Capacita-te( Empower Yourself

FAJDP Collectively

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Organization and country: FAJDP, Portugal Target group: Youth organiztions, youth leaders, youngsters Age group: 16 - 99 Context / Learning environment: NonFormal Education Practical information: be open minded What materials are needed: according to sessions Duration: 1 year Group Size: 15-30 Level of difficulty for learners: non Short description

The Capacita.te Program began to be developed in 2015 by realizing a need for training for youth associations and young people in general interested in having greater and better civic participation.

Since 2015, Capacita.te project has been developed by FAJDP in partnership with the Youth Department from Porto City Hall. Capacita.te means something like “EMPOWER Yourself”, giving the idea of “To Train” and is the answer for the Local Training Plan developed by Porto City Hall Youth Department and executed by FAJDP. Portuguese Young people feel - too often - that political decision-making structures are working away from them. This felling includes local power structures as City Halls as well. Through training sessions, and with close involvement of local power, FAJDP promotes

a set of actions in different fields, giving to participants important tools for the future and the opportunity to contact with Porto City Hall politicians and Youth Workers in an informal environment. This plan is developed for the whole year and a set of session and training are scheduled. All actions are based in non-formal education and put together people with different backgrounds – graduates or not, employed or not, students or not, Association leaders or not.

How does the approach engage citizens/learner?

The trainings are select taking in account the needs of the target groups. Also, because it privileges non-formal education methodology with practical exercises, peer-to-peer activities, reflection and evaluation moments and because it is flexible and can be adjusted in the moment.

Which co-creation moments are included?

Since the beginning of the method, FAJDP involves target groups in the process. By understanding their needs, expectations, creating moments to share opinions and to evaluate needs. Making them feel that the project is for and with them and designing the working plan with them. By making the adjustments needed according to the evaluations made during the project. Pedagogic/methodological aspects

All Sessions were based on non-formal education – practical games and role-playing, group dynamics and participatory exercises. All Sessions brought together people with different characteristics and backgrounds (with and without associative membership, with and without higher education, with and without knowledge about Youth Policies, Youth Workers or not, etc.).

SWOT

Strength This Training Plan is open to everyone who wants to participate, without need of specific background. Weakness Only 7 or 8 hours of training per theme is not enough time to explore and experience everything. Opportunities Promote the exchange of knowledge between different groups of people – specially during the Bootcamp – is an opportunity to share different points of view. Threats To promote this kind of Training is expensive –we need to pay to trainers, provide coffee breaks and work material. We can only continue to do this as long as Youth Department from Porto City Hall pay for it.

What kind of change is created?

- youth associations, youth workers and youngster with more skills and knowledge about the subjects of their interest; - youth associations, youth workers and youngster with more competences to use non-formal education; - more involvement and engagement of the target group in the youth field and in youth associativism - We believe that the associative training program – Capacita-te, allowed enrichment in the development of new activities by young people, using new dynamics associated with management practices, socio-cultural sharing, communication, non-formal education and group dynamics; - The interest and participation of young people in this training program has been increasing, highlighting its importance and the need to expand and develop new actions; - The moments of training and sharing among the participants themselves, represent an important contribution to the establishment of networks of experience and information, tools and resources capable of positively altering the work developed in each association and / or of the projects and initiatives related to their civic participation.

Which aspects are transferable?

As long as a durable and sustainable partnership exists, with a City Hall or other type of organization who has the capacity to finance this activity, all aspects are possible to be transferable.

Bootcamps for opportunities

Since 2015, when Capacita.te started, more and more people are interested on participate. Last Bootcamp count with people with less opportunities who had the opportunity to spend a weekend in a different context. After Bootcamp, one of these young participants was invited by a Youth Association – who had meet him in these activity – to become a Community Facilitator in a specific project for youth, promoting peer education.

Conclusion

To have a Training Plan for youth is not new. But have it with a partnership with a City Hall and build it with the youth policy perspective and needs is something different in Porto.