The seminar was helt 14.-21.7.2017 in Telavi, Georgia according planned schedule.Main aim of the project was to provide young people with equal opportunities and experience which enable them to develop the competencies to play a full part in all aspects of society through expressing their needs, interests and visions. To reach the aim we set the reinforcement the cooperation across the sectors involved in youth field (public bodies - local municipalities, active youth non-governmental organizations) as our goal.The project aimed also to encourage innovative and collaborative practices between organizations active in the field of youth, enterprises, public authorities and civil society organizations active in different socio-economic sectors.At the same time, we wanted to encourage and motivate young people to increase their active participation on decision-making process on local, regional and national level in their countries.Participants of the seminar were youth workers, representatives of youth departments /decission-makers from municipalities/cityhalls and from non-governmental NGOs. During the seminar, we shared best practices of youth participation, discuseds the strategies and planed the long-term international cooperation. To reach the aim we had set the following objectives:- To create space for sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences and good practices in the field of participation and youth active citizenship;- To create space for building international partnership and planning future projects in the field of youth involvement in decision-making;- To find a new strategies and inspiration on creating and supporting local youth initiatives;- To learn new approaches and to find innovative way of communication between youth and local municipalities politicians/experts/- To improve communication skills of young people towards local authorities (municipalities…),- To discover the opportunities under Erasmus+ in general, specifically focusing on Key Action 3 – structural dialogue; - To reflect on the importance, potential and value of partnerships to achieve the objectives of the Erasmus + Programme;- To create opportunities for starting long-term international cooperation in the field of youth participation and structural dialogue projects;During the project, we promoted concepf of non-formal education as wel we used various methods of non-formal education. This also heped by creating platform for multiplying the gained competences. The project involved both content and practice, it established the setting for sharing the best practices, reflecting and re-analyzing the youth participation conducted in their communities and developing new activities.By this project we contributed to establishing a culture of cross-sectoral cooperation in youth fields between different actors. We believe the project has a direct long-lasting impact to increase the opportunities for young people and raise the efficiency of youth participation on local, national and international levels.Also, we believe we contributed to improvment of quality of the youth work in all participated countries.

‘Youth takes the Stage: Campaigning for Citizenship’ is an Erasmus+ (Mobility of youth workers) project aimed at developing youth workers’ competences in promoting active citizenship through youth-led campaigns using theatre methods. This project was submitted in February 2016 and received excellent scoring (84 points) but was placed on a reserve list due to lack of funding. We have now further improved it and resubmitting for October 2016 deadline. The project is composed of a series of three eight-day training courses to be held in three European regions: Eastern Europe (Tbilisi, Georgia, March 2017), South-East Europe (Tirana, Albania, May 2017) and the EU (Stroud, United Kingdom, July 2017). The main themes of the project are youth campaigning, active citizenship, creativity and theatre.Throughout all three courses, a non-formal education, participatory learning approach will be used, following principles of acting and being an active citizen, respecting individual knowledge and skills, enabling participants to co-facilitate the learning process, sharing creative ideas and information, using art and theatre to promote active European citizenship.The courses will be run by GTC’s expert team of theatre and youth work professionals and local experts from the UK, Georgia and Albania. All courses will also include site visits to local youth and cultural organisations. The project’s context/and origin are connected with GTC’s involvement in three regions: EU, South-East European countries and Eastern European and Caucasus Countries. We regularly implement projects on art and theatre in youth work in all three regions. Through this project, we would also like to raise awareness of active European citizenship issues among young people. Project will bring together 96 participants across three courses (32 per course). The objectives of the project are:- To train youth workers and youth leaders in using theatre tools and methods in promoting active citizenship through youth campaigning - To develop leadership and facilitation skills of youth workers- To exchange experience and good practice in active citizenship and youth campaigning tools and methods- To develop youth workers’ creativity and artistic skills- To increase the quality of European co-operation between youth organisations both within the Erasmus+ Programme as well as outside of itThis is a long-term, multi-measure project stretched over a year, and as such it will have a long-term impact on all partners in terms of increased capacity to work with theatre tools and to organise youth-led campaigns. It will also increase learners’ understanding of the Erasmus+/Youth Programme and lead to more international co-operation.

