Youth Worker
Training Course Portugal

The second day was led by the German team, and it was a masterclass in theatre! We explored performance techniques so effectively that even the most soft-spoken members of our group felt empowered to participate and learn.

We began with a sentimental icebreaker designed to connect us emotionally rather than just physically. This set the stage for a workshop on theatre-based youth work facilitation, where we learned techniques for guiding young people through improvisation and role-play.

To put these theories into practice, we engaged in role-play scenarios involving AI and ethical decision-making. It was a fascinating experience to explore such modern themes using only our voices and bodies. We also reenacted childhood experiences, both the joyful moments and the difficult ones, such as bullying. By contrasting these emotions, we practised tools for comforting others in distress and learned how to provide support when we are struggling ourselves.

The third day was led by the Portuguese team focused on Hate Speech and Cyberbullying, specifically exploring how major social media platforms react to these issues and help the groups being targeted.

We started the day with a small interactive presentation and real-world case studies. This was complemented by a role-play game where we learned about the specific criteria used by platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit. Using those criteria, we had to decide in groups how to handle real examples of posts targeting minorities. Afterward, we had a short discussion on how these situations are handled in our respective countries and whether the criteria differ.

We continued with another presentation designed not just to raise awareness, but to present practical tools for empowering youth through media literacy. The day finished with one last debate game, where one group represented the targeted groups trying to find ways to convince the moderators (the other group) to delete certain posts.

The fourth day was led by the Greek team and focused on using storytelling tools to resolve conflicts.

We began with a short presentation on how to use storytelling to empower youth, followed by a debate where we shared our opinions on this theme. Afterward, we took part in a fun, interactive energizer involving throwing a bag to one another. The goal was to "release" feelings as if the bag represented our "invented emotions." We continued the day with activities where we practiced storytelling and acted out various conflict scenarios.

Later, we participated in a workshop focused on strategies for managing conflicts in both online and offline settings. This was followed by the construction of our own unique puppets. It was a very powerful and funny experience to perform with them; we felt secure enough to express ourselves freely because it was the puppets performing rather than us.

We finished the day with a group discussion about the challenges in conflict resolution, when we shared personal experiences from our own lives and discussed how we handled those situations in the past versus how we would solve them today.

The fifth day was led by the Romanian team and focused on digital rights and how they influence young people’s sense of safety and freedom online.

 We began with a mini-game where participants answered questions about freedom of speech, privacy, and data protection. A rope was placed on the floor to represent a scale from 0 to 10, and we positioned ourselves along it depending on how strongly we agreed or disagreed with each statement. This activity encouraged reflection and opened the discussion for a presentation on digital rights. Afterwards, we also took part in a short role-play where we wrote key words on paper to express ideas related to the questions raised. 

Later, we took part in a workshop on techniques for organising and leading webinars and workshops. We discussed and shared ideas about how to empower young people in the digital age. 

To conclude the day, we participated in a small theatre role-play in which we acted as both victims and abusers in a court debate about digital rights. This activity helped us better understand different perspectives and the importance of protecting young people online.

The sixth day was led by the Irish team, and the focus was on deepening our understanding of digital tools and learning how to use them effectively.

The day began with a short presentation on how digital tools can be a wonderful methodology for empowering youth. We held a debate afterwards, which was crucial for exploring our questions and concerns regarding these digital methods.

Following a quick energiser, we moved into the main activity: creating a storyboard for a digital story focused on situations involving targeted groups. We aimed at real-life scenarios such as racism, bullying, and harassment, and put our ideas into practice by creating a short video using AI video tools. It was incredibly fun to see a real video based on our invented stories; the process was so simple and easy, yet it took our creativity to another level.

We finished the day with feedback on all the work we had accomplished, a final assessment, and the certificate ceremony.