The Purpose of the Youth Empowerment Workshops
A fundamental aspect to the 2 Month Project are the Youth Empowerment Workshops. These workshops will take place in the second month of your project. They are active and engaging and are designed with our partners to be cross cultural and impactful. If you were in any doubt about what the purpose of this is, read below.
The Purpose
The purpose of the workshops is to stimulate grassroots discussions on topics that are relevant and important to all young people today, often not regularly openly discussed in community settings. The subjects that have been identified by our program partners were chosen as being directly relevant to youth in Fiji now. The workshops are a fantastic opportunity to facilitate an opportunity that is unique and exciting, through cultural exchange allowing for the development of all involved. No one needs to be an expert… positive participation is all we ask for to ensure tangible outcomes for all involved.
The initiative also comes with the overriding purpose of encouraging attributes and awareness amongst young people in rural areas of Fiji, the leaders of tomorrow, where future change is made real in the next generation.
Funding from your participation also not only funds the initiative itself but contributes to year-round support the Think Pacific Foundation provides to our local partners and the community you visit.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For You
- Developing inter-cultural competence and ability to successfully communicate within a foreign cultural environment.
- Adaptability to changes in your own and foreign cultures.
- Tolerance: while working in teams, learn to listen more attentively, to respect each other’s opinion, team-work and team-spirit.
- Personal Skills: personability and set-up of sessions allows you to grow in confidence and communication.
- Appreciation of diversity: appreciation of the opinions and values of others, sensitivity to cultural diversity, and becoming more aware of your own context.
- Broader Perspective: Reconsider the cultural framework you have been brought up in and acquire skills that will enable you to observe and analyse encounters with diversity and to extend these beyond the framework of your own culture.
- Critical thinking.
- Soft skills: Presentation skills, time management, resilience, communication.
For Community Youth Members
- Engaging in topics that may be taboo subjects and coming to reflect on how they may be responded to on a community level.
- To encourage personal growth in the form of a boost in confidence, communication skills, team working, leadership, time management and presentation skills.
- Financial support for those involved and the youth group of the community.
- Any outstanding individuals can be highlighted for scholarship / employment opportunities.
- Appreciation of diversity: appreciation of the opinions and values of others, sensitivity to cultural diversity, and becoming more aware of their culture.
- Broader Perspective: Reconsider the cultural framework they have been brought up in and to acquire skills that will enable them to observe and analyse encounters with diversity and to extend these beyond the framework of their culture.
- Critical thinking.