"<< Objectives >>With the implementation of the Essence Plus, we wish to ensure the inclusion of young people and provide effective learning and training methods in the field of youth work. Our overall goal is to improve the quality of youth work in Europe.Our partnership has been building an active, inclusive, responsible society through direct youth work and the training of youth workers professionals. The aim of our project is to share the essence of the last 15 years of the Academy of Experience, exchanging experiences and learning from each other with our partners. We share the best of our experience in a multi-month learning process and support its adaptation within the participating countries.Essence Plus contributes internationally:- to improve the quality of youth work- to develop the professional work of our partner organizations- to use common language and framework provided by the ETS- to improve the quality of further projects implemented by our partners- to develop the competence of the participating youth workersEssence Plus is based on innovative methodological combinations. Its development and adaptation according to local needs gives space to the participating youth work organizations.The primary method is experiential pedagogy, which we combine with tools such as education related methods and techniques, solution-focused and trauma-conscious approach.Combining these methodologies our experience can give the opportunity to accomplish the followings:- professional accompaniment of individuals and groups based on connection while maintaining competence boundaries, in a focused but sensitive way- to support and involve disadvantaged young people - to create innovative adaptations and develop local youth work through a combination of safer, more inclusive approaches to youth work that is accessible to more disadvantaged young people-to involve target groups from different backgrounds and to work together in an integrated group-to strengthen responsibilityIn addition to emerging methodologies, the process will be framed by the ETS Youth Worker Competency Model. We will use this framework to support the self-reflection, learning and development of the participating youth workers.Above this we will support and initiate the implementation of other, independent projects inspired by the training, and we are going to support the local adaptation of what has been learned during the project. Based on our previous experience we strongly believe that everyone’s own experiences of applying the methods and approaches strengthen the knowledge best. It can guarantee that the elements of the training will be integrated into the life of the youth workers and through them into the organizations which employ them. This process is facilitated by an important element of the training: participants are given the opportunity to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice immediately. Following their own experience and knowledge, the participants have to design and carry out a 1-day program as part of the training to a group of disadvantaged young people. This method is called the ""camp / program in training"" and it is the most effective way to integrate the acquired knowledge into the participants' toolbox.<< Implementation >>The project includes two training sessions in Hungary, moreover there is a special preparation phase for the participants that is complemented by a blended learning program element, which is an integral part of the whole process. A 3x1.5 hour preparatory webinar where trainers can meet participants to get a more complete picture of the training topics. Here, it will not only be possible to learn more about the ETS framework, but also to explore the needs and expectations of the participants and to fit those needs to the training themathics. The online sessions will continue after the two trainings so the participants can keep interacting with each other and help each other in their professional path.I.Training: Zoom OutSeven-day training in Hungary in July 2022. During this TOT (Training of trainers), the 25 participants will learn and experience the tools of experiential pedagogy and experiential learning through increasingly complex experiential pedagogy tasks. During the learning process, the focus is constantly on the reflection and competence development embedded in the ETS framework. The training program includes an expedition, outdoor SOLO experience and at the end of the training we provide a strong personal experience of courage, of overcoming fear, to experience boundaries: the Pamper Pole (an outdoor high rope element) where the participant climbs to the top of an 8 meter high column and resigns. There is a wide range of reflection possibilities in this element. This experience is processed with the support of the trainers 1-1. II. Training.Zoom InSeven-day training in Hungary in August 2022.In our second training, based on connecting and reconnecting. We provide space for crisis intervention, a trauma-aware and solution-oriented approach. We believe that these methods will help connect and reconnect with young people who have become even more marginalized and inaccessible in a pandemic situation. We embedded a 1-day program day for young people from the Miskolc Children's Home in this training.At the end of the training, participants can now encounter a high rope element that is a challenge, with participants securing and helping each other to climb a huge “ladder” of 100-200 cm degrees. There is a wide range of reflection possibilities in this element, the experience is processed with the support of the facilitators. Coaching groups and a closing ceremony complete the training. Participants:1.Youth workers (25 people per training) working with young people from a total of 11 countries.Their main characteristics:- They deal with disadvantaged young people- They themselves come from a disadvantaged background- They have existing professional experience- Experienced or open to/in implementing international projects- They are between -21-48 years old and speak English with sufficient confidence- Facilitators have at least 10 years of professional experience (30-50 years old)- Openness to discover new methods and method combinations- In the first training they are open to work and get acquainted with outdoor elements and methods- Professionals whose situation and / or target groups have changed as a result of the pandemic- We are looking for both women and men to apply, as we want to a balanced female-male participation- Motivated in learning and remain active participants from the beginning to the end of the training- Open to blended learning processes and want to develop digital competencies - Committed to the values ​​of Erasmus + (eg inclusion, sustainability)Target group 2: HH young people living in the Miskolc Children's Care Home (between 12-18 years old) - 20 people.We want to provide them with a program day that is about playing games, but also about developing their personal and social competencies. They provide the youth workers with an opportunity to practice, to use and test what they have learned in the training. Here is well, we would like to ensure the gender balance.