About the Project

The Erasmus+ Training Course Cool Facilitators brought together 20 facilitators, youth workers, and volunteers from across the ASEY Network for eight days of learning and collaboration in Mezőberény, Hungary. The activity was hosted by the Hungarian partner Legaramlat, providing participants with an opportunity to explore how Artificial Intelligence and digital tools can enrich non-formal education while preserving the importance of meaningful face-to-face learning experiences.

Throughout the training course, participants exchanged experiences, reflected on the evolving realities of youth work in the digital era, and strengthened their competences in designing engaging, inclusive, and human-centred educational activities for young people. As AI continues to shape the everyday lives of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, the programme encouraged participants to critically explore both the opportunities and challenges that digital innovation brings to youth work.

Using a combination of workshops, simulations, peer-learning activities, group discussions, reflection sessions, and collaborative design exercises, participants experimented with blended learning approaches that integrated AI-powered tools with participatory non-formal education methods. By testing practical facilitation techniques, sharing experiences, and developing new ideas together, they created a collection of good practices and recommendations that will support the ASEY Network and its partner organisations in delivering more engaging, relevant, and impactful Erasmus+ youth projects in the future.

Objectives

1. Enhance participants' facilitation skills by equipping youth workers, facilitators, and volunteers with the competences needed to effectively integrate Artificial Intelligence and digital tools into face-to-face non-formal education within Erasmus+ youth exchanges.

2. Encourage the sharing of experiences and successful practices by creating a collaborative space where participants can exchange innovative methods, practical tools, and approaches that respond to the evolving needs and digital habits of young people.

3. Foster the use of blended learning by exploring how AI-powered technologies can complement experiential learning and participatory methods, ensuring that digital innovation strengthens rather than replaces authentic human interaction.

4. Co-create and improve innovative educational methods through collaborative design, testing, and evaluation of interactive, inclusive, and learner-centred activities tailored to the expectations and learning styles of Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

What Happened During the Training Course

Over the course of eight days, the Cool Facilitators training course provided participants with the opportunity to explore the changing role of facilitators in an increasingly digital world. Bringing together youth workers, facilitators, and volunteers from across the ASEY Network, the programme focused on finding practical ways to combine Artificial Intelligence with non-formal education while ensuring that meaningful human interaction remained at the heart of every learning experience.

The programme opened with icebreakers, team-building activities, and sessions dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive, and collaborative learning environment. Participants jointly established the group's working principles and expectations, laying the foundation for open communication, mutual trust, and active participation throughout the mobility.

As participants became more familiar with one another, they began exchanging experiences from their own organisations and communities. Through discussions, collaborative exercises, and peer-learning activities, they explored the realities of youth work in different countries and reflected on how the digital behaviours of Generation Z and Generation Alpha are reshaping the way young people learn, communicate, and engage in educational activities.

A significant part of the training focused on Artificial Intelligence and its growing influence on youth work. Participants explored a variety of AI-powered and digital tools, discussed ethical considerations related to their use, and assessed how these technologies can support learning processes without diminishing the essential role of the facilitator. Practical workshops encouraged experimentation, critical thinking, and the responsible use of technology in educational settings.

Working in international teams, participants then designed and facilitated their own blended learning activities, combining AI-supported resources with participatory non-formal education methods. These sessions were piloted within the group, followed by structured feedback and reflection, enabling participants to improve their facilitation techniques and adapt their activities based on practical experience.

The educational programme also included a study visit to the nearby city of Békéscsaba, where participants discovered elements of the local culture and community. Beyond its cultural value, the visit strengthened intercultural dialogue, informal learning, and networking among partner organisations.

One of the key achievements of the training was the joint development of the Cool Facilitation Approach—a practical collection of principles, methods, and recommendations for integrating Artificial Intelligence into Erasmus+ youth activities while maintaining inclusive, participatory, and learner-centred non-formal education. This resource will serve as a valuable reference for organisations across the ASEY Network when planning future youth exchanges and training activities.

The final sessions were dedicated to evaluating the overall learning process, recognising participants' achievements through the Youthpass Certificate, and discussing future opportunities for cooperation. Participants concluded the training with enhanced digital and facilitation competences, a wide range of practical educational tools, stronger international partnerships, and renewed motivation to deliver innovative Erasmus+ projects that respond to the opportunities and challenges of the digital age.

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