A guide for organising and facilitating the educational process of study sessions held at the European Youth Centres
The Council of Europe youth sector aims at enabling young people across Europe to actively uphold, defend, promote and benefit from the Council of Europe’s core values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, notably by strengthening young people’s access to rights, deepening youth knowledge and broadening youth participation.
The activities of the European Youth Centres of Budapest and Strasbourg play a central role in the education and training of young ‘multipliers’ of Council of Europe values. The core of these activities is the programme of study sessions, week-long intercultural non-formal learning activities that are held in cooperation with European youth organisations and networks. These activities bring to the Youth for Democracy programme of the Council of Europe the unique experiences, expectations and concerns of young people regarding contemporary issues and challenges that affect their access to rights and of participating in all spheres of society.
The study sessions of the European Youth Centres have been trendsetters in European youth work and remain a benchmark for intercultural youth activities. This manual is published to support the quality of study sessions and other educational activities in the Youth for Democracy programme. Preparing facilitators and developing their competences is one of the essential prerequisites for enabling exchanges of views and dialogical learning, preparing the participants to act as multipliers in their day-to-day lives, and ultimately contributing to the values and priorities of the Council of Europe and its youth sector.
This Manual for Facilitators provides essential information, insights and practical tips in the planning and delivering of non-formal education intercultural activities while taking into account essential approaches of intercultural learning, human rights education and youth participation.
This manual is a contribution to the quality of intercultural non-formal education activities of youth organisations and at making those activities a truly learning experience for young people in the Council of Europe.
1. ABOUT THE MANUAL
Introduction to the manual
Objectives and use of the manual
2. WHAT IS A STUDY SESSION?
The concept of a study session and its place in the programme of the Council of Europe and its Youth Department
The life cycle of a study session
3. PERSONAL PREPARATION
Essentials of non-formal education for organisers
Personal development for organisers of study sessions
4. TEAM PREPARATION
Organisation of work within the team
The preparation process
Programme design of study sessions
Educational resources and workshop design
5. EVALUATION AND REPORTING
Evaluation of study sessions
Reporting on study sessions
6. FOLLOW-UP AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS 7. CONCLUSION 8. APPENDICES
Download an extract (1.16M)