Lead It Up

Lead It Up is a weekend leadership skills training course (Friday evening – Sunday afternoon). The training will give you skills in managing international projects and volunteers in a multicultural environment, i.e. you will learn how to lead an international team, how to plan activities and how to turn plans into reality. Through workshops, games, and simulations, you will gain a theoretical foundation in the management of volunteers and youth projects with international participation. Our other training course Step Up and Lead training is focused on acquiring practical skills.

After successfully completing the training, you will receive a certificate proving your participation in the training and the knowledge and skills you have acquired. You will gain skills that you can use directly in practice and immediately.

What will you learn thanks to the Lead It Up?

  • how to organize an event with the international participation
  • the project management
  • how to lead and motivate young people
  • how to be a good leader and gain new skills for your CV
  • how to communicate with volunteers, representatives of partner organizations, and the local community
  • tips and tricks on how to work under pressure, react flexibly and solve non-standard situations
  • how to create a positive atmosphere within the team and how to choose the right methods to turn individuals into a team and encourage them to work together
  • you will be part of an weekend full of fun, games, and educational workshops
  • you will meet trainers with practical experience in volunteering, leading international teams, and international projects
  • networking, thanks to which you will meet new people
  • you will learn about international volunteering opportunities and how volunteering experience can help you find a job and build your career
  • you will receive information about opportunities to put your knowledge and skills into practice at international volunteer camps in Slovakia

Who is the Lead It Up for?

  • for everyone from 16 to 40 years old who lives in Slovakia
  • for those who are interested in improving their skills and learning something new
  • for future camp leaders, but also for those who do not plan to lead a camp
  • previous experience with volunteering, with camps or with INEX Slovakia activities are not required
  • it is not training for the youth workers who are working in the youth NGOs

What do I need to do to get a certificate?

  • completion of the entire weekend training course (Friday evening – Sunday afternoon)
  • completion of a practical exam directly during the weekend training course

The Lead It Up is partially financed by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic and participation fees. Due to a lack of funds, the training team is organizing the Lead It Up on a volunteer basis, for what we thank them very much! 🙂

  • Lead It Up (6.3. 19:00 – 8.3.2026 16:00)

    When: 6.3.2026 19:00 – 8.3.2026 16:00
    Where: Kostolná Záriečie č. 8, 913 04 (neďaleko Trenčína)
    Age: 16 – 40
    Number of participants: 15
    Free places: 15

    Program:

    • management of an international youth project
    • leading an international group
    • group dynamics, games, and motivation
    • evaluation methods
    • workshops on current topics led by foreign volunteers
    • communication related to international project management
    • conflict resolution and dealing with unusual situations
    • simulation of international youth project preparation

    Accommodation and meals:
    The training will take place at the Kostolná Monastery. Participants will be accommodated in rooms with beds. Meals will be provided for all participants. In order to ensure that meals are provided, please indicate any allergies, intolerances, or diets that you must follow on the application form.

    Transportation:
    Each participant will arrange their own transportation to the training. More information on how to get to the training venue will be provided in the info sheet that we will send to accepted participants.

    What it will cost you:

    • participation fee =70,-EUR (The fee helps us cover a small part of the event costs. The costs of organizing the event include accommodation, meals, refreshments, seminar room fees, and event materials. At the same time, the contribution represents an expression of interest in participating in the event. The training team prepares the training on the voluntary basis. You can pay the contribution to our account SK9683300000002003337134 (the account is held at FIO bank under the name INEX Slovakia – občianske združenie), please include your name and surname and Lead It Up in the note.
    • transport to the meeting place
    • completed application form by 19.02.2026

    What you will gain:

    • high-quality content and interactive workshops
    • practical tasks, individual approach, immediate feedback
    • full board, accommodation, materials
    • networking opportunities
    • trainers with practical experience, not just theory
    • informal discussions with trainers and participants on topics that interest you
    • a certificate confirming your acquisition of competencies in the field of volunteer management in a multicultural environment

  • Our experience with leadership training

    • Since 1993, we have been providing regular and systematic training for leaders of international volunteer projects.
    • Since 2008, we have been providing training for leaders as part of an accredited educational program.
    • In 2008, we obtained accreditation number 2748/2008/365/1 for the educational activity “Training of youth workers working in an intercultural environment”
    • In 2012, we renewed our accreditation under the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic in the section of further education and youth.
    • In 2016, we obtained accreditation AKPSM/0065/2016/4/002 for the program “Management of Volunteers in a Multicultural Environment”
    • In 2021, we obtained new accreditation.
    • Since 2026, we have changed the way we educate future leaders, resulting in two types of training: Lead it Up (basics of volunteer management in a multicultural environment) and Step Up and Lead (preparation for a specific work camp).

    The team of trainers is made up of people who have real experience as long-term volunteers and leaders of international activities. In 2025, they received the Heart on the Palm award in the area of Volunteer Support. The current team of trainers has been involved in preparing training courses for nine years, has trained more than 350 young people, and has collectively logged more than 10,000 volunteer hours.

