EYE Opener offers an international learning experience to young people and practitioners active in youth work, enabling them to develop their competences in setting up quality Youth Exchange projects within the E+ YiA Programme.

In this training course, you will learn all the basics you need to organise and apply for a grant for youth exchanges in Erasmus+ Youth in Action. In this activity we focus on youth-adult pairing: 1 experienced adult leader (over 18 years old) + 1 or 2 youth (15-18 years old).

General Description of EYE Opener in Greece

The aim of the training course is to offer an international learning experience to practitioners active in the youth work field, enabling them to develop their competences in setting up quality Youth Exchange projects.

The training relies on setting the basis of quality in youth exchanges. It will also provide the space to develop concrete project ideas among quality partnerships, targeting at submitting application proposals for the coming Erasmus+ Youth in Action deadlines.

Objectives

• to provide information on Erasmus+ Youth in Action youth exchanges
• to provide a group learning experience in the process of setting up a youth exchange project
• to develop basic skills, knowledge and attitudes to organise a youth exchange
• to understand non-formal learning and young people’s participation in learning
• to explore the role of a group leader in young people’s learning process
• to enhance the active participation of young people in the planning of youth exchanges
• to offer the opportunity to meet possible partner groups and to make contacts in other countries
• to promote equal-footed partnerships among young people and organisations

The fact that young people can take part in the training gives a whole new dynamic to the process. Young people get first-hand knowledge on project building and the cooperation between youth leaders and young people gets better.

Some tasks are done in national groups, some in young people / youth leader groups and results are compared. The training shows evidence on young people’s competences in project planning on their own.

This training is a learning-by-doing experience, built on a simulation exercise which is interspersed with workshops, info sessions, activities to improve the group dynamics and ends with an evaluation

Benefits of EYE Opener in Greece

• Participation fee: This project is financed by the participating NAs of the Erasmus+ Youth in Action Programme. The participation fee varies from country to country. Please contact your National Agency or SALTO Resource Centre to learn more about the participation fee for participants from your country.
• Accommodation and food: The hosting National Agency or SALTO Resource Centre of will organize the accommodation and covers the costs for accommodation and food of the training.

Travel reimbursement: Please contact your National Agency (NA) or SALTO Resource Centre (SALTO) in order to know whether they would support your travel costs. If yes, after being selected, get in touch with your NA or SALTO again to learn more about the overall procedure to arrange the booking of your travel tickets and the reimbursement of your travel expenses.

Eligibility

• Max 40 participants (aiming at between 12 and 18 pairing groups).
• 1 ADULT LEADER (over 18 years old) who deals directly with the young people and is committed to engaging in the future development of a youth exchange in partnership with the young persons. Two leaders could attend if mixed (male/female) or where national legislation requires this (after agreement with the sending National Agency).
• 1 TO 2 YOUNG PEOPLE: between 15-18 years old
• Both youth workers and young people will be expected to communicate in English.