Leadership Skills for Youth Workers was a three-phase training course about strengthening and advancing youth leadership skills for youth workers held between February and August 2019 in the Czech Republic.

It was the second edition of this training, after the first one held in 2017. During the training course, participants deepened their knowledge and skills in the field of leadership skills and practiced their application within their youthwork in their home countries.

The 25 participants from 7 countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Spain) took part in 8-days experiential training course (February 2019, Broumovsko), 4-days methodical training course (May 2019, Sloup v Čechách), then prepared and led the training course/workshop/seminar/event/activity in their home country. The participants met again in August 2019 in the Czech Republic (Broumovsko again) to evaluate their learning proces and present their projects. 

The winter phase was based on the challenge of 3-days winter expedition, which gave the participant opportunity to test their leadership skills. Each participant led one of the expedition groups for half of the day. We improved the Youth Leadership Competence Model, both in terms of content and design so that participants could reflect their leadership skills more in detail. Each participant had opportunity to evaluate their skills thanks to Leadership Benchmarking Tool based on the Competence Model.  

During the spring phase the participants focused on chosen youth leadership skills they needed to develop on workshops (e.g. motivation, leadership styles, designing and leading activities, conflict management). Afterwards they presented their own learning projects for the summer period, which they presented in August session and evaluated there their learning process. We used case studies discussion, Balint Groups and Open Space sessions to further deepen participants’ learning. Next to it, we experienced a lot of fun during experiential games and activities. Magic moments happened while visiting charming rocks of Adršpach, hunting benches in Sloup and during many rituals. 

In the interphases between meetings, we asked participants to create and share short Progress videos showing their learning process and thus keeping it going. We used the Padlet platform to maintain communication within the group and within the coaching groups – smaller groups of participants, who met, discussed and reflected their learning and goals many times during the phases and also on Skype meetings in the interphases. 

The project outcomes are:

– Youth Leadership Competence Model for Braveheart

– Leadership Benchmarking Tool 

– Video about Braveheart 2 Training course (coming soon)

At the beginning of June 2018, 24 participants of TC On the Horizon left Zdoňov in Czech Republic full of new energy and motivation, heading in renewed direction of their lives.

We deployed the Japanese concept of Ikigai (finding and intersection of what I am good at, what I love, what I can be paid for and what the world needs), we set out on a 3-days pilgrimage in the beautiful rocky landscape of Broumovsko Protected Area at the north-east of Czech Republic, we spent 3 night outside by bonfires, talking and sharing our personal stories and values. It was worth it!

• reflect on their thoughts, their previous experience and their strengths
• (re)find and (re)name their potential
• set out on the following life journey with renewed energy and actual vision

We prepared this TC based on our long-term experience in training youth workers. We see that there are always some difficult moments for youth workers, when their motivation decreases. It happens while they feel burned out, while they’re questioning their abilities and skills. At that time, they don’t know what the right way should be. We believe that this period is very natural, and one way of getting over it is to break, ask and search.

Check pictures in our Facebook gallery.

Braveheart – Leadership Skills for Youth Workers was a three-phase training course about strengthening and advancing youth leadership skills for youth workers held between January and August 2017 in the Czech Republic.

Does it sound interesting? Apply with your organization for the innovated training in 2018!

The 25 participants from 6 countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Spain) took part in 8-days experiential training course (January 2017), 4-days training methodical training course (April 2017), then prepared and led the training course/workshop/seminar/event/activity in their home country. The participants met again in August 2017 in the Czech Republic to present their projects and evaluate their learning process.

During the training course, participants deepened their knowledge and skills in the field of leadership skills and practiced their application within their youthwork in their home countries. The winter phase was based on the challenge of 3-days winter expedition, which gave the participant opportunity to test their leadership skills. Each participant led the small group for a while. Participants also got the opportunity to deepen self-knowledge thanks to reflection, discussions and sharing based on Youth Leadership Competence Model for Youth Workers  and Leadership Benchmarking Tool for Youth Workers

During the spring phase the participants focused on chosen youth leadership skills they needed to develop (e.g. motivation, group dynamics, conflict management, self-confidence, leading activities). Afterwards they planned and presented their own projects for the summer period, which they presented in August session and evaluated their learning process.

The project outcomes are:

– Youth Leadership Competence Model for Youth Workers

– Leadership Benchmarking Tool for Youth Workers

– Be Brave postcard

– Infopack for participants