Braunlage, small idyllic village in the mountains of Harz In the Northeast of Germany. Attractive touristic place as well in winter and summer. Provides fun for sports such bicycling, skiing, hiking and paragliding.  Place with wonderful  nature, in the middle of the national park of Herz, fresh air, green landscapes and peace that everyone would wish to escape from the urban jungle and take a break.

Baraunlage is where in the period from March 30 to April 7, 2017 representatives of the Volunteer Center Skopje Ivana and Rushid, along with three young trainers from Macedonia Alexander, Alexandra and Nenad had the opportunity to be part of the training for trainers titled “It’s up to 4 me “along with 30 young people from Belarus, Germany, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey and Greece.

The basis of the project was intended for all future youth trainers to enable them to strengthen their responsibility for the transfer of knowledge within the organization, as well as organizing and implementing the projects. Informal methods of education were the main tool of training through practical way where participants had a direct opportunity to be placed in the role of trainer/participant.

In the given deadlines to prepare and implement activities in order to achieve their objectives.

The objectives of the training were:
– “Know-how” – to provide the participants with information about how certain things should be done, why things are done a certain way, what is hiding behind a well organized project, to be part of the decision-making, in preparing activities and the necessary changes  for adjustments depending on the situations.
– Improvement of soft skills of the participants, such as public speaking, presentation skills, self-expression, listening skills, etc.

– Provide methods and tools for implementation of workshops – different types of simulations, building team spirit in the group, brainstorming , creating a learning environment, creative environment, etc.
– Workshops which involved emotionally self-knowing, listening to your body and emotions. Being on stage / reflector to be aware of what is going on inside you and to develop the ability to manage yourself.
– Provide feedback to and from the participants. It is important to get feedback, to do it again in order to see how is increasing the level of receiving information from the participants in the project
– To showcase different styles of trainers. Trainers from different backgrounds and professions who have very different styles that helped participants to see different approaches and ways of working that leads  you to find your own unique style in the future

– Besides mentoring and feedback during the project, in this edition of the project is introducing  the process of 6 months mentoring for all participants after the project, until participants next or first experience of conducting training.

– Personal self-reflection – Sometimes young trainers  are not aware of the qualities they have and the things that they know. Self-assessment as a tool for participants to evaluate what is good and things still need to be learned .
– Critical thinking – participants had the opportunity to analyze everything and the opportunity to develop critical thinking. After each workshop to analyze why the trainers have done this or that- review of daily activities;

– Opportunities for quality training and experience. Opportunity to organize future partners projects, creating a pool of trainers, and a further opportunity to be shadowing-trainer .
The trainer is not only person who comes for a project, doing several workshops and leave. The trainer is much more than that – someone who cares for the participants, who possesses great management skills and is capable of great improvisation in crisis situations.

The role of the trainer as a “beast” of training has the stitches in his hands to keep control of the group and  to manage group dynamics for greater interactivity.
To adapt the planned activities according to the level of participants or modify certain activities depending on the situations arising during the project in order to successfully and superb realization of the project.
Body language, facing  with crisis and emergencies, public speaking and maintaining the interactivity of the group at some level are the tools and skills that every future trainer  needs to have it in the implementation of projects and training.
Despite good planed and fulfilled  agenda of activities of the training, the idea of the project organizer Darko Mitrevski was excellent, with what we had in cooking together in national teams and presenting  our  country through food, customs and habits which each nation brings with themselves, or recognized by the others.

Preparing for a delicious traditional Macedonian dinner, role-play to  present the Macedonian wedding tradition, customs and how to welcome guests and to celebrate . An excellent way of bonding and teamwork of the national team.
Final conclusion for one trainer – As a major actor on the training, the trainer is the one who is leading the project, holds the group of participants at the level of the project goals, implements the activities in order to meet the expectations of the participants . And all of that gives the success of our work and the quality, and all of that IT’S UP TO US !!!

Ivana Angjelovska

Rushid Mahmud