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Boost the Buzz

2024-3-DE04-KA153-YOU-0002656352024Mobility of youth workersfinalizedGood practice
Countries: DE|ES|IT|FR|HU|RO|CY|TR|HR|PT|CZ|SK|LV · Grant: €29,988
Quality and innovation of youth workPromotion of alternative forms of participationNew learning and teaching methods and approaches

Objectives

The main intention behind Boost the Buzz (BtB) was to strengthen the quality of mentoring and support offered to young people engaged in international mobility projects. We wanted to address a gap that many youth organisations experience: while a great deal of attention is given to preparation and implementation of mobility activities, structured follow-up and emotional support after volunteers return home often receive far less focus. Our goal was to equip youth workers with the competences, tools and confidence needed to accompany young people through the entire mobility cycle - before, during and after their experience. The project set out several clear objectives. First, we aimed to improve the mentoring skills of youth workers, in order to allow them to better support them during all the phases of a volunteering cycle (before, during and after), to recognise moments of demotivation, and to provide effective guidance and mentoring. This included different elements such as improving communication, active listening, facilitation and reflection skills. A second objective was to develop practical methods and resources that could be directly used in daily youth work. This led to the creation of a comprehensive Boost the Buzz Toolkit of Mentoring Activities, co-created by participants, tested during the Training Course and refined collectively. The aim was to produce a resource that could support youth workers across Europe in strengthening their follow-up structures. Another key objective was to promote peer-to-peer learning and create a space where youth workers from different countries could share the realities of their organisations, the challenges their volunteers face, and the good practices they have developed. To achieve this objective, we decided to have a co-creative approach to the programme and the project in general. Each participant contributed at least one method or activity, and this resulted in the representation of diverse youth-work contexts. Boost the Buzz also aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity. It brought together a very diverse group, from over 20 International Organisations, and with different levels of experience, various backgrounds, ages, and cultural and educational backgrounds. This enriched the project and strengthened the relevance and impact of the tools produced. Strengthening European cooperation was another important aim. We wanted to create a durable network of youth workers committed to improving mentoring in the long term. This objective was achieved beyond expectation through several networking sessions and meeting. Furthermore during the project we had the opportunity of having the first in-person meeting for the creation of "BRIDGE", an emerging international network, in which several of the organisations present in BtB are part. With this new network, we want to exchange tools, support each other, explore opportunities for future Erasmus+ collaborations and increase the quality of educational opportunities for young people and youth workers. At a broader level, the project wanted to contribute to several European youth-work priorities, such as those outlined in the European Youth Work Agenda and the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027. The goal was to focus on quality learning, mental well-being, inclusion, sustainable practices and active participation. The project aligned closely with these frameworks and helped strengthen youth work at local, national and European levels. Finally, we wanted to create opportunities for visibility and networking. We organised an International Association Fair, in which local and international organisations and collectives were invited and in which each partners presented their organisations, built connections and identified future cooperation possibilities, in the form of different project ideas. This supported the long-term goal of deepening European collaboration in the field of youth mentoring.

Project partners (21)