<< Results >>The impact of Essence Plus would exist on 3 levels.1. Impact on participating youth workers:- participants become familiar with the ETS framework and with the competence model of youth workers - their self-reflection capacity is strengthened - they become more aware of their own youth work, strengths and areas to be developed, learning pathways, opportunities- they will have a better understanding of the quality criteria and areas of competence set out in the Erasmus Plus program through the ETS framework, - These new knowledge will help them to continue to participate in more international mobility projects- they will be motivated to design, implement individual and group learning programs,- they will be able to connect with and involve disadvantaged young people in their programs- the program will increase their social sensitivity and solidarity towards others, develop their communication skills - They will be confident in creating a safe environment for vulnerable target groups in their youth work- they will have an insight into the new methods. This increases the chances that the young workers will be engaged in a longer-term training process in the field, thus further developing their competencies and tools, that increase quality of their work- They will develop new friendships, a strong common learning experience. This will increase the chances of further cooperation and the implementation of joint projects- Their knowledge and skills increase, which helps them to strengthen their personal support systems. They can make better use of the professional and human support available to them through the support methods they have learned. This increases their resilience and reduces the risk of burnout even when they encounter mentally demanding situations during their work.2. Impact on the organizations that are implementing the project:-They will be able to involve disadvantaged target groups and work with them in a high quality- Organizations become more efficient in international project work- If they wish to implement new approaches, they will have an already existing network that supports inclusion -As an organization they become more inclusive and barrier-free-They will have an increased awareness and attention to European youth issues covered by Europe 2020, Education and training 2020 and EU Youth Strategy-Improvement of the quality of professional work of organizations participating in training and their youth workers - based on defined criteria-organizations are able to keep their employees (the risk of burnout is reduced, people are able to act for their own well-being) and thus the organizational knowledge will be more stable and transferable3.Impact on disadvantaged young people participating in the project-Young people get a glimpse of experience of what it is like to take part in an international program, which increases their chances of joining similar projects later on-Their foreign language competence and curiosity towards other culture develops-Meeting with young people from different countries and cultures, will contribute to their intercultural learning"

Board Builders: Exploring Educational Board Games is a training course took place in Turku, Finland during the of 08.-14.10.2019 and brought together 35 youth workers, youth leaders, teachers, educators from Finland, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Armeni, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in order to address the topic of social inclusion and youth marginalization by introducing board games as an alternative tool for engaging young people, socializing and creating bonds among them and between them and youth workers/youh organizations. The training course aimed to introduce board games as a tool for involving young people into youth organizations and initiate a dialogue with them through training youth workers to develop table-top games with educational value. The project sets next objectives: - To discuss youth trends and behaviors in the countries that partner in the project and identify possible support measures that can be done by individual youth workers; - To introduce board games as a tool for involvement of young people and explore successful examples of the use of board games in youth work; - To equip participants with methods for idea development and learning design that is transferrible to any topics; - To equip participants with tools for developing board games with educational value based on relevant social issues or necessary competences for youth; - To develop a set of educational board games to be used in the youth work field; - To test created board games with the local youth of Turku through a public event; - To create an online printable board game resource for youth workers & youth leaders to be used internationally; The training is designed to equip participants with knowledge and skills of need assessment and learning design tools as well as to empower participants to take out of the box approach in youth work through using board games in particular. We also point out the link with the 2018 priorities since the training course is designed to equip youth workers with competences and methods for transferring values of our society, enhance critical thinking of young people through board games and address currently important topics (intercultural dialogue, media literacy, building empathy etc.)

