Curriculum: Inclusion of different abilities’ youngsters through NFE and youth work 

The curriculum “Inclusion of different abilities’ youngsters through NFE and youth work” is an innovative resource for youth trainers and coordinators aiming to educate, support and mentor youth workers and trainers in using non-formal education and youth work with different abilities youngsters, for inclusion and interaction of theirs in their community.

The focus of this curriculum is initially to address the needs of its target group of youth workers who have certain experience in general NFE principles and methodology. The curriculum also addressed the needs of youngsters with disabilities and their inclusion in NFE activities. The content of the curriculum comprises of introductory parts (summary of the project, background of the curriculum, and recommendations for future trainers organising similar training courses), detailed training programme with division of sessions for each working day (morning and afternoon structured).

The structure of developed sessions include practical recommendations, additional resources for reading and materials needed for the implementation. This is done with the purpose of offering a more practical and useful material for youth workers and trainers/educators/peers engaged in youth work.

The specific objectives of the curriculum are:

• To establish the basis of the training’s programme and initiate the getting to know process for the participants in order to better identify the backgrounds and abilities of each other;
• To share realities and experiences about social inclusion of young people with disabilities and their needs addressed in different countries;
• To create a common understanding on the key concepts and terms on social inclusion of young people with disabilities and use interactive methods to further strengthen the knowledge of participants;
• To set up the basis of understanding the concepts of formal, non-formal education and informal education, and further explore on the NFE opportunities and methods;
• To create space for reflecting on NFE activities and adapt them for easier accessibility when working with young people with disabilities;
• To develop participant’s competences on social inclusion of people with disabilities by providing with practical knowledge and offering simulation activities;
• To explore positive practices in the local communities about youth work for inclusion of different abilities youngsters;
• To give participants the space to reflect on the competences gained in the programme and use them for developing and presenting NFE inclusive workshops for different abilities youngsters in their local community;
• To create space for simulation of developed NFE inclusive workshops and putting the knowledge gained into practice;
• To create space for presenting and testing the developed workshops, as well as get feedback for further improvement of the work;
• To get some insight into inter-sectoral cooperation and hopefully motivation to work on new collaboration with public institutions in such topics;
• To use this training course as inspiration and motivation for participants to get more engaged in sending organisations and communities afterwards in the NFE and youth work for inclusion;
• To create space for recommendations to youth workers and educators multiplying this training course in their future programmes.

The curriculum and sessions developed are based on the principles and methodology of non-formal education; this comprising of role plays, interactive games, group works, plenary discussion, individual activities, reflective exercises, theoretical input, as well as exchanging of existing realities and practices as a learning technique.

In order to be eligible for the training course, participants need to fulfil the following criteria:

• Be active youth workers and trainers with education in NFE principles and methodology, (willing to get) involved in inclusive youth work activities; be willing to empower other youth workers and mainstream and marginalised youth through NFE;
• Be able to be fully engage in the training course and for the whole duration;
• Have interest and willingness to multiply the obtained knowledge;
• Committed to organise follow-up activities in the local community after the participation in this programme;
• Have willingness to create partnerships with other participants coming from different organisations and countries;
• Be above 18 years old and have a desired knowledge of English language in order to follow the programme.