our partners loose their staff during pandemy and they could`t work more in finding us suitable participants. At the selection process we have a form in which every participant fill their profile, expectations, needs, motivation and their level of knowledge about democracy, voting and also about their community and the youth they work with, this project being for youth workers. The selction was very good, we have interested participants and implicated in the process of learning and we see day by day how they were impacted in this learning process. The participants profile was: youth workers, with interests in democracy, decisional processes and theatre. We select very good participants from every country, they where very interested in the topics and they bring also their expertise, they were very implicated in all of the activities.The accomodation was in 5 wooden huts, each of it hosting 4-5 participants. The wooden hut have 3 rooms and one bathroom and participants share the house by gender. We have also a big activity room with a capacity of 80 people, with bathroom and an office. Outside, near the huts there are a few hectars forest and also the pasture with domestic animals surrounded by electric fence, and a lot of free safe spaces on grass. We also have the opportunity to organise an outside session day, with walking in the forest and seeing the old romanian village. There were 9 days of training course and 2 days for travel. We organise private transportation for each of the participant from the nearest city Oradea (25 km away) also on arrival and at departure. During these 9 days, the participants have a one day visiting Oradea with two ways private transportation and we also give them a lunch package and water.During the mobility we have a private cook which prepare fresh food for the participants and give them snacks, fruits and home-made cookies. Also the food was procurred from local bio farms. The participants have water, coffee and tea at discretion and we have a free alcohol policy.The participants have a daily reflection and a trio of wisdom method of choosing the group for reflection and dissemination. We also give them evaluation and dissemination forms and they fill it in details, so we found out their future thoughts and plans regarding their experience here and follow-up.We create a good learning experience for the participants, we`ve had 18 participants and 3 facilitators/trainers. We`ve succeed to implement all of our methodologies regarding the topic of the project with exercises which challenge the participants at introspection and higher counsciousness about the importance of democracy and the power of individual choice.We had every day 6 hour sessions with breaks and every session was designed in a crescendo manner with a lot of learning methods, also thetare methodologyes and get to know each other activities.<< Results >>We managed to implement all our prepared activities and methodologies and we succeed to equip 21 participants with good practices, knowledges and methodologies of teaching democratic values and importance of the voting process through theatre and also simulation exercises. Our methodology have a huge impact on the participants, during the mobility. 1.We manage to organize all the logistic, all the selection process and also all the structure of the everyday activities, even if two of our partners didn`t sent us participants, but we learned a lot from this situation and we focus on the present participants2.We successfuly adapt our exercises and schedule for our participants, also the trainers and facilitators learned a lot from this activity.3.We host and accomodate the participants in a lovely environment and good learning condition, in a space equiped with all the necessary tools, even the voting cabin, stamps and other materials.4.We guide the participants both individual and group trough real life situation simulation and that gave each of them the power and the courage of haveing opinion and own choices.5.We receive follow-up results, as participants implemented in their country our methodology after the mobility was over. We attach them in this form.6.Our participants leave in a rural environment for 9 days and they feel the countrylife in Romania and for them was a good cultural learning.7. We include participants with fewer opportunities from Latvia, Romania, Turcia and The Republic of North Macedonia.www.experimentteatruclandestin.com 8. We decide to apply for the Erasmus+ accreditation in Youth as a continuation of this topic and because we see the interest of participants.9. We learned alot about this kind of training courses and also about the partnership.10. This training course has a final result, a 10 minute theatre play with all the participants which help them understand how meta-theatre looks like and also they have the opportunity to share it with their community.11. Our theatre based exercises were selected to be presented as good practices in a brochure KA2 Erasmus+ project Europe for all YOUth - Innovative art based methods in youth work (EU for YOUth), no. 2022-1-RO01-KA220-YOU-000089323. The EU for YOUth project aims to combat Euroscepticism among young people and increasing their level of involvement in life democratic through the use of art-based methods. The survey aims to gather information about art-based methodologies - approaches, methods, tools, good practices - used in various non-formal and formal educational activities aimed at young people. Educational activities in which European values ​​and principles are discussed with young people, and which focus on combating Euroscepticism.The findings of the survey will be analyzed and included in a ""Good Practice Booklet"". The booklet will be a collection of 30 art-based methods used in the youth and education sector.Everything is attached in this drive link:https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1zNQkDm0FW_cc8SlPWz2SV8P-VxSwzjxp"

