Peer-to-Peer Learning in AYF Generation 2
The biggest strength of a program such as AYF is its people. The fellows are young, talented individuals with international experience, multidisciplinary backgrounds, and a vast amount of knowledge worth sharing with the world. That is why the idea of peer-to-peer learning was born. The initiative focused on exchanging practical knowledge and skills among fellows to create further opportunities for professional and personal development.
‘Peer-to-Peer’ took various forms, and methods for exchanging knowledge remained flexible. Some people received individual career counselling advice, some others held language classes (e.g. Russian). Yet, the most successful aspect of the project were the group workshops. Fellows designed and moderated training and skill sharing sessions based on their personal areas of expertise.
The first few workshops were organized as trials and focused on such topics as graphic design (by Ankit from India), photography (by Toon from Thailand), video editing (by Jason from Singapore), language learning methodologies (by Nick from England), and leadership & career progression (by Saurabh from India). After successful implementation of these sessions, the project was incorporated into the official curriculum of AYF. Since then, different fellows have conducted a variety of workshops.
Catherine from Kenya ran two workshops on potential tools to analyze and improve work performance, during which participants had a chance to analyze their own working styles and learn about different conflict resolution strategies to fit them based on their results.
During a workshop run by Waheed from Nigeria dedicated to personal finance management, fellows learned about the importance of responsible handling of their individual budget as well as good practices to ensure their financial wellbeing. He encouraged the participants to share their tips and suggested useful mobile apps and online resources.
Erin from Australia conducted a workshop on the principles of zero-waste lifestyle and sustainability. Fellows learned easy-to-apply techniques to reduce their waste and be more conscious of what they purchase.
Svetlana from Kazakhstan moderated a series of workshops on teambuilding, personal development, and improvisation theatre based on her experience in non-formal education. Through individual and group activities, participants learned how to improve their skills in teamwork, cooperation, and communication.
Rosakebia from Peru prepared a presentation about different youth opportunities abroad and talked in particular about her participation in the Thailand Village Academy. Her experience taught fellows about existing practices to promote rural areas using digital marketing and resulted in an interesting discussion between fellows.
Santiago from Colombia organized a lecture focusing on leadership and networking, where he talked about his experience at the Kectil Youth Leadership Conference in Atlanta, USA. Fellows learned about the power of networking and gained useful tips to enhance both their leadership skills and communication abilities.
By the end of 2019, the initiative had logged over 240 hours of individual learning time for AYF fellows. The immediate impact is hard to measure, but the long-term benefits are clear. The workshops gave fellows the opportunity to discover something new, which in the future can help them grow both personally and professionally. Moving forward, it is hoped that the peer-to-peer project will motivate people to keep learning from those around them, and become a platform for further cultural and professional collaborations.
Author: Santiago Martínez