Last October I had the chance to take part in an international training of trainers in Rimini, Italy, as part of the Mind Over Screens project. Six countries were involved — Slovakia, Italy, Finland, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina — and each one sent two youth workers. So we were twelve people in total, all there to share our work and learn from each other.
The training was built around the Mind Over Screens handbook and curriculum, which covers six chapters:
CHAPTER 1
Digital Citizenship and Online Ethics
CHAPTER 2
Online Safety and Privacy Protection
CHAPTER 3
Critical Media Consumption
CHAPTER 4
Managing Your Digital Footprint
CHAPTER 5
Digital Wellness and Self-Care
CHAPTER 6
Empowerment and Advocacy in Digital Media
Each of us came prepared with a workshop connected to one of these topics. We took turns facilitating, and after each session the group gave feedback — what worked, what could be clearer, what they’d try differently. It was not only practical but also honest, which made it actually useful.
What made it valuable
The mix of countries really made a difference. Everyone brought a slightly different approach depending on where they work and who they work with. Some things that seem obvious in one context don’t land the same way somewhere else, and having that pointed out in a safe space is genuinely helpful. I got some new ideas for my own sessions just from watching how others approached theirs.
The feedback rounds were probably where I learned the most. It’s one thing to have a workshop you’re comfortable with — it’s another to have twelve people from different backgrounds engage with it critically. You notice things you’d stopped noticing. I even learned to give feedback to others in a gentle but critical manner, which is a useful skill to have.
Personally speaking
I’m still pretty new to youth work, and when I joined the training I was quite literally just starting, so being in a space like this — alongside people with much more experience — was a big deal for me. It was encouraging to realize I actually had things to contribute, and it also helped me see more clearly where I want to grow. Having a small network of youth workers across Europe who work on similar topics is something I didn’t have before, and it already feels like a resource.
I can’t wait to continue working on this project. Mind Over Screens has become something I genuinely care about, so being able to bring it to local youth trainers and students feels meaningful.
