Between 18-24 May 2021, Monomyths Association facilitated an intensive training course on “leadership and positive intelligence” for 27 youth workers from 9 NGOs from Spain, Poland, Republic of Northern Macedonia, Lithuania, Greece, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Romania. “In My Element” project is co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Commission.
The international project “In My Element” offers leaders and youth workers from European NGOs a learning expedition in three stages:
1) Find the inner leader; 2) Become a better leader; 3) Lead the future. During the seven-day training course, they have experienced a selection of interactive methods, specific to education in a non-formal context, to support them in becoming leaders in crisis situations and to develop key skills needed to work with young people. At the end of the learning process, all participants have received the Youthpass European certificates.
In times of crisis such as the ones that we are currently experiencing, NGOs are challenged to test their ability to react and adapt. At the same time, a bigger challenge is to test the leadership skills of their youth workers, which are even more important given the impact they have at the local level, through the community programs and services provided to young people.
We have noticed that leadership in the context of working with young people is largely externally oriented, on how to lead and influence young people, how to influence and convince them to reach their potential. Before doing so, it is recommended that youth workers learn how to access their own “inner compass”. Moreover, by developing positive intelligence, they become ready to face great challenges, to be balanced and to continue their personal mission with confidence and energy.
Within the project, together with the 27 participants, a working tool for NGOs will be developed: “100 Inner Leadership & Positive Intelligence Action Cards”. Moreover, through the simultaneous local events “27-in-1 day” in June, the trained youth workers will test a selection of thematic activities integrated into the card collection with hundreds of young people from the 9 local communities.