<< Objectives >>We created the 'emBODYme' project with the aim to provide the participants with the opportunity to explore, experience, and acquire embodied (somatic) approaches and tools and empower them to introduce innovative methods to foster social inclusion, self-development, and community engagement.Through discussions between the partner organizations and short questionnaires we created, we came to the conclusion that the problems that our youth workers face on a daily basis from a larger international perspective are similar to one another and that we share the same concerns and goals for how to help. We have noticed recurring problems among our partners' networks, including the fact that youth at risk of social exclusion frequently encounter difficulties in their day-to-day interactions, feel unfairly treated by their peers and society as a whole, and as a result tend to adopt negative behavioral patterns. They risk developing radical and extremist exits from their circumstances as a result of this, which leads to even more marginalization. The challenge for our youth workers is to engage these youngsters in their activities and maintain their motivation and interest engagement by using the appropriate methods.To reach out to young people, even those with fewer opportunities, and keep them motivated and interested, youth workers and those involved in youth work must develop engaging activities, improve inclusiveness and safe communication, and foster a sense of community and accountability. In this context, youth workers and others involved in youth work are lacking the opportunity to develop their intrapersonal and professional competencies in order to increase the impact of their youth work.In addition, there is a steeply increased uncertainty currently felt on a global scale, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the global effects of the Russia-Ukraine military operations. Numerous studies observed sharp increases in rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide attempts” in youth (source: https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/covid-generation-effects-pandemic-youth-mental-health) following the curfews, closures, and lockdowns caused by the pandemic. This underlines the need for youth workers to enrich their skills with embodied (somatic) approaches and tools, both for self-care and development, as well as provide support and targeted activities to youngsters, aiming to empower them to thrive better in most situations and to minimize the development of mental illness or social dis-engagement as a response to stressful events.Therefore, we made the decision to develop this intensive program that promotes sharing of experience and knowledge from non-formal education and provides an innovative embodied approach that supports youthworkers' professional and personal growth. Additionally, the youth workers will be prepared for the follow-up phase, when they will put all of their learned knowledge into practice locally. The project has a 12-month duration to allow for implementation and evaluation of the results. Regarding the project's multicultural component, it was evident that international partners needed to be invited to the training. We believe that an international training is the most efficient, cost-effective, and productive in meeting the participant needs.The project will have 3 main phases:• Local preparation phase• Training Course (international)• Local Implementation phase and online support.We will introduce several learning processes and methods based on the concepts of, among others, embodied coaching, theater, presence in nature, and creative communication activities. The activities will have a strong participant-centered focus and be based on non-formal and experiential learning. Embodiment highlights the vital and active part the body plays in the development of cognition as well as in the comprehension of one's own mind and cognitive abilities. It puts an emphasis on bodily processes that enable deeper self-awareness, expression, and contemplation. To ensure the long-term viability of the outcomes, all the techniques and tools developed for this project will be compiled into a practical manual and booklet and distributed throughout our networks.<< Implementation >>Training Course: 7+2 days in March-April 2023, in Agios Theodoros, Larnaca, CyprusIn this project, we combine a variety of non-formal education methods, techniques, and tools, with the participant and their needs at the center of our attention. We also use a process-focused methodology. Experiential sessions (mostly nonverbal and paraverbal with a focus on various topics like guidance, rapport, etc.), discussions (World Café about social inclusion), simulations (5 rhythms as a reflection tool), case studies (embedding in non-formal education session, field trips to nearby nature trails), open space technology (on day 5), or reflections are examples of non-formal methods used (individual, support group meetings). We will also incorporate aspects from body and voice techniques, dancing, storytelling, theatrical tools, meditation, etc. into the exercises.Embodiment: During the TC, embodiment will be the primary method presented and used. Two of our trainers have extensive experience in embodied learning and Erasmus+ projects, and one of them has extensive experience in training young people and also somatic coaching. All of them will design high-quality learning experiences for the participants with the goal of enhancing the professional and personal growth of youth workers, particularly in terms of the useful application of their learnings at the local level. Embodiment centers on bodily processes that enable deeper self-awareness, expression, and reflection beyond verbal communication. It supports the learners' professional and personal growth on three levels:- Self awareness: By raising participants' knowledge of their own behavior, we hope they will be better able to respond to the demands of both themselves and their target groups, as well as handle difficult circumstances with those groups. Body and voice awareness, connections and body messages are a few examples of sessions.