YOULEAD - Youth Leadership Training Programme
The international youth volunteers raised the need to develop competencies important in diverse leadership positions in local, national or international contexts, within and outside the humanitarian circles, and strengthen their voices in the adaptation to changes in volunteering; a shift towards flexible volunteering and changing needs of volunteers. To answer this need expressed by the youth, the New Generation of Helpers – Youth Leadership Training Programme (YOULEAD) aims at fostering the confidence and competences of a new generation of helpers to influence positively their societies in order to prevent and alleviate human suffering, and to contribute to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.
The Red Cross of Cote d’Ivoire, Finland, Kenya and Zimbabwe partner in the YOULEAD project to increase their capacity in youth work through leadership training development. The project concentrates on a participatory, youth-led process for developing the youth leadership training and a corresponding training of trainers for 18-30 year old Red Cross youth volunteers and other interested youth who wish to develop their leadership skills and confidence. Educational approach is built on non-formal training that uses experiential learning methods, such as simulations, exercises and specific skills development. The preparatory work for the trainings is done by a project working group with youth volunteers from each partner country by consulting a wider group of their peers and supported by the staff of the Red Cross. Both trainings are piloted and for that youth volunteers are invited, firstly, to participate in the Training of Trainers and secondly, to co-facilitate the leadership training itself with youth participants. The project produces manuals for the trainings in English, Finnish, French and Swedish which are shared in an online open access format so that the materials can be used and tailored to the needs of any interested actors in particular in the field of youth, volunteering and humanitarian and development cooperation sectors in Europe and beyond.
We are now looking for particpants to both YOULEAD Youth Leadership training and YOULEAD Training of Trainers, both to be held in September 2019 at the FRC training center Nynäs.
As a YOULEAD volunteer you will;
- gain valuable international Red Cross volunteering experience, especially within capacity building and youth empowerment
- might be able to include this voluntary assignment as part of studies and gain course credit (if applicable)
- participate in the Training of Trainers in September 2019 in Finland
- co-facilitate the leadership training in September 2019 in Finland
- support the dissemination of the results of the initiative during autumn 2019 and spring 2020
- Equip the participants with in-depth knowledge of the content of the YOULEAD training (Enrichment of knowledge on model contents), including different leadership styles
- Improve communication skills and capacity to work in a diverse and multicultural environment
- Encourage to act as an agent of positive change
- Initiate a personal plan of performing as a YOULEAD facilitator (own style, identifying strengths and weaknesses)
- Equip the participants with the knowledge of how to plan a training/training programme and adapt the plans in a changing environment
- Humanitarian principles and Red Cross knowledge
- Personal development
- Leadership
- Communication skills and information sharing
- Building and strengthening individual capacities
- Diversity and inclusion
- Volunteerism
- Community engagement, accountability and integrity
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Maija Erpestad Project Officer +358 40 636 0860 maija.erpestad@redcross.fi