Train the trainer: Designing effective trainings for renewable energy transitions | 3 Days - LATAM - English language

Capacity development and cooperation are essential for advancing the energy and industry transition in a sustainable and equitable manner. Civil society organizations, research institutions, and think tanks play key roles in providing science-based evidence, advancing policy solutions, and fostering inclusive dialogue. Sharing knowledge, experience, and skills across energy and industry transition actors is crucial to accelerate change.

To design and deliver of effective capacity development formats, topical experts need a strong foundation in didactics and learning design, along with a practical toolbox of methods and approaches that go beyond presenting information to create interactive, participatory, and engaging formats. Such formats motivate participants to leave with concrete ideas, plans, and actions, ensuring actionable learning and more impactful, empowering experiences.

The Train the Trainer program organized by Agora and e+ (Brazil) aims to flip the perspective with which training design is approached. Instead of starting from what knowledge could be shared, participants will learn to shift their focus towards intended learning outcomes and the specific needs of their target group. Such a demand driven approach can improve the impact of any knowledge sharing activity and ensures that key messages and skills are absorbed. 

Participants completing the Train the Trainer will be equipped to design and develop their own robust, interactive learning formats for CSOs on any climate and energy-related topic. 

Specifically, participants will be able to:  

1. Identify the specific needs and characteristics of their target groups and develop concise, targeted learning objectives that ensure participants of their learning or knowledge transfer formats leave with their knowledge gaps filled and practical skills acquired.
2. Identify, select and apply interactive learning tools and approaches for their own learning or knowledge transfer formats to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among participants by creating learning environments that encourage dialogue, exchange of ideas, and collective learning.
3. Brainstorm, develop, and review plans and content for exemplary learning formats of their choice (session, webinar, event, workshop, training) for CSOs on climate, industry and/or energy-related topics, ensuring they are practical, engaging and aligned with the intended learning outcomes.
4. Apply improved skills using a variety of tools, methods, exercises, visual aids, and interactive activities to create dynamic and participatory learning environments that maximize learner engagement and knowledge retention.

Active learning, or ‘learning-by-doing’ is one of the core principles of Agora's trainings. In this vein, the Train the Trainer program includes laboratory workshops: group work sessions where participants design their own knowledge sharing formats using the learning-focused tools and methods described above. These laboratory workshops will benefit from guidance provided by Agora content and training experts. Participants will leave the training with the foundations for developing training and learning formats as well as a basic structure for their own learning format. 

The training program is designed to be a mixture between theoretical input, hands-on exercises, group work and inclusive discussions that encourage participants to identify best practices from their own work context. We strive to create a healthy and safe, informal learning environment, where collaboration is encouraged and where mistakes are celebrated as part of the learning process. 

This training is reserved exclusively for non-profit think tanks, CSO and research institutes from Latin American ODA-recipient countries. Eligibility criteria to be met by organisations and their applying staff are

• Application as a group of 2-3 staff members jointly developing a training idea
• Non-profit organisations based in a LATAM-ODA recipient country
• Organisations with an interest in delivering (or already having started delivering) trainings
• Participants should have relevant technical knowledge on their intended training topic(s)
• No prior experience in training development or delivery required
• Participants must have sufficient English proficiency

• Access to the 3 days' training with no fee
• 4 nights’ accommodation
• Breakfast and lunches during the training days
• Contribution to flight costs (roundtrip) to/from São Paulo (contribution to flight cost of max. 700 EUR per participant for an economy flight)

• Visa costs
• Any local transport during the training days
• Dinners
• Any incidental expenses outside of the trainings

• each participants' current role in developing and/or delivering workshops, trainings, or other learning and knowledge exchange formats;
• each participants' anticipated future role in designing and implementing such formats.

• your organisation, its core areas of expertise, and the role that capacity development formats play within the organisation;
• the planned workshop, training, or knowledge-sharing topic(s) for which this Train the Trainer program is relevant, including the intended target audience(s);
• an overview of past and planned future trainings delivered by your organisation.