TRAYCE supports the implementation of the Council of Europe youth sector strategy 2030 by developing the competences of youth trainers and sustaining the quality of non-formal education and training activities.
 

Strategic and institutional objectives

1. To further promote and apply the Council of Europe’s core values, approaches and priorities in the education and training activities of the youth sector and its partners, in particular through democracy and human rights education, democratic youth participation, intercultural learning and combating discrimination applying inter-sectional approaches
2. To support the quality and sustainability of the youth programme of the Council of Europe and its partners, including the renewal of the expertise of the Trainers Pool of the Youth Department
3. To update and further develop the professional profile of youth trainers in Europe and the recognition of their role in supporting youth work and youth policy
4. To contribute to the recognition, quality development and provision of non-formal education activities in the youth field and the educational work of youth organisations active at the local, national or international levels
5. To exchange about and learn from contemporary trends and realities of young people in Europe, youth work and non-formal education and reflect them in needs- and evidence-based training practices
6. To enhance the role of the programme of activities of the European Youth Centres in Budapest and Strasbourg and of capacity-building activities of cooperation projects in member states
7. To update the approaches, discourse and experiences about training and non-formal education in the broader youth sector across Europe.

Educational objectives

1. To develop the competences of thirty youth leaders, trainers, facilitators or multipliers, to act as competent and confident trainers in youth activities at national and European level based on a shared understanding of quality approaches in intercultural non-formal education
2. To deepen participants conceptual and practical knowledge of the Council of Europe’s institutional framework, values, policies, programmes and approaches underlying non-formal education with young people
3. To guide participants in extending their competences and confidence to design, run and evaluate quality non-formal education and training activities, including in blended-learning formats, through experiential learning and self-directed learning
4. To enable the participants to develop and adjust educational interventions to reflect current trends, emerging issues, needs, and communication and learning modes of young people
5. To raise self and collective awareness the ethical, professional, social and personal dimensions of working as a youth trainer in non-formal education in contemporary Europe
6. To equip participants/trainers with conceptual and educational resources to practice and advocate for the role of non-formal education and youth work in the development of a culture of human rights, democracy and non-violence
7. To connect generations of trainers and practitioners of non-formal education and encourage communities of practice, cooperation and networking among actors at various levels of youth policy, non-formal education and youth work.

TRAYCE is a long-term training course of hybrid nature. The blended work will include face to face meetings, online learning element, training practices , cooperative learning and individual guidance schemes.

TRAYCE will be based on principles of non-formal education and includes methodological approaches such as: 

• experiential learning
• taskbased learning
• individual and cooperative/peer learning
• independent and selfdirected learning
• learning within organisations, and in connection with participants’ local work and their organisation
• competencebased learning
• focus on learning outcomes translation into practical skills.

TRAYCE is a course where full and wide cooperation between the learners, the organisations they represent, local partners, Council of Europe Youth Department and the team of trainers, is essential and the guarantee for the success of the course and its results.

The course will bring together young facilitators, educators or trainers who have the motivation and need to develop their competences as trainers in non-formal education. The participants must be able to commit to the full duration of the course and all its features.

Applicants to TRAYCE are expected to:

• be aged 18-30 at the time of applying;
• have experience working as facilitators, trainers or educators in nonformal education activities and possess the motivation and need to improve their trainers’ competences;
• have some relevant experience of European level youth work through education and training activities;
• be active in, and be supported by, a youth organisation, network, pool of trainers, community etc. on local, national and / or international level;
• subscribe to the values and mission of the Council of Europe;
• have the capacity to run a training practice during the course, on themes related to the priorities of the Council of Europe Youth Department;
• be in position to multiply what they learn during the course to the wider youth work field;
• have basic ICT competences and regular access to the Internet during the course;
• be available for the whole course (residential seminars and all other features of the programme);
• reside in one of the countries state parties to the European Cultural Convention;
• be able to work in English.

 Educational team

• Ana Afonso, trainer/consultant
• Cihan Kilic, trainer/consultant
• Zara Lavchyan, trainer/consultant
• Kalle Ristikartano, trainer/consultant
• Ida Kreutzman, Educational Advisor, Youth Department

 Draft programme

 Draft programme

 About Mikel

"My name is Mikel Aguirre and I come from the Basque Country. I have been working as a trainer for the last years and I have collaborated with various associations at a local and at a European level. I have been focusing in the topics of intercultural learning, human rights education, remembrance and more specifically in the topic of minority rights specially from a national minority or linguistic minority perspective. My educational product in TRAYCE which you can find in the link below focuses on this topic and on supporting educators to work with these communities.

