How Do You Empower Youth To Develop SELF-Leadership Skills?

Fostering safe spaces where people can EXPLORE deep communication and understanding to EVOLVE in 4 key-areas: relationships, conflict resolution, time management, creativity

During our learning together, participants…

• GROW awareness, NOURISH empathy, PRACTICE self-care
• BOOST autonomy & LEARN how to learn
• ENGAGE with different perspectives and WELCOME diversity and inclusion
• IMMERSE in creative exercises and CONNECT in multicultural teams
• STEP INTO the unknown and TAKE UP new challenges
• UNDERSTAND how they think and DEVELOP meta-cognition
• EXPERIENCE the coaching process to SET GOALS and TAKE ACTION towards meaningful changes
• REFINE interpersonal skills to SUPPORT OTHERS flourish too
• … and so much more!

Feedback

Erasmus+ Projects Attended

+ links to event dissemination articles

2025 Romania – Adulții învață 3.0 Training Course on Erasmus+ Project Writing in the Field of Adult Education (KA1, KA2)

• Organiser: ANPCDEFP – Erasmus National Agency (Romania) | București (RO) | August 20-22, 2025

Writing European projects has been on my mind ever since my first international experience in an Erasmus+ program back in 2020. Grateful for being selected to learn and share “Erasmus language” (erasmeza) to build meaningful projects in the field of Adult Education. Having to choose between focusing on short-term mobilities (KA122) or small scale partnerships (KA210), I chose the latter. Short-term mobilities suit organisations that are new to the field of European projects, so it made sense I develop skills and support NGOs that are at the beginning of their project writing for Erasmus+ financing. This event enabled participants to network and find potential local partners to build projects with, encouraging us to dream big and plan in detail for a successful E+ project submission.

2025 Romania – ToT – Be the Trainer the Youth Need Training Course

• Organiser: ASK Yourself NGO (Romania) | Bușteni (RO) | March 29 – April 6, 2025

This program blended empathy, self-leadership and practical learning for 27 participants from 6 countries – Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Serbia and Spain. My main focus was to update facilitation skills, while supporting fellow youth workers grow as instructional designers. Our multicultural group, named Empatheam, worked together to co-create and deliver an engaging workshop for local high school students, putting into practice the NFE tools and techniques we had previously learned. Teens experienced peer-to-peer connection, self-awareness and reflection. At the end of the program I offered a 2-hour closing workshop for all participants to integrate learnings and experience various coaching tools that they can creatively use in their future work – building blocks, embodied grounding exercises, guided visualisation, flashcards. Full story here.

2025 Croatia – Building Resilience Training Course

• Organiser: Udruga Amazonas (Croatia) | Fužine (HR) | March 9-16, 2025

Developing resilience as a coach is essential to stay focused, present, balanced and effective when supporting others through challenges. 24 participants from 11 countries – Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain – got together in this project to both experience new theories and practices (TRE – Trauma Releasing Exercises, Polyvagal Theory, Thai Chi, Butoh Dance) and contribute forward as facilitators. During participants’ open sessions, I showcased fellow youth workers (psychologists, psychotherapists, teachers and social workers) an embodied imagery exercise designed to help us find grounding before stepping into our professional roles. I also shared how coaching tools like building blocks, visual cards or mental frameworks can help us structure complex information and manage emotions. As the only coach on this course, I kept open throughout the informal conversations, offering colleagues time and space to vent, reflect and navigate their own learning journeys. These moments of deep connection helped us all integrate personal and professional changes, ultimately strengthening our resilience and enhancing our ability to support the young people we work with.

2024 Cyprus – SkillGrow – Youth Work Mastery in Action Training Course

• Organiser: ASK Yourself NGO (Romania) | Paphos (CY) | October 11-19, 2024

Building expertise as facilitator also means to continuously expand our learning toolkit to better support others. Which is why this project on nonformal learning tools was so valuable to me! A diverse group of 24 youth workers from 5 countries – Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Romania and Spain – explored more than 40 practical NFE tools and methods like Octalysis, Forum Theatre or Nonviolent Communication. Each offered us unique ways to engage young people creatively, empathetically and with a clear learning intention. During the program I had the opportunity to showcase a live coaching demonstration with a volunteer, blending the art of asking powerful questions with insights from neurolinguistic programming (NLP) techniques. This hands-on demonstration offered observers the chance to reflect inwardly, as the coaching questions sparked personal insights and helped them dive deeper into their own learning process. It highlighted how powerful inquiry can foster growth not just for the coachee, but for everyone present.

