The training course was
organized by Freguesia de Cascais e Estoril, the Portuguese partner of the
project, and took place in the beautiful
city of Cascais (Portugal) from the 22nd to the 26th of January. This 5 days' training course
approached social entrepreneurship and innovation from a very practical point
of view. There was a strong focus on learning by doing, especially since the topic is very much linked to the transversion of ideas into actions. The training course aimed to give a practical approach to social entrepreneurship. Planned in accordance with the principles of non formal education it had four main stages: “Chaos & Order” - from creativity to organization; “Balance” - work within a group; “Into the practice” - developing a project to put ideas into action (Tree of problems/Dragon Dreaming); and rounding off with “Opening towards the future”. Designing the course in this way was meant to provide insights and learning opportunities to all the participants.
A strong aspect was the opportunity that was offered to the participants at several moments during the week to wear a “meta-hat” and analyse the activities and process from a youth worker's point of view, establishing how they could use the exercises and approaches in their local contexts.
This experience was built on both individual and group learning, always respecting participants' needs. Every single day reflection groups were set up in order to enhance and reinforce what had been learned that day.
Upcoming
By the
end of this March project partners will meet in Cascais to discuss project
progress and agree on the most appropriate tools to share results with a wider
audience of youth workers and stakeholders.
More updates on a regular basis can be found on the Facebook page of Sustain Your Life through Social Entrepreneurship.