- Expression: In order to help participants have a suitable approach and a valuable impact in their everyday interactions, we will provide them with tools to manage their personal states, communication, and performance. More methods and techniques for engaging, inspiring, and empowering their target audiences will become available to them. Through our previous projects, we have seen how successful it is to connect with young people, especially those who have fewer opportunities, by using spoken and nonverbal embodied approaches. It comes from the fact that it is a universal language which brings us back to the basics and promotes diversity in expression that leads to better understanding of social inclusion. (examples of sessions: public speaking, state management, embodied communication).- reflection: Participants will devise their own methods after we introduce embodied reflection tools (in the support groups). They will be encouraged by this to create a safe environment where people may respectfully express their emotions and feelings. They achieve this through employing inclusive communication, active listening, understanding body language to establish rapport, and additional options for coping with emotions. (Session examples include embodied feedback and support group gatherings).Local oriented activities:The participants will interact with local organizations (e.g Women Association of Rural Larnaca), local youth workers (from the Sira Impact Hub network), and residents of Agios Theodoros during the project. Background of Participants: 25 participants who have been chosen by their organization and who work with youth, also those who have fewer opportunities. They are active volunteers, coaches, and mentors (according to the focus of their organization mentioned in the partners description). They are eager to share their organization's methods with other participants and combine them with embodiment methods since they are actively involved in the sending organization. An intercultural environment will be created, each partner organization will be able to nominate youth workers with different roles within their organizations, and youth workers will have the chance to reflect collectively on the discussed and presented practices in the context of their home organization and local reality of their country.We will make sure that the group is diverse and balanced in terms of age, gender, and experience.<< Results >>For Participants:It is expected that they will achieve the learning objectives they established for themselves before and throughout the Project. Through achieving the learning objectives, they advance both personally and professionally.Since the learned skills in emBODYme project may be applied to numerous elements of working with youth, the impact on the youth workers is long-lasting. They will be equipped with knowledge of how to build inclusive communities using innovative ideas and techniques and be able to incorporate new educational tools in their work, as well as to be innovative and inventive in the planning of programs, activities, and events at the local, European, and international levels.Furthermore, they will be able to promote young people's personal growth and increase their participation in community social activities by feeling confident to apply embodiment approaches in their own environment with various goals (cooperation, self-expression, tolerance, etc.), and with various types of groupings (depending on age, language, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds etc.).The project will offer a platform to discuss, exchange, and discover innovative and creative teaching techniquesPARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONSThe anticipated outcome is that they will obtain more expertise and informal educational skills that they may apply to their work with young people in their community who have fewer possibilities. They will support their youth workers to fulfill their learning by creating dissemination activities in their community . By doing this, they will also diversify the initiatives and toolkit of their organization. They will also increase their skills by sharing best practices and developing a new network of organizations involved in the subject. Additionally, they will move on to creating and implementing additional projects in their countries at the local, national, European, or worldwide levels in order to boost youth mobility and broaden the project's effects.More specifically the partner organisations will:Have better trained youth workers who now have concrete tools for creating learning experiences and developing projects. The project will enrich their methodological tools and skills as well as help them acquire and promote new ones when it comes to social inclusion of the youth they are working with.They will expand their network, build and strengthen connections with groups that share their values, and collaborate on new projects.They will have access to a platform (Facebook group) to share, exchange, and learn new informal techniques while also presenting their actions and activities.The project will help them to increase the number of people who have participated in their projects and may be able to collaborate with them on future projects and