Step Up and Lead

Step Up and Lead is a weekend practical training course in leadership skills (Saturday morning – Sunday afternoon). On Saturday and Sunday, you can look forward to a practical course designed for leaders of international volunteer camps who have already completed either the Lead It Up training or have experience as participants or leaders of international volunteer projects. At the Step Up and Lead training, you will experience practical tasks and simulations where you will have the opportunity to test your theoretical knowledge of volunteer management and international youth projects. As part of the training, you will prepare a specific international project that you will lead as a leader during the year. The course will enable you to gain competencies, skills, and real-world experience.

During the training, you will have the opportunity to meet the leaders (co-leaders) with whom you will be working to lead the work camp, as well as those who will be leading other work camps. We will also use the time to prepare the program, games, and materials for the specific work camp.

What will the Step Up and Lead training give you?

  • prepare a work camp program
  • learn the principles of project management
  • learn how to lead and motivate young people
  • divide the tasks of a leader between yourself and your co-leader
  • plan the individual steps in communicating with volunteers from different countries and cultures, representatives of partner organizations, and the local community.
  • prepare how to promote the idea of a work camp to the media.
  • prepare information guidelines for work camp volunteers.
  • learn tips and tricks on how to work under pressure, respond flexibly, and deal with unusual situations.
  • plan activities to create a positive atmosphere within the team and, with the help of experienced trainers, choose the right methods to turn individuals into a team and encourage them to work together.
  • learn how to prepare a balanced diet and how to prepare food for a larger group of people.
  • learn how to work with a budget and what records and documents you need to keep during the work camp.
  • learn how to organize the educational parts of the work camp.
  • be part of an weekend full of fun, games, and educational workshops.
  • meet trainers with practical experience in volunteering, leading international teams, and international projects.
  • networking, which will allow you to meet new people.
  • learn about international volunteering opportunities and how volunteering experience can help you find a job and build your career
  • have the opportunity to test your knowledge and skills in practice at international volunteer camps in Slovakia

Who is the Step Up and Lead training intended for?

  • Future camp leaders, but also those who do not plan to lead a camp
  • Previous experience with volunteering, camps, or INEX Slovakia activities is welcome
  • Completion of Lead It Up training or similar type of education

What do I need to do to obtain the certificate?

  • Complete the entire weekend training course (Saturday morning – Sunday afternoon)
  • Pass the practical exam during the weekend training course
  • Lead a work camp in the given year

Participants in the Step Up and Lead training program pay a deposit, which will be refunded after the work camp is over and all duties related to leading the work camp have been fulfilled

The Step Up and Lead 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 Leadership Academy on a volunteer basis, for what we thank them very much! 🙂

Upcoming Step Up and Lead

  • Step Up and Lead (23.5. - 24.5.2026)

    We will publish more info in year 2026.

  • Training team

    Monika is the head of the training team and will answer all your questions about the trainings, 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 trainings, 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.

You might be interested in

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

  • Why do I pay the participation fee to INEX?

    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.

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

    The Step Up and Lead 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 event 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 Step Up and Lead 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.

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

    You can already read them here: Terms and conditions of the Step Up and Lead

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