Nurturing Hearts - An Erasmus+ Training for Youth Workers

Course Highlights

• Overview of the mentoring environment

• Essential qualities of effective mentors

• Storytelling as a mentoring tool

• Practical tools to motivate young people toward positive futures

• Risk management and boundary-setting

Delivered across four intensive days, the training covered:

• Understanding attachment and trauma through the lens of disadvantaged young people

• Communication skills, including active listening and empathy

• Risk management and boundary-setting in mentoring relationships

• Use of the Handbook and Training Guide as a resource for organizations

Group reflections, case studies, and hands-on activities to strengthen mentoring practice

The Erasmus+ Nurturing Hearts project stood out for its experiential approach. By engaging in role-play, reflection, and peer learning, participants not only developed new competences but also gained the confidence to apply them in real-life mentoring environments.

For PANGAEA, participation in this initiative reinforced our commitment to advancing youth work interventions that promote social inclusion, resilience, and opportunity for disadvantaged young people across Europe.