The COMANITY Training Programme combines self-directed learning supporting youth workers and volunteers to learn at their own pace, through ‘scaffolding’, with collaborative learning methods (in online groups and with the COMANITY team) to:
- generate their own learning content, using their practice experiences
- share their experiences and learning
- apply it in practice, through on-line Assignments and in ‘Action Learning workshops’
- assess their progress, through self-assessment, external assessment from the COMANITY Training team and through peer review and ‘benchlearning’ activities, culminating in a final assessment and accreditation of their learning outcomes.
The training programme is aligned with the Community Animateur Competence Framework so trainees can acquire the skills they need to become successful Community Animateurs.
It covers:
- Community Animateur Foundation course. This is a modular on-line course comprised of modules that link to the three ‘competence domains’ in the competence framework – Emotional Intelligence; Community Animateur-specific competences and Digital-enabling Competences. Learners work with a mentor to customise their learning programme based on the results of their competence assessment.
- Knowledge Space: The COMANITY HUB – a collaborative learning space for learners and training team to share comments, questions, feedback and upload content, using blogs and other social media, and the COMANITY discussion forum
- Applied Learning – trainees carry out an Assignment, applying the learning from the programme to design a Community Animateur activity, related to their own practice, and take part in Action Learning workshops, delivered by the Programme team
- Monitoring and Support – each trainee is assigned a mentor from the project team, who will be responsible for monitoring the learners progress providing on-line support as required
- Assessment and accreditation – at each milestone stage in the programme (completing a core module; completing an assignment) learning outcomes will be assessed. Learning outcomes and progression are accredited and certified by COMANITY.