<< Objectives >>A kétszer 10 napos tréning célja, hogy fejlesszük a hátrányos helyzetű fiatalokkal foglalkozó szakemberek kompetenciáit, ami a nem formális tanulási formát illeti; aktív cselekvésre ösztönözzük őket, és hogy elérhessék a saját csoportjaikban ugyan ezt. Ezt partnerségen alapuló formában kívántuk kivitelezni: tudásátadással, -megosztással és a tapasztalati tanulás módszereivel generált tanulási helyzetekkel és azok értelmezésével, kiegészítve olyan elméletekkel és gyakorlatokkal, melyek a célcsoport megértését, érzelmi és fizikai biztonságnak megteremtését támogatja a közös munka folyamán. Ezek közös célja, hogy gyarapítsuk a tudásunkat társadalmi integráció és az egyenlőség érdekében. A szakemberek nagyobb hatást érhessenek el a hátrányos helyzetű fiatalok életében bekövetkező pozitív változásokkal kapcsolatban, eredményesebb támogatással szolgálhassanak. Mindez úgy valósult meg, hogy a résztvevők azonnal alkalmazható hasznos tudásra tettek szert és a kompetenciák fejlődtek az aktív cselekvés és a kezdeményezés irányába.Mindemellett fejlődött önismeretók, képessé váltak önálló programot dizájnolni, megvalósítani és értékelni.<< Implementation >>Az On Unexplored RouteS elnevezésű kétszer 10 napos ifjúsági szakembereknek szóló képzés volt. Az első modul (TOT) kifejezetten a saját élmények és tapasztalatok szerzésén alapult. A tapasztalati tanulás és az élménypedagógia módszertanával ötvözve ismerkedtek a résztvevők egymással, saját szerepükkel a csoportban, a célcsoport sajátosságaival és olyan szemléletekkel, mint a megoldásfókuszú szemlélet, a kapcsolódó nevelés, a traumatudatos szemlélet, melyek elengedhetetlenek a közös munka során. A résztvevők olyan feladatok elé álltak, melyet a nagyon heterogén csoportban, egy teamként kellett mindenesetben megoldaniuk. A cél az volt, hogy egy csapatként, szakmailag felkészülten érkezzenek meg a második modulra (Explore), ahol már a saját tapasztalatokon túl éles és valós helyzetben találták magukat: meg kellett tervezniük és valósítaniuk egy 3 napos tábort hátrányos helyzetű, kamasz fiatal számára. A projekt írásakor még az volt a terv, hogy az első és a második modulban résztvevő szakemberek legalább 80%-ban megegyeznek. Azonban az élet mindent átír. Az TOT-n 26 résztevők vett részt. A csoport nagyon heterogén volt. Voltak, akik nagyon nagy tapasztalattal rendelkeztek már a nem formális oktatás területén, mások a célcsoporttal dolgoztak már több alkalommal, emellett voltok olyanok is, akik nagyon motiváltak az egyenlőségért, a társadalmi integrációért tenni, azonban még kevés tapasztalatuk volt és lehetőségeket, jó gyakorlatokat kerestek. A közös tanulást támogatta ez a heterogenitás, kiváltképpen a résztvevők nemzetisége miatt. Ez a diverz tanulás környezet a lehetőségeket és a kihívásokat is növelte. Voltak a résztvevők között is hátrányos helyzetű fiatalok - származás miatt, anyagi háttér miatt, demográfiai körülmények miatt. Ez igaz volt a második modulban résztvevőkre is, melyen 33 résztvevő volt jelen, melyből 11 fő az elsőn is részt vett. Ez eltért ugyan a tervektől - nagy százalékban lesznek uyganz azok a résztvevők a két képzésen - , azonban a tréneri team a felkészülés alatt számításba vette ezt a tényt is. A másodlagos résztvevők a tréningen a fiatalok csoportja volt. A második modul közepén érkeztek 2 éjszakára, hogy egy nemzetközi csoport őszi tábort tartson számukra. A fiatalok életkora 14 és 18 között volt. Összesen 22 fő érkezett a Burattino alapítványi iskolájából. Minden fiatal valamilyen értelemben hátrányos helyzetű volt: nagy létszámban voltak gyermekotthonosak, kisebb létszámban azok, akik