The 7-day-lasting international training course “2C is the KEY!” targets youth leaders and youth workers and aims at raising their competences in communication and coaching, and thus the empowerment of young people. The event will take place from October 13-21 of 2014 in Predeal in Romania, close to the famous castle of Dracula, in the Carpathian mountains. 32 participants from 8 EU countries will take part, together with 2 experienced trainers from Romania and Austria. The expected long-term impact is improved pedagogic quality in youth work and more opportunities and better conditions for young people for active participation, among other supported/expressed by/in new ERASMUS+ projects. MAIN OBJECTIVES • to provide youth organizations with an understanding of the concept and practice of Coaching and Communication • to experiment different tools and exercises from Coaching and Communication field • to offer the tools and the understanding for using and improving different personal and organizational processes in connection with the training theme • to develop competences and abilities in communication, project management, team building • to use and improve non-formal education methods • to have a glimpse at intercultural learning with coaching and communication tools • to create an environment that would favor the organizational, professional and personal development of the partners working in education and volunteering field across Europe METHODS AND APPROACH The training course will be based on the specific needs of the participants and partner organisations, and will be highly participatory. Diversity, e.g. in the group of participants, will be considered as a resource for the exchange and transfer of competences, as well as special attention is paid to the intercultural dimension of the project. There will only be few frontal lectures, the main part of the training course will be delivered in the form of practical sessions implemented by the participants in a learning-by-doing fashion, using the full toolbox of non-formal education and experiential learning. The trainers will take care of creating a supportive and safe learning environment, where participants are encouraged and coached while mastering challenges that contribute to their personal, professional and organisational development. The learning takes place both on individual level as well as in synergetic group processes, while always based on the participants’ needs. Special attention is paid to making the learning points of the training course relevant, sustainable and transferable, eg by producing exhaustive documentation and by providing templates for tailor-made development and action plans. KEYWORDS/TAGS: Erasmus+, Youth in Action, KA105, quality in youth work, coaching, communication, empowerment, training course, active participation of young people, intercultural learning, non-formal education, learning to learn