As part of the two-year project VALLEY – Validation System in Lifelong Learning Experiences of Youth Volunteering – co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme (Key Action 2 – Strategic Partnerships in the field of Youth), a Training Course for staff and professionals from partner and volunteering organisations took place in Timisoara (Romania) from 9th to 13th of May, hosted by APOWER.
On occasion of the Training Course 18 participants from Germany, Austria, Italy, France, UK and Romania had the opportunity to discuss innovative ways to raise awareness on the topic of evidencing and validating informal learning gained through volunteering activities in terms of personal and social competences. In particular the course was aimed at creating a better understanding and know-how on the assessment, validation and documentation of competence developments in youth volunteering (especially concerning NEETs) through a comparison of the different national situations, good practice examples as well as brainstorming and workshops on important issues for volunteering work such as mentoring and volunteers’ self-reflection through individual learning projects.
Then a study visit to a local volunteering organisation working with autistic children was followed by extensive sessions about the LEVEL 5 methodology, which represents the VALLEY validation system to assess and document individual competence developments for the three dimensions of knowledge, skills and attitude along five ascending quality levels. The work-in-progress platform for VALLEY LEVEL 5 will be tested through a pilot assessment with a group of young volunteers in each partner country during the next six months.
The next partnership meeting will take place in Glasgow (UK) hosted by BEMIS in September 2016.
Lastly, the campaign for the European Award on assessing validation in volunteering will be launched in early autumn 2016 and the winner will have the chance to attend the final Conference, hosted by Eurocircle in Marseille (France) at the beginning of the year 2017.
More information about the VALLEY project can be found at: valley-eu.org or for further information please contact: youth@cesie.org