2024 Türkiye – Fostering Critical Thinking in Youth – Concrete Tools to Beef Up Your Critical Thinking Skills , TC 2

• Organiser: RPJA – Reseau Professionnel de la Jeunesse en Auvergne | Sakarya (TR) | February 29 – March 6, 2024

This course was the second stage of the program on critical thinking that started in France 6 months before. In Türkiye I attended as both participant and first-time guest facilitator in an Erasmus+ training course. I was invited to deliver an introductory workshop on Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) specifically related to developing critical thinking skills. Participants explored how language shapes thought and tools to identify cognitive patterns that may limit or empower their actions. I also facilitated a live coaching demo session using building blocks, a tool that helps individuals map out their thoughts, emotions and behaviours, supporting greater self-awareness and critical reflection. These experiences allowed participants to connect critical thinking with the coaching process in a deeply personal, hands-on way. My contributions were also included in the FREE Pocket Guide created collaboratively by participants, which features 26 practical tools and activities for educators working in both formal and nonformal settings. Full story and free pocket guide to download here.

2023 France – Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? – Fostering Critical Thinking in Youth, TC 1

• Organiser: RPJA – Reseau Professionnel de la Jeunesse en Auvergne (France) | Clermont-Ferrand (FR) | September 11-18, 2023

This course was the first stage of a comprehensive program on critical thinking that took place in France and Türkiye, 6 months apart. TC1 brought together 26 youth workers (trainers, teachers, coaches, learning facilitators) from 6 European countries – Cyprus, Croatia, France, Spain, Romania and Türkiye – aiming to develop analytical skills, enhance problem-solving, foster meta-cognition, promote media literacy and encourage open-mindedness in working with youth. Next to my own intense development, I used the coaching-based mindset in all group sessions, inspiring participants to connect critical thinking with self-awareness and personal growth. Open-ended questions and embodied reflection enabled youth workers experienced how critical thinking can be nurtured not just cognitively, but also emotionally and intuitively, supporting more authentic, grounded work with young people. Full story here.

2020 Luxembourg – Youth Work in Digital Era International Conference

• Organiser: Anefore asbl (Luxembourg) | Luxembourg (LU) | January 14-17, 2020

My first Erasmus+ work & learn experience, attending both as coach/ facilitator and experienced communicator with a background in advertising & digital marketing fields. The event reunited 80 youth workers from 19 European countries, encouraging digitalisation, peer learning, exchange of best practice and sharing of various nonformal tools and techniques that grow youth engagement. There was also a tool fair where I represented Romania among 20 international stands of digital learning tools. I was the only non-tech exhibitor. My booth, titled “Who are you without the internet?”, showcased creative, human-centred learning tools such as building blocks, image cards, scenario/ storytelling dice, hand-puppets, self-reflection questions and coaching techniques. These captured participants’ attention, offering a refreshing contrast to the digital-heavy context and reinforcing the idea that technology is a tool, not a goal! After the conference, I was invited to run a dissemination event at the Teacher Training Center (Casa Corpului Didactic) in the town of Buzău, attended by 25 teachers, youth workers and school inspectors. My workshop #AerDeLux, part of the #cafeneauaMERITO event series, promoted meaningful educational practices and extended the conference’s insights to the local Romanian context. Full story here.

_{© AI animated illustration by @muhammetlord of international E+ team at TC2 – “Concrete Tools To Beef Up Your Critical Thinking Skills” in Sakarya, Türkiye (Feb-Mar 2024)}

_{*images – Service National de la Jeunesse (Luxembourg), Sorina Gavrila, personal archive}