  • Training team

    Monika is the head of the training team and will answer all your questions about the Lead It Up, from topics, dates, accommodation to the application process. She graduated in teaching academic subjects (pedagogy – citizenship education) and started volunteering alongside her studies. Her journey as a volunteer began at an international volunteer camp in Slovakia. She later completed training for leaders and led summer camps in Slovakia for 5 years. After participating in the training for trainers, she became a member of the training team. She has been working at INEX since 2016. She started as an EDS coordinator and head of the training team. She is currently in charge of the Lead It Up, international volunteering camps in Slovakia and representing INEX and the interests of volunteering at work meetings in Slovakia and abroad, as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak Youth Council. Among her favorite training topics are multicultural learning, motivation, conflict resolution and communication.

    Katka started her volunteering journey as an animator at children’s camps. She discovered INEX in 2016 and through it participated in several projects in France, Estonia and Slovakia. After completing a course in the management of leaders of international volunteering camps, she decided to try leadership and led projects in Prešov and Slatinka. He has been in the training team since 2020 and focuses mainly on study parts and communication, game theory and leadership. She graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava, currently works in auditing and accounting.

    Peťo ‘s first volunteer project was a youth exchange in Banská Štiavnica in 2011. Since then, volunteering has been his great passion. He participated in 3 workcamps and training for trainers abroad. In 2012, he completed training for leaders, after which he led more than 10 workcamps, and since 2014 he has been a member of the training team. He represented INEX in the international organization Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations as a member of the working group for environmental sustainability, which he later led. He mainly deals with the topics of leadership, communication, motivation and conflict resolution. He studied geography at the Comenius University and currently works for Dell as a data center price analyst.

    Zuzka first participated in an international volunteer youth exchange in Levice in year 2008. Later, during her university studies in law at the University in Bratislava, she participated in several summer camps in Spain, Italy and Philadelphia. There she also tried leadership for the first time. She then continued to lead at the INEX camps in Slovakia. Zuzka works at company IBM, where she manages the sales support team. She currently works as a member of the training team. Among her most favorite topics are communication, leadership, intercultural relations, conflict resolution. She likes traveling, sports, books.

    Romana studied international relations at the Metropolitan University in Prague. She currently works for Lenovo as an operations manager. In her free time, she does sports (cycling, tennis, running, alpine skiing, yoga), likes to travel, plays the piano and generally enjoys going beyond her comfort zone and pushing her limits. Romana’s volunteering journey began in cooperation with the Youth Council of Slovakia, where she participated as a training facilitator within the European program “The Activist Network”. She has been part of INEX’s training team since 2024. Among her favorite topics are leadership, effective time management and mind maps.

     

    Barbi graduated as a teacher of general education subjects (pedagogy – English language and literature) and at the same time majored in social pedagogy. She came to INEX in 2000. Her first workcamp was in France. Subsequently, she started leading camps in Slovakia and later worked at INEX as a coordinator of the European Volunteer Service. Later, she was in charge of sending Slovak volunteers to different activities abroad and she also tried position of the head of the office. After that, she was in charge of international volunteering camps in Slovakia and leader training in Slovakia, as well as leading the training team. She currently works at INEX as a project coordinator of the European Solidarity Corps.

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Reviews

The Leadership Academy exceeded all my expectations. Thanks to the great training team, I have a better idea of how to organize and run international volunteering camps. I liked the alternation of theoretical blocks with practical exercises/simulations of real situations and fun games. All in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. I am glad that I could meet a lot of like-minded people. It's great that I can use the knowledge from the training not only in the volunteer world, but they have also given me a lot for my personal and professional life.

Miriam Sirotnakova

The training was a great opportunity to meet interesting and inspiring young people. I liked that the activities were fun and informative at the same time. In addition, the skills acquired from the practical workshops, for example on multitasking or feedback, can also be used in everyday life.

Matej Masrna

A nice weekend at the Leadership Academy, whose added value was not only quality workshops and lectures but also good company not only from Slovakia but also from abroad. I am looking forward to the second part of the program! :)

Gabriela Balogova

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FAQ

  • What are the terms and conditions for participation in the Lead It Up?

    You can already read them here: terms and conditions for participation in the Lead It Up.

  • I am a youth worker, can I apply for the Lead It Up?

    The Lead It Up is primarily aimed at young people who do not work for civic associations. For youth workers, we recommend the trainings organised by the Bratislavske dobrovolnicke centrum or PDCS.

  • What is the language of the training and what must be its level?

    Part of the training is in English. The participant must have a communication level (A2). Language tests are not done.

  • Where should I pay the participation fee?

    The participant shall pay the participation fee by bank transfer to our account SK9683300000002003337134 (Fio banka, name of bank account holder: INEX Slovakia – občianske združenie) – the participant shall indicate their surname and first name and the Lead It Up in the purpose of the payment/transaction description to make the payment easily identifiable, or in person at the INEX Slovakia office (see opening hours)

  • When will my application become valid?

    We accept the application after agreeing to the conditions of participation and receiving the participation fee. To speed up the process, we recommend sending confirmation of the transfer of the participation fee to the e-mail inex(at)inex.sk.

  • When will I get a reply that I have been accepted?

    We will notify you of acceptance within 3 days of receiving your participation fee.

  • Why do I pay the INEX participation fee?

    We are a civic association and therefore we do not run a business and do not provide paid services. The fee helps us to cover a small part of the costs of the event. The cost of the event is made up of accommodation, meals, refreshments, conference room fee, materials for the event. At the same time, the fee represents an expression of interest in attending the event. The training team prepares the training at no charge.

  • When will I get my training certificate?

    After successfully completing the training and final exam (which is part of the program), participants will receive a certificate confirming their participation in the training and acquisition of competencies and skills.

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