ugyan otthon élnek, viszont egyéb más nehézséggel küzdenek: szociális, gazdasági, oktatási.A tréning résztvevői nem ismerték a fiatalokat, csaupán a felkészülés során sikerült megtudni néhány fontos információt az őket kísérő felnőttől telefonon.A tréning a tréningben módszer kifejezetten élő tanulási helyzetet teremt, melyben a tréning résztvevői teljes szabadságot kaptak a program megtartására. Ennek felkészülésére természetesen nagy hangsúlyt fektetett a tréneri team is: célcsoport megismerése, saját komfort-zóna határ megtalálása a témában, szerepek vállalása, ötletek és vélemények felvállalása, konfliktusok kezelése, megoldásfókuszú tervezés stb.<< Results >>Az eredmények már a program során és nem csupán a zárás után voltak láthatóak. A résztvevők egyértelműen visszajelezték az értékelő formban, hogy kaptak egy új lendületet a nehéz idők közepedte, annak érdekében, hogy új erővel nézhessenek szembe az otthoni kihívásokkal és már új eszközökkel a kezükben vághatnak neki adottesetben fejlesztésnek, az átalakításnak és a létrehozásoknak. Módszertani eszköztáruk bővült, mely nem csak az otthoni közösségeket támogatja, hanem a saját jól létüket is. Emellett az önreflexiósképességeik is fejlődtek, melyek elengedhetetlenek a szociális szférában dolgozók számára is. Aktívan tudják képviselni a célcsoportot, alkalmazni tudják az új szemléleteket és kipróbálni, hogy ez hogyan működik a saját közösségeikben és ahhoz igazíthatják a munkát. A kapcsolódó nevelés szemléletének köszönhetően, sokkal inkább képesek partnerként, segítőként, mint irányítóként jelen lenni egy-egy helyzetben, segítésben a célcsoporttal. A program során folyamatos monitorozás történt, hogy mi újat tanultak, mi az, ami működött a számukra a kihívások és a tevékenységek során – mi újat tanultak meg magukról csoportban... tulajdonképpen a reflexiós alkalmak és egyéb módszerek támogatták abban, hogy tisztább képet kapjanak kompetenciáikról, nehézségeikről, valamint szakmai céljaik pontosodott. Emellett nem csak saját magukra nézhettek rá, hanem az ifjúsági szakember kompetenciáira. Az ETS kompetenciák nem csak a saját, hanem a vágyott kompetenciákat is tartalmazta, amiknek birtokában sikeresebb és eredményesebb munkát végeznek. Emellett a résztvevőkből létrejött szakmai közösség, mely egyes esetekben baráti kötelékeket is jelent, támogatja a csoport tagjait a dilemmák, a nehézségek megosztásában, segítségek kérésében, valamint jövőbeli projektek megvalósításában. Ezzel a közösséggel bővülnek a mobilitási lehetőségeik, munkavállalási esélyeik és humán erőforrásaik bővülnek. A fiatalok csoportját illetően egyértelmű a tréning pozitív hatása. Burattino-s résztvevők esélyt kaptak arra, hogy új impulzust kapjanak a világból érkező kultúrákból, ahova lehet, hogy sosem vagy kis eséllyel fognak eljutni. Ez a program számukra is további mobilitási lehetőségeket nyit meg. Az Éményakadémia szoros szakmai kapcsolatban van az intézménnyel, ami azt jelenti, hogy a már bevonódott vagy a további érdeklődő fiatalok számára kínál a jövőben nemzetközi mobilitási lehetőségeket. A résztvevő fiatalok több területen értek el előrelépést: fejlődtek nyelvi ismereteik, próbálták a passzív angol tudásukat aktivizálni, így a 3. napra már fordítás nélküli beszélgetéseket lehetett tapasztalni. A tábor során lehetőségük nyílt a saját önismeretekre tekinteni. Ez a 3 nap csak róluk és az ő szükségeltiekről szólt. Ez a célcsoport ritkán kap ilyen támogató és konstruktív törődést, főleg idegen emberektől. Ez az értékességüket hangsúlyozta, akik érdemesek az életre, ugyan úgy, mint a kevésbé nehéz körülmények közül jövő kortársaik.