To educate, we have to educate ourselves

The esplai is education, leisure-time education supported by the personal commitment of the youth leaders’ will.

The esplai is a school of active citizenship, where both the youth leaders and children learn. Learn to participate, to make decisions, to meet other people and to be in contact with the environment in a democratic way, becoming an experiential school of active citizenship and committed with its social and cultural environment.

Solidarity, commitment, friendship, cooperation, integration, justice, secularity… These are some of the values the esplai believes in and promotes. It is a constant learning process, but in this process the youth leaders have a special responsibility as educational agents, so in order to educate we also have to educate ourselves. This is why there have to be meeting, exchange and training spaces.

The youth leaders are trained at the school of the MLP, the Escola Lliure El Sol.

The training programme of Esplac and the Escola Lliure El Sol has several target groups:

1. INITIAL TRAINING

- Esplai introductory course: aimed at teenagers and young people, between 16 and 18 years old, who are interested in knowing the duties and tasks of a youth leader. It is a reflection space in order to become aware of the responsibility of becoming a volunteer and a leisure-time educator, to get to know the ideology and educational project of Esplac and to acquire the basic tools to become an esplai youth leader.

2. BASIC TRAINING

- Youth leader course: aimed at youth leaders who wish to broaden their theory and practice: psychology, social environment, culture and values, concept of leisure time, education, ideology, educational project, evaluation systems, organization of activities, management resources, etc. The course lasts 275 hours (100 theory, 150 practice and 25 for the report) and grants the Leisure-time youth leader diploma of the Catalan Government.

- Techniques day: made-to-measure trainings for the esplais and Geographical Sectors of Esplac. If the esplai realises there is a training need, a specific training can be required. Here there are some instances of the training courses available: how to deal with the finances of the esplai and grants; communication skills to hold meetings; generation shift and participation at the esplai; working with the families; how to develop a communication plan at the esplai; let’s talk about sexuality with the young people; dances and songs; emotions, drugs and the family; educating to avoid abusing; violence in children; how to do an international exchange, etc.

- Geographical sector meetings of youth leaders: week-end meetings held once a course by the esplais belonging to the same geographical sector. During these meetings, the sectors carry out made-to-measure trainings according to their needs and they have the opportunity to meet each other to exchange experiences and participate in debates, discussions, etc. Every three years the Youth Leaders Meeting, the Monifesta’t!, which gathers all the youth leaders of the member esplais of Esplac, is held.

- Advice sessions in case of children with special educational needs: aimed at the esplais and Geographical Sectors interested in receiving professional advice regarding one or several cases with special difficulties.

3. CONTINUING AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING

- Director course: aimed at youth leaders who already have the diploma and would like to increase their knowledge, either because they are the responsible person of the esplai or because they want to study in depth the subjects of the course: group dynamics, the youth leaders’ team, the director’s role, legislation in force, infrastructure and organization, organization management, etc. The course lasts 140 hours, plus the practice and grants the Leisure-time director diploma of the Catalan Government.

- Specialized monographs: aimed at those who would like to study in depth a specific subject such as: organization management, first aid, mediation and conflict resolution, group dynamics, etc. It lasts 15 hours.

- International training: it is a training based on experience which lasts between 5 and 12 days. There youth leaders learn about the organizational reality of other countries, exchange good practices, define joint projects, become aware of cultural diversity, approach the local-global work, etc. An international training does not necessarily imply travelling abroad.

- Leaders’ school: It is aimed at the people who are leaders (director, responsible person, etc.) of the esplais and/or members of the leaders’ team of Esplac. The leaders of the MLP member associations are also invited to participate in the course. It is held once a course and it lasts a weekend.

- Training for trainers: aimed at the people who are directly involved in the organization, promotion or realitzation of the different training actions of the Escola Lliure El Sol.