When: 20 - 28 March 2015

Where: Wiek (Rügen), Germany

Who:FÖJ-AKTIV e.V.

Project description:

The Training Course "Environmental Training for Eco-Trainers" (ET4ET), took place in Wiek (Rügen), Germany from 20-28 March 2015, and gathered 35 youth workers or active members from youth and environmental organisations of 12 different countries (Albania, Armenia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Spain, United Kingdom) between 18-35 years.

The German organisation FÖJ-AKTIV e.V. applied for the project out of the needs for (1) a rise in number and quality of environmental projects on local and international level, and (2) supporting and educating youth workers within the network and its members in the development of skills, competences and attitudes, identified by other organisations from their network organisation Youth and Environment Europe (YEE).

Eco-Trainers are trainers who (1) facilitate environmental learning activities such as trainings in order to raise awareness of various environmental issues and the potential solutions and (2) add the environmental dimension to training-sessions (where training does not focus primarily on the environment e.g. soft skills, sessions on promotion etc.). Additionally, they can consult and contribute to the development and planning phases of a project itself in order to reduce its environmental impact. Thus, an Eco-Trainer is a combination of environmental educator, trainer and project manager.
Environmental Trainings are organised and implemented in way that they have the lowest possible environmental impact in all areas: e.g. travel and transportation, food, venue and accomodation, materials, energy, waste, and water usage.

The target group were participants with an environmental and/or educational backgrounds (through studies or work) and experiences in training courses and international projects who are actively involved in an environmental NGO and who want to become trainers.

The TC applied methods from non-formal education as well as learning-by-doing and experiential learning. The participants not only learned something new from the trainers but also prepared and ran a Trial Session as Eco-Trainers during the TC. Furthermore, they shall implement a training activity locally within their organisation after the TC as a follow-up. Another follow-up will be the publication of a booklet containing a toolkit about methodologies and tools for planning and running Environmental Trainings.
After course completion, a "Pool of Eco-Trainers" will be established within the networks of YEE and Y-E-N.

Aim and objectives:

The main aim of the project was to educate and empower new Eco-Trainers into effective leaders by providing them with new tools and methodologies to enable participants to prepare, run and evaluate Environmental Trainings for young people, thus also enhancing capacity of their NGOs.

Objectives of the project:

• Identify 8 key skills and competences for each participant by using coaching method and self-assessment relevant to eco-trainers
• Provide tools to participants so they can merge various sectors e.g. environmental topics, soft-skills etc.
• Use methods of theoretical learning, practicing, simulation, group work, group and self-evaluations for ensuring the complete range of experiential learning
• Develop guidelines for the design and implementation of eco-friendly activities together with participants
• Present the characteristics of non-formal environmental education and to encourage participants to develop their competences in this field
• Provide space for all participants to share practical tools and methods for running environmental activities, in particular with young people
• To ensure further development as trainers, participants will develop their individual learning plans in order to identify main learning objectives after the training

Contact person: In case of any questions, please, do no hesitate to contact: Zaruhi StepanyanThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Partners:

• FÖJ-AKTIV, Germany
• Biodiversa, Spain
• BALTA DABA, Latvia
• Homo Ecos, Latvia
• Green Echoes, Romania
• EDEN Center, Albania
• Khazer, Armenia
• Stepanavan Youth Center, Armenia
• FYCA, Armenia
• Youth Without Borders, Armenia
• Look East Wild Earth, U.K.
• Gutta-Club, Moldova
• Young Researchers of Serbia, Serbia
• SAEM, Georgia
• YEE, Czech Republic
• HB Modry Kamen, Czech Republic
• Youth-Express-Network, France

Videos from the training course:

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