STEPs4LIFE 4 Training of Trainers in Indonesia

The training was organized by International Initiatives for Cooperation Bulgaria funded by Erasmus + Programme and hosted by IIWC Indonesia

1^st-11^th October 2015

Trainers:

Prof. Rumen Valchev (Open Education Centre, University Professor of Sociology, Former Vice-Minister of Education in Bulgaria)

Virzhiniya Tsekova Valcheva (HOPE Association)

David Raigal (Vice President of International Initiatives for Cooperation Bulgaria)

Valentin Fidoshev (Project Coordinator of International initiatives for Cooperation Bulgaria)

Partner Organizations:

International Initiatives for Cooperation (IIC) Bulgaria, Open Education Centre, Bulgaria, Hope Association Bulgaria, IIWC PKBI Jawa Tengah – Indonesia,  Vive Mexico, In Movement: Art for Social Change Uganda, Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly (YSDA) Philippines, Solidarités Jeunesses Vietnam, Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN) Nepal

STEPs4LIFE is the third project from series of “STEPs” projects that started six years ago. The first STEPs was “STEPs4NGOs” followed later by “STEPs IN”. STEPs4LIFE series of 3 ToT as the first one was held in July 2015 in Mexico, the second in October 2015 in Indonesia. The third training is planned to be organised in Vietnam in February 2016 and will be followed by a Summit Meeting in Bulgaria to discuss the programs and the continuity of the project.

The aim of STEPs4LIFE is to enrich the methods of non-formal education with trainers from six partner countries from Asia, Latin America and Africa. Non-formal education is believed to improve the creativity, to stimulate the self-development and to contribute to enhancing the personal and professional performance of young people.

During the trainings the participants can share and learn from each other methods and approaches in field of non-formal education applicable on the three continents. After the trainings, the participants are expected to develop their methods and create a multiplayer effect in their community by offering trainings to local youth groups based on the knowledge and experience that they have gained.

STEPs4LIFE ToT in Indonesia was held from 1^st to 11^th October 2013 and encompassed various activities:

1. Five days of training with NFE expert trainers
2. Visit to the Education Office of Semarang City to know how the government of Semarang organises and implements programmes for youth.
3. Visit to the PGRI University Semarang to know how non-formal education is being adopted and applied in the university
4. Two days of training with 93 students from the PGRI University Semarang delivered by the NFE experts from the partner countries as a test phase after the training of the NFE experts

 In the first five days, the participants shared and discussed what formal education is and what makes non-formal education (NFE) different, where the position of NFE in the education is and where it is supposed to be. In these training days, the participants got lots of input from the facilitators as well as from the other participants about the methods that they use. They also shared the challenges and difficulties which they face in organizing and delivering NFE activities in their home country.

The participants also had the opportunity to visit the Education Office of Semarang City and the PGRI University Semarang during the study visits. They shared and learned from these two institutions about their practices in field of NFE. It was a very nice opportunities for both participants and the host institutions because they could enrich their knowledge in that field.

After the visit to the institutions, the participants were led back to the training room. This time they had a special task to design a two-day training programme with around 90 university students. The participants were divided into four groups. The main theme was group effectiveness and it included sub-topics like work in small and big groups, team building, different kind of leadership styles and the roles in the group.

Each group did a good job. It was visible from the reaction of the students and their evaluation. Almost all of the students noted that the training met their expectations and they would like to get involved in similar trainings in the near future.

From the participants’ side, they also have acknowledged the enhancement of their knowledge on the topic and the improvement of their work performance. All of them had the great opportunity to put in practice their experience in a multicultural environment and to be awarded with the satisfaction of the involved university students. That test phase served as well as an impetus and a strong motivation for the NFE experts to continue that work back in their home countries on local or international level, by further contributing to the development and diversification of NFE methods.

Eleven days in Semarang the participants had the opportunity to explore and enjoy the hospitable Indonesian culture, its food, traditions and the fascination of the daily life.

The training was a good success also due to the warm welcoming, reception and logistics of the host partner IIWC Indonesia who created an appropriate learning environment and supported the trainers and the participants in all aspects.

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