Description of the basic module

The main focus of the basic module is to give the participants an opportunity to share methods of intercultural learning for European youth meetings according to "open space" technology. For this purpose we will meet in Ev. Jugendburg Hohensolms / Tor-Weg-Wohnung (Hesse, Germany) to exchange experiences and competencies in adventure-based and media pedagogy, applied drama, communication and music during a series of workshops. The variety of the participant's expertise will make a great contribution to this informal training programme. Whereby, both the transfer on youth meeting situations and an evaluation of the chosen methods are of great importance. All participants can decide on the spot which of the simultaneously running workshops they want to take part.

photo: Philipp Hofmann

For one day, experts from scientific and practical fields will be invited. This symposium titled “Interculturalism: a practice experienced by a European elite?” will provide an opportunity to discuss about equal opportunities to participate in European youth meetings as well as current challenges of everyday interculturalism.

Subsequently, participants can further their knowledge in adventure-based and media pedagogy during the advanced module of the Interactive Workshop of Europe.

Participants

The target group of the Interactive Workshop of Europe - basic module are 30 motivated multipliers: youth directors, students, and people working full time or as honorary members in the vocational fields of education, art, culture or other social sciences. The participants of at least 21 years of age must live in Austria, Italy, Poland, France or Germany. As the workshops will be held in English, an solid knowledge of English is required.

For more detailed information about participation and registration, please have a look at our contact page.

Programme and objectives

The idea of the Interactive Workshop of Europe based on the principle of „open space“ emerged due our criticism of “classically” structured trainings, whereby forced roles (trainer vs. participant), predetermined curricula, as well as the false entitlement to maximize input in the shortest possible period tend to dominate. Being young organizers from 5 European countries, we are convinced that for international encounters, as well as within a society, intercultural learning is one of the key skills of the 21st century. For us, it is of great importance that... participants will be fully integrated in the realization of the project. intercultural learning, intercultural competence, and the development of solidarity and tolerance are promoted. young professionals can network Europe-wide. the quality of European youth work can be improved. To get an impression of the workshops that are to be hold, have a look at our workshop page.

European Dimension

The participants will be from Poland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. During the training, we abstain from professional translation in order to reproduce the reality of European everyday-life, as well as to encourage participants to mingle with people of different nationalities and overcome language barriers. This we understand to be an essential prerequisite for obtaining a feeling of European identity. The cultural diversity is one of Europe’s main characteristics and therefore becomes one of our most important principles.

The atmosphere on the spot

The basic module of the Interactive Workshop of Europe will take place in Ev. Jugendburg Hohensolms / Tor-Weg-Wohnung (Hesse, Germany). The site was deliberately chosen by the organizers to create an atmosphere, in which interculturalism can be consciously experienced. All participants and mentors will be accommodated in the erstwhile charge offices of the castle, the so called Tor-Weg-Wohnung (the apartment above the archway). Well-equipped seminar rooms are at our disposal in the castle situated nearby, where the workshop will be conducted. The aspect of informal learning will be implemented by cooking our meals together. Different regional receipts suggested by participants in advance will be prepared. Moreover, all every-day tasks will be shared by participants together. It is also very important to give participants enough free time during the training for an informal exchange.

Further information: pictures and a detailed presentation of the site, How to get there?

Documentation

The catalogue of methods that will have been compiled is going to be distributed in two different ways: next to a DVD that will be given to every participant, the gathered workshop content will be put on a data base on our website. Besides further literature suggestions about intercultural learning, practical tutorials from the training workshops will be available online.

Youth Pass

We would like to give participants the possibility to obtain the Youth Pass, a certified document from Youth in Action, underlining the meaning of this informal learning experience.