Inclusive Society Info Pack

Youth Work for Shaping an Inclusive Society

11/07/2018 - 20/07/2018

Sofia, Bulgaria

Youth Workers Training Course

Info pack for applicants

April 2018, Sofia Bulgaria

The essential information:

Name: “Youth Work for Shaping an Inclusive Society”
Dates of the training: 11.07.2018 - 20.07.2018
Dates for travel: 10.07.2018 (arrival) и 21.07.2018 (departure)
Please note that the organizers will not provide any additional accommodation
outside the dates of the exchange! If you wish to travel on other dates than the
dates of the exchange, please take contact with the organizers before purchasing
your tickets!
Please plan your trip carefully: in case your travel dates are different than the
ones above mentioned, the organizers might not be able to reimburse you!!

Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria
This training course is for participants from Erasmus+
partner countries as follows: Bulgaria, Spain, Italy Czech
Republic, Estonia, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey,
Lithuania and Greece.

Working language: English
Coordinator: New Opportunities Association

Contact for questions: Tzveta Pavlova

Tel: 359 894 46 76 94

Mail: newopportunitiesbg@abv.bg

The project:
As a member state of the European Union, Bulgaria is part of the common
European efforts to create a working and modern vision for a social Europe, taking
into account the challenges in the areas of poverty, marginalization and social
exclusion. Considering the increasingly serious social exclusion of entire groups of
the population, there is a pressing need to train people to cope adequately with the
challenges faced by socially excluded groups.
Therefore, the training of youth workers, mentors, psychologists, teachers and
educators in the implementation of techniques to reduce barriers to social
inclusion and the promotion of respect for human rights and merits is the main
objective of the “Youth Work for Shaping an Inclusive Society” regardless of social
status, religion, gender and race. In addition, it aims to increase the qualifications
of youth workers for the development, participation and management of programs
and projects, as well as communication and media campaigns that would support
the promotion of social inclusion.
Social inclusion favors the process of integration into society by providing access to
the opportunities and resources needed for the full participation of individuals in
the economic, social and cultural life of the country in which they live. As this is
also one of the objectives of the EU Sustainable Growth
Strategy, through the training methods foreseen during the implementation of the
project proposal, we will enable young people to work in it.
Participants will develop professionalism and work ethics, to increase their
capacity and skills in their work with marginalized and socially excluded
communities in terms of risk assessment, conflict management, effective problem
solving. Participants will be provided with an adapted training program with a
balance between theoretical and practical activities and formal and informal
learning methods. As a form of training, methods will be selected to promote active
participation. The use of appropriate ICT is also envisaged during the
implementation of mobility activities.
As part of the criteria for sustainable and qualitative implementation of the
activities envisaged in the project proposal, the qualification level of the teaching
and facilitation team is the same. The trainers will be selected according to their
experience in a practical environment, according to their knowledge of the field, as
well as their participation in various initiatives, projects and activities related to
social inclusion.
The project will also attract teachers and facilitators who have a clear view of the
situation in Bulgaria and Europe regarding the non-observance of horizontal
principles and basic human rights as well as with experience in working with
socially excluded persons of all ages. The team will be selected in such a way that
it has a great deal of knowledge, flexibility in teaching, methods and concepts of
innovative teaching by imposing professional standards that participants will
adopt in their working practices and daily work. The training methodology to be
set up is mainly non-formal learning, and this will require a high level of
engagement and participation by all attending representatives of organizations
involved in the project. It will focus on "learning through experience" and "learning
by doing" to focus on practical seminars, individual experiences, workshops and
brainstorming.
x For the project, each partner will send 3 participants (no age limits)
x The national groups should have both male and female
participants.

Each organization partner must to select participants and prepare
their groups.

Venue

Bulgaria

Capital and largest city: Sofia

Official languages: Bulgarian

Official script: Cyrillic

Currency: Lev (BGN)

1.956 BGN = 1 EUR

Time zone: EET (UTC+2)

Summer (DST): EEST (UTC+3)

Drives on the: right

Calling code: +359

Bulgaria is located in Southeast Europe, in the northeast part of the Balkan
Peninsula. It is situated closer to the Equator than the pole. It falls within the
southern part of the temperate climate zone with subtropical influence. Its
location on the transition line between two climate zones influences the climate,
soils, vegetation and animal species. All of them are characterized by great
diversity. The country’s geographic position angle of sunlight that falls on the
country, making the country predominantly sunny.

Weather:

Winter (Dec ² Feb)

Temperatures fall rapidly in

autumn, and snow is common over

much of the country in winter. Many

coastal resorts close down

completely, but the ski resorts are in

full swing between December and
February.

