(MeToVIM) Non-formal education: methods and tools in the world of visually impaired young people

Babilon Travel NGO launched the new project “(MeToVIM) Non-formal education: methods and tools in the world of visually impaired young people” which considers the testing and development of methods and existing tools and creating new ones,  dedicated to the work with disabled young people.

One of our major objectives is to help and encourage visually impaired young people to become active European citizens. To achieve this goal we need trained youth workers and volunteers capable to understand the world, the needs and expectations of visually impaired young people. Also there is a need of guidelines for good practices regarding activities and security, focused on the work with visually impaired young people. Non-formal education, ICT and social media platforms are other topics that used properly, massively improve the overall activities and outcomes of youth workers, teachers, educators and volunteers.

With these necessities in mind we are designing an Erasmus+ KA-1 (Mobility of youth workers) project called “Non-formal education: methods and tools in the world of visually impaired young people” (MeToVIm), meant to further develop 2 existing non-formal education (NFE) methods specially designed to familiarize youth workers; educators, teachers and volunteers with the needs and expectations of visually impaired/blind young people. Furthermore the project intends to generate new creative ideas of NFE methods and tools that could be implemented in the activities involving disabled young people, especially blind or visually impaired and/or in the training of youth workers, educators, teachers and volunteers that work with such young people.

MeToVIm also intends to achieve an important goal, that of founding an international group of experienced youth workers, teachers and educators that should act as resource for non-formal education issues. In a follow-up project, this group should meet every 6 month in an European city and discuss relevant NFE topics. Between the meetings the group can give advice online to any interested stakeholder.

MeToVIm project is part of “CONNECTOR – A Non-formal Happening”, September 2014, Cluj-Napoca/Romania. CONNECTOR is an international event dedicated to non-formal methods of learning and is integrated in the Programme “Cluj-Napoca European Youth Capital 2015”.

CONNECTOR is based on three main pillars (first two thematic oriented, the last being a support instrument): LAB+, INCUBATOR+ and CONNECTOR+. The first pillar, LAB+, aims to create a space for SHARING and experimenting different NFE learning methods and tools. Such methods and tools will be shared by resource persons (experienced professionals) in parallel workshops and training courses taking place in the first two days of the event (days 3 & 4 of our project). The second pillar, INCUBATOR+, will use, during the third day, an “unconference” methodology inspired by Open Space Technology. The third pillar, CONNECTOR+, will take place during the last two days of the event, when the participants will implement their methods and tools in the local community through shows, performances, simulations or other type of interactive activities.

MeToVIm will bring together 20 youth workers, teachers and educators, from 5 EU and partner countries, people that have some experience in NFE and are interested in learning, sharing and experimenting new NFE methods and tools, focused on the better understanding of the visually impaired/blind young people’s challenges, needs and expectations and on the improvement of the activities involving these young people.

Participants are from 5 EU countries and Erasmus+ partner countries. They are youth workers, teachers, educators, etc., working in NGOs, schools, public entities, social enterprises that have some basic knowledge and experience in NFE methods and tools. Some of the participants should have some experience in working with disabled young people, especially visually impaired/blind. The participants should have good English language skills (B2/C1).