Capacity Building of Youth Workers Against Xenophobia Through Empathy
A training initiative that strengthened youth workers’ skills in combating xenophobia through evaluation tools, empathy-based learning, and intercultural cooperation.
Young people and youth workers participated in this youth project supported by the Spanish National Agency (INJUVE) and the European Union.
In our consultations with project partners, we outlined the evaluation methodologies to be used in assessing project deliverables. To begin with, a questionnaire will be used to gauge participants’ familiarity with and experiences related to the project’s theme. An awareness survey will be developed and disseminated via Google Forms prior to the mobility phase and at the start of the project, aiming to assess participants’ awareness of their emotional states and their ability to manage them effectively.
Additionally, participants will be asked to complete a Google Form in which they outline their motivations for taking part in the mobility activities. These forms will also support the selection of the youth workers who will join the initiative.
Throughout the course, daily activities will be assessed collaboratively by group leaders and participants. Both parties will provide feedback on achievements following each exercise. Based on these summaries, an end-of-project evaluation report will be compiled using digital project platforms.
For evaluating project success, we have established concrete and measurable indicators to assess effectiveness and impact. These include:
- Number of participating organisations: The project aims to involve 30 youth organisations initially, expanding to at least 100 over time.
- Number of youth workers trained: Initially, 32 youth workers will be trained, with a subsequent increase to 100 through annual seminars and workshops.
- Publication of online news: Each participating organisation is encouraged to publish a minimum of 10 online news articles about the project on their websites during its duration.
The evaluation process will be overseen by our project support team, composed of experienced youth workers and field experts. Using a range of methods including informal discussions, surveys and feedback sessions, both strengths and areas for improvement will be identified. Participants will also maintain evaluation diaries to reflect on and assess the activities.
Continuous evaluation will help identify emerging needs and challenges, allowing us to adapt project activities where necessary. Pre- and post-workshop assessments will measure the impact on participants’ knowledge and attitudes, with a strong focus on promoting sustainability beyond the project’s lifetime. Dissemination tracking will monitor the reach of project outcomes, while an inclusivity impact review will assess the project’s success in promoting diversity and inclusion.
