As part of OUR WAY strategy delivery and our focus on Youth Empowerment, the World YMCA is organizes every year the “Programme Innovation Camp” which will focus on training and sharing of best practices in order to scale up youth empowerment initiatives and deepen YMCA’s Involvement in strategic areas. The Innovation Camp will train and support YMCAs interested and with the mandate to extend its work through specific initiatives and themes as follows:
1. Ten Sing- Youth Leadership Development through performing arts
2. Civic Engagement
The particular programme/methodology is yet to be chosen – The focus will be on supporting young people to get civically active through education and advocacy.
3. Environment Action/Advocacy
Training of Environment Activists to deepen the YMCA work on environmental issues at the national level.
4. Mental Health
YMCAs will be trained based on the experience of the Project from YMCA Vancouver “YMCA Mindfulness Programme” – For young people to learn healthy coping tools to manage anxiety, connect with other young people and receive support—all in a safe and friendly community environment.
5. Youth Empowerment Training (Pilot Initiative)
A new training programme under development to train young people on key youth empowerment issues. This is part of a future unified curriculum and methodology which aims to certify different soft skills on young people that makes them more employable, civically engaged and healthier. This programme can embrace existing similar initiatives though global unified methodology and certification (The specific flagship programme is under development)
6. PlusOne Mentoring
Plusone mentoring is a programme developed and delivered by YMCA Scotland that engages young people aged 8 – 14 years who exhibit a range of risk factors that indicate they are in danger of entering the Youth Justice system. This programme is successfully being ran across Scotland and in Montreal, Canada.

Participants and YMCA Profiles
We are looking for YMCAs committed to work on implementing/extending those initiatives in the next 24 months. This means the sending YMCAs already have basic understanding of those initiatives and are planning on their implementation/extension. The successful candidates are volunteers or staff members (Minimum 18 year of age) of the YMCAs able to communicate in English and assigned by their YMCAs to lead pilot initiatives upon return. Participants are also expected to join an online preparatory meeting for proper briefing and preparation.
For the Mental Health Training: The representatives of the YMCA for this training must have some background on Psychology/ Therapy either from professional experience or students close to graduation you consider mature enough to understand and deal with mental health related issues. Should you have doubts or have other profile to suggest, consult us.

Costs Sharing and Logistics
When: September 20-24
Where: Hotel Central Résidence & SPA – Route du Belvédère. 1854 Leysin, Switzerland
Important: Recommended Arrivals at GVA Airport, September 20 no later than 16h. Departure from GVA not before 16h.
Train Station for Arrival: Leysin-Feydey

Number of Romanian participants: max 4.

The cost for Romanian Participants  is CHF 35

Please find here more details and registration form: EN – Programme Innovation 2018 Call