I am also very interested in innovation in NFE and in trying different methods and approaches. Particularly, I have been working in the field of gamification in Non-Formal Education and on game-based learning for social change and also in the use of sports as a method in NFE."

  About Busra

"My name is Busra, I work as International Youth Work Coordinator, project manager and trainer in an organisation called Amaro Drom e.V, based in Berlin, Germany. My youth work background comes from my volunteering experience in educational settings with marginalised communities. I am passionate about mental health and wellbeing, dedicated to creating inclusive spaces and empowering young people to improve their mental wellness. So my practice activity in TRAYCE was a training course on raising the capacity of awareness of youth workers around wellbeing and equipping them with practical tools for self-support. As an educational product, I have developed a digital booklet with NFE activities for youth workers to utilise in their work and support their young people around wellbeing."

 About Ralu

"My name is Ralu Baciu (he/they) and I'm a non-binary transmasculine neurodivergent activist from Romania, Cluj-Napoca. I've been an LGBTQ+ activist for five years - locally, nationally and internationally - focusing on the trans, neurodivergent, and disability rights movement, training, capacity building, and community organising. I’ve worked and collaborated with local and national LGBTQ+ NGOs as well as with international organisations, such as IGLYO. Besides, I am an English teacher who has been working with children and young people for the past 9 years. During my journey, NFE became a core tool in my approach.  Getting the opportunity to take part in TRAYCE opened new doors of possibilities and opportunities for me – developing my competences as a trainer, connecting with various institutions and organisations, but also, very importantly, meeting amazing people and becoming part of a beautiful community. In the end, TRAYCE was the friends we made along the way."

   About Flutura

"My name is Flutura, and I have been working as a Programme Officer at the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) in Tirana, Albania since 2019. For the past seven years I have been dedicated to promoting Human Rights and empowering vulnerable youth as a Trainer with various organisations. At RYCO my journey as a peace-builder focuses on Intercultural Learning and Dialogue, Peacebuilding, Reconciliation and Y-peer learning with diverse target groups.

I believe in the potential of every individual to drive positive change and am deeply committed to social inclusion and transformation. As part of the TRAYCE program, I conducted a training on Project Management for Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) in Strasbourg, France. My educational product, PEACEflection, combines mindfulness, storytelling, and introspection to explore peace through the lens of lived experiences and diverse perspectives."
 

 About Nino

"My name is Nino, and I am a certified youth worker and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) specialist, committed to empowering young people and educators through innovative educational practices. As the founder of educational centre The Other School, I create non-formal educational modules aimed at integrating SEL and human rights education into school systems. My work focuses on enhancing teachers' abilities to incorporate non-formal methods into formal educational settings. During the TRAYCE course, my practice activity centred on developing a module that connects SEL principles to human rights advocacy, helping students to understand how emotional intelligence fosters active citizenship. I am also the creator of the Human Realm board game, which challenges players to navigate survival decisions while upholding core human rights values."        

 About Sara

"My name is Sara, and I am a project manager and safeguarding officer at Youth and Environment Europe. I have degrees in International relations and International Law: Human Rights and Environmental Policies. My youth work experience spans across several fields, including intersectionality, environmental justice, and youth empowerment. I have developed and facilitated workshops focused on safeguarding, inclusivity (Empowering the Unheard project), and community-led initiatives, and I am passionate about fostering safe, inclusive spaces for youth to thrive. Currently, I am working on establishing a youth-led NGO in Lebanon, introducing non-formal education methods to empower Lebanese youth. My journey with the Council of Europe’s values has greatly influenced my work, especially through my participation in TRAYCE and other non-formal education trainings, where I’ve deepened my understanding of advocacy, youth participation, and social change."

 About Lana

"My name Is Lana. I work as a chairperson of charitable fund "Women Fund for Development" in Abkhazia. My activism started in the age of 14 when I first joined a project called "Youth Initiative" where together with other young people from my community we were developing our soft skills like leadership, public talking, intercultural communication etc which we later used for identifying issues in the community and resolving them through youth-led initiatives. Since that time I am working both on the local and international levels to empower young people and women who can become agents of change in their communities. My practice activity in TRAYCE was a five-day workshop on intercultural communication and learning in Abkhazia. And my product is the card game that focuses on exploring stereotypes (gender and intercultural. communication related) and their effect on our lives."