Spring ² Autumn (Apr²May) (Sept-Oct)
Spring and Autumn are great time to visit Bulgaria. The weather is warm,
though evenings may still be chilly. All the sights and attractions are open again
after winter, and there are fewer tourists around. September is also pleasant.

Summer (Jun²Aug)
Expect high temperatures, bright sunny days and warm evenings throughout
Bulgaria during high season. The Black Sea coast, especially, is at its busiest and
most expensive at this time.

Mountains & Forests

With no fewer than seven diverse mountain ranges criss-crossing the country,
Bulgaria is a true haven for hikers, mountaineers and anyone interested in
wildlife and the great outdoors. An extensive system of hiking trails and huts

makes it easy for walkers to enjoy the country's rich and varied landscapes.
Unspoiled alpine forests, lakes, waterfalls and bubbling streams are all there to
explore; bears, lynx and wolves still roam and activities from skiing and
snowshoeing to caving and kayaking are all available.

Black Sea Beaches
It isn't hard to see why so many foreign – and Bulgarian – holidaymakers
descend on the Black Sea coastline each summer. The long, professionally
maintained sandy beaches at the big resorts are the equal of some of the most
popular Mediterranean destinations, and, if you just want to relax, top up your
tan or try out some water sports, there's nowhere better. Away from the parasols
and jet skis you'll find smaller, more traditional seaside towns ideal for young
families, as well as ancient settlements with cobbled lanes, quaint wooden houses
and long, fascinating histories. Even the coast's two big cities, Varna and Burgas,
have attractive beaches within minutes of their busy urban hearts.

Public transport tickets: 1.60 BGN (in Sofia), around 1BGN in other cities

Water: safe and drinkable

Sofia

6RILDLV%XOJDULD·VFDSLWDODQGLWVODUJHVWWRGD\ city
At present, the city has a population of 1,250,000.

Sofia is located in the western part of the country, on The Sofia Plain and on the
lower slopes of Mount Vitosha. The city’s a sea level, the climate is moderate and
continental characterized by cold winters and relatively cool summers.
One of Europe’s youngest capitals, Sofia a settlements, stretching back several
millennia from ancient Thracian and Celtic tribes through the Romans, Slavs
and Serdica. Some excavation sites are now open to the public. Of course since
the late 19th century (after the country gained its independence from the
Ottoman Empire), Sofia offers a wealth of other historical and cultural
attractions from Ottomans to the present day. This impressive heritage lends the
city a highbrow historical element to accompany the great food, drink and party
vibe Sofia has always been known for.
The full extent of the city’s ancient found decade with the building of the metro.
As bulldozers worked to lay rail, they unearthed whole streets, intact houses,
baths and churches dating back almost 2000 years when Sofia was a Roman
provincial capital, Sofia, in the Vitosha, Lozen, and Stara Planina (Central
Balkan) Mountains, over the centuries so many monasteries have been founded
that they came to be known as in Sofia’s.
Opportunities for sport and recreation in the capital are many and varied –
outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, modern gymnasiums and sports halls,
and parks.

Like every big city, Sofia has something for every taste. There are a great many
luxury hotels, including those that are part of international hotel chains. There is
also a wide variety of hostels and smaller family guesthouses. There are a
multitude of discotheques, restaurants, bars, piano bars, folk clubs, taverns, fast
food and many other kinds of entertainment.

You as a participant will:

x Learn more about yourself
x Learn how to collaborate with young people
x Learn which are the youth worker competences
x Learn how to listen actively, ask powerful questions, communicate directly and

create awareness
x Learn how to help the young people, develop projects and initiatives
x Gain skills to motivate and support young people, leadership skills
x Exchange experience with other people employed in the youth sector
x Discuss challenges there are for you in your work with young people
x Learn how to empower young people and your colleagues using the methods of the
informal learning.

Your profile as a participant:
x You are employed in the youth sector or are working with young people
x You are trainer, educator, social worker or volunteer
x You are facilitator of non-formal learning
x You want to learn new working non-formal techniques in your work with young

people
x You are ready to use the new competences further after the training in your own

professional area
x You have your own motivation and strong arguments to participate in the

training course
x You have willingness to spread the results of the training and to promote what

you have learned in your community
x You have a sufficient level of English as a working language – basic knowledge
x You are committed to being active during the whole process of the training –
preparation before, the course itself and evaluation afterwards

The goal of the selection process is also to ensure a diverse group of participants - people
working in a variety of sectors, which will bring different experience to the project.


Inclusive Society Info Pack

PDF file: Inclusive-Society-Info-Pack.pdf