events.They will be better positioned to gain credibility and recognition for their community involvement, be inspired in organizing innovative, international Erasmus+ projects and encourage young people to take advantage of European opportunities.TARGET GROUPSThe expected impact is that the target groups we will reach during and after the project (target group of youth workers, attendees of the local-based actions, and follow-up activities) will become empowered and motivated to join as volunteers in organizations in their countries related to the theme of emBODYme project, becoming more aware of social inclusion issues and opening themselves to understand, respect, and become inclusive and empowering. Through the project, they will gain a diverse view on their community, become more involved and motivated to do so and will have opportunities to develop into more tolerant and inclusive people, opening up safer avenues of connection with their peers. The project will offer methods and practises which will enable them to be more resilient and thrive better under stressful situations.Furthermore, they will become aware of the Erasmus+ and non-formal education possibilities and be more curious and willing to join other youth projectsSTAKEHOLDERSThe project will enable them to interact in an intercultural environment and gain a better sense of acknowledgement and satisfaction for their work. They will gain get inspired by the activities they will engage in and built on knowledge on embodied methods towards social inclusion. They will gain visibility, expand their network in order to develop and practice their skills, and be confident to use embodied approach in their youthwork and bring more quality into their personal and professional lives.They will also become aware of the existing possibilities under Erasmus+

Exploration of mindfulness in youth work from the 14th to the 23th of May 2019 in Buchov -Benesov , Czech Republic.We came together to be, move, play, observe, listen, share, explore, experiment, challenge ourselves, learn from within and from each other, get to know new people & ways & attitudes, and create this experience together.MoMint was an 8-day training course which aimed to introduce and explore principles of “Mindfulness” and experiment with practical and fun tools and techniques that can be readily used in daily life, creative work and in the other situations and places too. Training own awareness, acceptance and sense of presence can improve the quality of our days and the things we do. We will learn how to be present and to tune and respond properly to the needs of the diverse people and situations we are working with.Why Mindfulness?Mindfulness develops the skill to bring one's attention to the present moment on purpose and serves to strengthen one’s capacity for stress resistance, kindness and compassion both in personal and professional life. Science-based methods allow participants in training to experience visceral, ‘in the moment’ practices within an overtly reflective and supportive environment.Furthermore, mindfulness cultivates one’s skill to welcome and observe the incoming inputs from inside and outside without attachment, not to be dragged or manipulated by emotions and upcoming thoughts. It also represents a more fitting response to the complexity of human relations in which youth workers operate and thereby help to preserve the integrity of process-based practice. Enhanced concentration and clarity brings more creativity into trainers’ daily work and supports learners’ success.Who was this training for?The training was designed for youth workers & volunteers and other people who work with people, that want to refresh their skills and attitudes to their days, to other people, to work and to the world.We hosted 27 participants from Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Latvia, Macedonia and Cyprus​This training was for youth workers who: want to explore and experiment with specific tools from non formal fields (body based methods, theater, movement, dance, nature based methods, meditation, arts, creative expression), want to use and imply the learned skills in your professional work with people, are open to sharing your own skills and learning the skills with others, are motivated and willing to commit to work during the whole duration of the project (preparation, training course, follow-up activitiesWhat we have been doing? collecting new inputs and inspiration that renew motivations to act with commitment and new ideas. refreshing curiosity and playfulness in approaching your work in order to prevent burning out. improving your trainers’ and personal skills to be more efficient, adaptable, responding to issues and demands in your work and daily life. widening your perspectives and points of view to see new opportunities, create new patterns, and avoid situations of stalemate when working with people with different cultural background. gathering specific tools from non formal fields (theater, dance, meditation, creative expression) that are not easily accessible for all the youth workers.By training your own awareness, acceptance, sense of initiative you can improve the quality of your being and of your actions. We wish to support you in finding ways to be more resilient and empathic through mindfulness – by developing your skills to be fully present, listen, accept and act, by equipping you with mindfulness based tools that you can later on use in your practice.​We were exploring the principles and techniques of various mindfulness-based methodologies. We will be learning by doing.The dramaturgy of the program, the red line connecting above mentioned activities, used a combination of meditation, body awareness, mindful movement and exploration of patterns of behaviour, thinking, feeling and action.