 About Andim

"My name is Andım and I’m an International and Diplomatic Studies Student in Prague University of Economics. I was an exchange student back in 2018, and during my exchange, my exchange organisation Youth For Understanding (YFU) introduced me to topics like intercultural communication and learning, using NFE. I got more into NFE and these topics after I got back from my exchange and I started volunteering with YFU. After becoming a trainer with them, I started working with different NGO’s as well and discovered more about NFE’s connection to social change. My practice activity in TRAYCE was a training course with Jugendbotschafter e.V. titled “Youth Ambassadors Starters Program” Also, I had the chance to develop an educational product, which was a volunteer code of conduct for volunteer based organisations. It sets a framework regarding volunteer rights and procedures, meanwhile bridging the volunteer behaviors with CoE values and human rights."

Training practice: https://jugendbotschafter.com/projects/

 About Petru

"Hi, Petru from Moldova here. From a young age I got political through the comments of the adults surrounding me, about the situation in the country. :))) That, with a frustration from things not happening made me want to contribute to a change. So I did a Bachelor in Political Science and got involved in youth organisations and a political party.
Now, I use to do trainings on participation and involvement of youth people at local and national level, working closely to two organisations, MilleniuM and EDYN. I have a big dream of providing all young Moldovans with learning opportunities in order to build a democratic society.
My practice activity in TRAYCE was a Youth Exchange under Erasmus+ titled "ACE (Active Civic Engagement) in Communities". And my product is an educational program for youth empowerment."

 About Rebecca

"My name is Rebecca, I am participating in TRAYCE as a team member of ternYpe International Roma Youth Network. My practice activity was the study session "Echoes of Remembrance: Empowering International Roma Youth Leaders in Commemorating the Roma Genocide" (link). During TRAYCE I also job shadowed another study session organised by IFHOHYP (link) focusing on advocacy with, by and for heard of hearing young people.
I mainly work on topics of (Holocaust) remembrance, antigypsyism and dealing with the past, on both European and regional level in Germany and the Western Balkans. 
With a background in cultural studies and the arts, I am also curious about the intersection of culture, art and non-formal education."

  About Evie

"I am Evie, I work for an organisation called the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research, on peace education projects with students and teachers from across the divide in Cyprus. After exploring education in schools, museums, heritage sites and even dance schools, I discovered non-formal education, which aligned with my values and won me over. 
My practice activity in TRAYCE was a youth Peace Camp with teenagers from different communities in Cyprus. The camp aimed to foster dialogue and trust, challenge narratives, and explore identities in public spaces, all while promoting a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. 
My product, Wander and Wonder, consists of a set of cards designed to support facilitators in guiding young people to examine the built environment. These cards encourage reflection on how space relates to identity, emotions, and narratives, especially in conflict and post-conflict contexts."

 About Chiara

"Hi, I am Chiara and I currently live and work in Rome (Italy). I have been working as a trainer in human rights education for the past 4 years, understanding more and more what this profession means. Right now I am working for Amnesty International Italy where I plan and carry out trainings for youth on the main issues regarding human rights violations. During TRAYCE I developed an educational product about the right to protest. It's a gamified activity that aims at preparing participants to organize protests and to join them safely. I tested the activity during my practice for TRAYCE, a forum organised in Turin in April 2023 for youth working in areas where the civil space is shrinking."

 About Nare

"I am Nare, a non-formal educational trainer with more than 6 years of professional training experience working on national, regional and international levels. Main training topics I currently cover include human rights education, active citizenship, youth participation, civic education and digital youth activism. I am passionate about the idea of lifelong education as an essential component for personal and professional growth in today's world. My practice activity in TRAYCE was a training course with ESN students titled “Digital Youth ACTivism” aimed at strengthening their capacity to foster digital participation and the usage of digital platforms for youth activism. For this training course I also utilized the educational product developed during TRAYCE which is a toolkit for online youth activism. It presents digital activism tools, examples of their usage as well as tips and instructions for effective utilization of online tools and platforms for raising awareness of important issues and bringing changes in youth activism and youth work field."

 About Georgina

"My name is Georgina, and I am a Hungarian Roma woman, trainer, and activist. My main areas of expertise are combating antigypsyism, promoting minority and human rights, intercultural learning and dialogue, and encouraging Roma and minority youth participation. I also work as a project manager at the Romedia Foundation, where we aim to foster a new media representation of Romani communities.
My practice activity in TRAYCE was a study session with the ternYpe International Roma Youth Network titled "Echoes of Remembrance: Empowering International Roma Youth Leaders in Commemorating the Roma Genocide." During TRAYCE, I developed an educational product—flashcards—to improve trainers’ competencies and teamwork."

