Study Session: Understanding intercultural competences for youth and exchanges

Strasbourg, France: 17-24 October 2010

This study session aims to increase EEE-YFU and YEU International 's understanding of the role intercultural competence plays in supporting youth exchanges, identify ways to better nurture the development of these competences and ultimately aim towards increasing the quality of intercultural youth exchanges.

As volunteer based organisations, both YFU and YEU have large networks of staff and volunteers who support youth participation in youth exchanges.  These youth workers help to prepare the participants of youth exchanges, provide support, and accompany their learning process during the exchange, and facilitate follow-up after the exchanges.  Both YFU and YEU provide training to these volunteers and youth workers, however, until now, there has been too little work done in looking at precisely which skills and competences are necessary, namely intercultural competences, to support quality youth exchanges.  In addition, although they often receive training in intercultural learning, there is a clear lack of tools and coherent approach to accompanying volunteers and youth workers to develop intercultural competences in the course of their work with youth exchanges.  This study session will look to address these issues, and will specifically aim to:

• Provide a space to allow for identification and expression of volunteers' needs in relation to their self-development and daily work in the context of European intercultural youth exchanges;

• Define the components of intercultural competence needed in the context of youth workers who support intercultural youth exchanges;

• Develop a deeper understanding of competence development through volunteer work and non-formal education in Europe;

• Identify and improve tools for intercultural competence development to support volunteers, trainers and youth leaders engaged in intercultural youth work across Europe.