 About Adam

"I’m  Adam, a 21-year-old from Ireland, currently based in Amsterdam. I have a background in youth organisations advocating for youth rights, nationally and internationally. I have experience designing and implementing high-quality educational programs to empower young people to create social change. Through my involvement in the Council of Europe’s TRAYCE training course, I’ve further developed my skills in facilitating group learning processes, supporting individual development, and working in international teams.

My pedagogical approach is participant-centred and process-oriented. My thematic interests focus on human rights, youth participation, and democratic citizenship while integrating topics such as digitalisation, gender, and migration into my training. I emphasise creating inclusive, value-driven spaces that encourage dialogue and reflection.

My experience includes roles in pedagogical teams for Council of Europe Training Courses, including my TRAYCE practice activity, Young Activists for Democracy, and Compasito. I also have expertise in conceptualisation and messaging, such as my work on Confidence in Tomorrow ."

 About Mila

"Hi! I am Mila, a passionate youth trainer with 5+ years of experience in designing and delivering education and training activities based on non-formal and human rights education. During TRAYCE I jumped into the shoes of the Educational Advisor at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg, which additionally improved my competencies in organising and facilitating intercultural learning with young people. This job inspired me to develop the Inclusivity and Accessibility Guidelines as my educational product, to offer guidance for better supporting young people with diverse bodies, minds and opportunities. My practice activity was the Youth Peace Camp, challenging me to learn how to support social change and empower youth from conflict-affected communities through empathy and dialogue. Overall, TRAYCE has given me a critical reflection on the social and political role of trainers/educators in non-formal education and helped me to exponentially grow as one through both theory and practice."

 About Irada

"My name is Irada Mehdiyeva, I have been and still working for various local and international organisations and NGOs as a trainer and board member working with and for youth. My main focuses and areas I constantly develop myself are following: 

• Peace and Mediation - Non-violent communication, Inner Peace, Conflict Transformation and Negotiations. 
• Gender Equity - Gender based violence, Education, Media. 
• Youth Employment and participation - Social entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Active citizenship. 

Currently, I am doing my master degree program in Japan as a fellow of ROTARY International on Public Policy in Peace Studies. My latest full time occupation was with United Nations Development Program in Azerbaijan as a youth center coordinator and trainer on long term competence building programs for youth. I do believe that the more I participate and organise training courses, study sessions, youth exchanges, online programs and youth camps the more I exchange knowledge, experience and up to date approaches that mutually productive for both sides of learners and team. TRAYCE on the other hand brought extremely useful environment that practically supported me in my practice activity on "Power of Diversity" double stages training course in Poland, e-learning, network and finally product design. My educational product is called ‘TUESDAY’ and it is evaluation and reflection method that helps participants express learning outcomes and whole process through natural elements. The product might be use outdoors and indoors and is not thematic related, meaning can be used in various topics or groups. "

 About Beatriz

"My name is Beatriz Melo and I work as a project manager and trainer on International Cooperation and Education for Development in the Youth Department of the Portuguese Red Cross - Braga Delegation. 
My background is in youth associations and networks on the local level in Braga, Portugal where I’ve been volunteering since a young age. I studied International Relations and I was able to integrate my practical experience with research on the Local Implementation of European Youth Programmes, encapsulated in my Master's thesis. I dedicate my time on humanitarian work and diplomacy and empowering vulnerable youth communities."

 About Armine

 About Spyros

"My name is Spyros and I am a passionate youth worker and young European, experienced with facilitation and non-formal education in civil society or institutional contexts. My expertise lies in the areas of external relations, policy-making & advocacy, funding and management. My thematic focus is around youth participation, diversity and inclusion. My experience in youth organisations started from the local level in Greece, before moving to the European level as the President of AEGEE-Europe and I currently work as the Secretary General of Rural Youth Europe. I have also extensive experience working with the UN and with European institutions, especially as the former Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe. As a young person who developed through NFE, volunteering and international mobility, I am dedicated in empowering other young people as well as a youth worker and non formal educator."

 About Zacharias

"In 2019, my life changed when I decided to break free from a downward spiral I was in and to go for my first voluntary experience (EVS) abroad. The growth I saw in myself after these 11 months of volunteering that was full of challenges, connections, contributions and freedom, was so empowering, to the degree that since then, I want to support people into shaping and following their own path in life. During this search, I came in closer contact with non-formal education and its potential for sparking deep personal change; and now it's the main tool I am using for supporting people in figuring themselves out. 
Lack of reflection and of being listened to have been the roots of the issues I was struggling with, and now I want to provide those to the people around me."

 About Syrine

Syrine Rekhis (She/Her) : Educator, Researcher and activist

Passionate of Non Formal Education with extensive experience in addressing Citizenship Education, Identity, Diversity, Democracy, Human Rights education and Advocacy. In the past 11 years, I have delivered 3000+ hours of training sessions and workshops with SALTO, UNESCO, Goethe Institute, Center for Applied Policy research-CAP Munich, New Tactics in Human Rights, IFMSA, AEGEE Europe and others. Passionate of writing, I write and tell educational stories for children raising awareness for their rights.
 
Active in the civil society since 2011, I worked on intercultural dialogue (using e.g. Living Library as a tool), political participation, children rights, health and migration. I co-founded and led organisations and  projects with a focus on education and advocacy. Currently President of “Voicify–European Forum for Youth with Lived Migration Experiences” that counts 36 youth migrant-led organizations,  and addresses the right of political participation.

As a Researcher and Medical Doctor, I addressed the realities of equal access to health care services, the access to valid health information, the relationship between patient-health practitioners i.e. empathy, in addition to my current work in biopsychology and neuroscience, as a research associate and PhD candidate.

 About Gianluca

"My name is Gianluca, born and raised in Italy. I currently work as a freelancer managing international projects, developing funding applications, facilitating activities and delivering contents on different topics. 
For me, youth participation is a key element of a vibrant, inclusive and just society, and for that, I have been involved in promoting and supporting different mechanisms of youth engagement. In TRAYCE, I counted on the support of DYPALL Network, a European platform of civil society organisations, municipalities and research institutions dedicated to improving democracy through youth participation. 
As a practice activity (link), I was one of the trainers of a pilot training course titled "Youth4Democracy", hosted in Lier (Belgium).
The educational product (link) I developed is a document containing qualitative guidelines for the organisation and implementation of educational activities of the National Youth Council of Italy (CNG), of which I am a member of the Pool of Trainers."
 

 About Martin

"My name is Martin, I work as an engineer and project manager and I live in Lower Saxony, Germany. I actively volunteer in Rural Youth Organisations on local, regional, and European level, currently serving as Vice-Chair of Rural Youth Europe. I'm passionate about empowering rural youth to connect, exchange, and learn from one another while fostering inclusivity within rural communities and inclusion of rural communities in broader society. My focus is on supporting young people with limited exposure outside their local area to broaden their perspectives. My practise activity in TRAYCE was a study session titled “Rural Youth Work 101: Advancing the inclusion of rural youth in Europe through volunteering and rural community-building”  which produced a toolkit for grassroots rural youth work. I also developed "Learning Logs" as an educational product to help young people set learning goals, track progress and evaluate their experiences in educational activities."

 About Kristiana

"My name is Kristiana Stoyanova and I am a freelance consultant and trainer. Since 2019, I am part of the Erasmus Student Network's pool of trainers. My background is rooted in youth work, with a strong focus on women's empowerment, diversity and inclusion, and peace and conflict transformation. I am passionate about creating inclusive and transformative learning experiences.

During my TRAYCE I created an educational activity - the study session "We choose PEACE" for volunteers of the Erasmus Student Network. It aimed to enhance participants' competencies in navigating conflict and fostering peaceful, inclusive communities.

I also developed an educational product titled "Trainer’s Rights and Responsibilities in the Field of Youth," which is more than a board game—it's a reflective tool. Through ethical dilemmas, trainers and youth workers critically examine their role in human rights education, navigate ethical challenges, and promote values like human rights, constructive feedback, and systems thinking."
 

 About Kasia

"My name is Kasia, I come from Poland but am based in Germany. I work mostly with youth from Central and Eastern Europe, especially in the German-Polish context. The main areas of my work include youth participation, gender issues and other socio-economic topics relevant to the region. In line with this, my practice activity during TRAYCE was a training for young multipliers on youth participation in the context of the 2024 EU elections. In the last time I’ve focused on working with young migrants and refugees, which I’ve explored even deeper while job shadowing a VYRE study session "Human Rights Education as a catalyst for boosting Democratic Participation of Young Refugees in Europe". As my educational product I’ve developed a checklist for working with visually impaired participants in mixed-ability groups. Its purpose is to support youth workers who have no to little experience in working with visually impaired people."