Pool of trainers

I am a senior trainer and consultant with a rich background in Learning and Development. For over 16 years, I have worked with diverse groups and individuals, gaining extensive experience in training, facilitation, and coaching. My expertise includes Coaching, Group Work, Non-Formal Educational Methodology, Diversity and Inclusion, and Graphic Facilitation. I am passionate about using creativity and visualisation as supportive tools in learning. I have worked with NGOs, global companies, and public institutions, and for the past ten years, I have also collaborated closely with the Eurodesk network, both on international and national level. I feel grateful to have built a profession that I am truly passionate about, creating meaningful and enjoyable learning experiences lies at the heart of my professional mission.

With a background in computer engineering, I found myself catapulted into the world of European non-formal education and, passionate about the holistic dimension of learning, I never left it. For more than 10 years, I have covered different roles, from youth worker to mentor, from project coordinator and manager to trainer, always with the underlying aim of empowering the recipients of each project, creating the conditions for them to engage in self-development. My expertise includes topics as Education to sustainable development, Active Citizenship, emotional intelligence and learning, which I explore applying a competence-based approach. As a passionate advocate of learner-centredness and self-directed learning, I recognise that education transcends cognitive realms. Emotions, attitudes, and diversity are vital components of holistic learning. My approach encompasses these dimensions, fostering an environment of inclusion where emotional dynamics are harnessed to support each learner’s journey.

I have been the coordinator of the Eurodesk Poland network since 2003. Throughout these years, I have delivered dozens of training sessions and workshops to multipliers and young people. I can provide training based on modules 1, 2 and 3 of the Eurodesk Qualifying Training Programme as well as on the Eurodesk Competence Framework. In addition, I can train the trainers on how to deliver Euroclasses for young people. I can adapt all the training modules to the needs of participants and, if necessary, supplement them with extra activities on communication, networking and gamification.

I’m a teacher by education and an educator by calling, with over 25 years of experience in youth work, youth policy, education, civic engagement, volunteering. My journey began with environmental activism and volunteering since my high school days, which have remained at the heart of my work ever since.

For the past 15 years, I have been working as a professional youth worker, educator, trainer, facilitator, and education designer, developing and implementing (non-formal) educational programmes, mentoring schemes, and public policies for and with young people.

As a long-standing member of several European trainer pools – starting from EBL’s, than the one of Croatian Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (AMPEU) and lately the Council of Europe’s expert pool for education, training, and facilitation, I have gained extensive international experience in youth information work, youth policy, youth participation, youth mobility, volunteering, non-formal education and sustainability.

For the past 10 years, I have been coordinating educational programmes and leading a local “green” youth information centre in an environmental NGO in Croatia, combining environmental awareness with youth empowerment and civic participation.

I’m passionate about creating engaging, innovative learning experiences, both offline and online and inspiring others to take an active role in shaping positive social and environmental change.

https://www.narativ.hr/en

I have over 10 years of experience as a trainer and advisor, both in Italy and Spain. I took part in more than 30 training activities at local, national and international levels, regarding Youth In Action programme, Erasmus+, Europe for Citizens, Youth Guarantee, COSME, etc. I’m also a youth worker in the Galicia region, organising informative sessions and workshops about mobility opportunities for young people in Europe, how to fight against fake news, euroscepticism, and IT tools for youth workers.

I am an experienced youth worker and senior trainer with a professional background since 2001 in the fields of entrepreneurship, art and well-being, youth participation, youth information, and social inclusion. Over the years, I have collaborated with various national and international networks such as the Turkish National Agency, Youth for Understanding, Youth Express Network, AEGEE, and YEU (Youth for Exchange and Understanding).

Currently, I coordinate the Trainers Pool of YEU (Youth for Exchange and Understanding) and the Trainers Pool of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Türkiye.

In addition to my work within the youth sector, I serve as a freelance consultant for private organizations and as a learning designer specializing in experiential learning methodologies.

In recent years, my focus has been on promoting the mental health and well-being of youth workers, as well as exploring design thinking and outdoor education—areas I am deeply passionate about. Creating safe, inclusive, and impactful learning environments, managing large-scale networks, and empowering volunteers and youth workers remain central to my professional mission.

I have a formal background in psychology, but actually work as a systemic coach, facilitator, and consultant. I am one of the founders of an NGO called Grupa Hajde da…, being one of the pioneers in civil society and youth work in Serbia. Nowadays I run the Systemic Solutions Institute. Over the past 30 years, I have worked in more than 30 countries with a wide range of clients, including private companies, international organisations, European institutions, national agencies, SALTO Resource Centres, governments, entrepreneurs, NGOs, trainers, teachers, coaches, and youth workers.

My assignments typically involve organisational change and organisational development, leadership development, team development solutions, as well as training for trainers and mentors. My expertise includes mentoring and coaching, training for trainers, leadership development, recognition of youth work and non-formal learning, competence development, organisational development, and change Management.

I have supported Eurodesk in developing the initial Competency Framework for Mobility Advisors and the related tools for self-assessment, feedback and training needs analysis.

I have authored the book “Systemic Change in Organisations” (2025), co-authored the brand new T-kit Organisational Management (to be published 2026) and  several handbooks and publications in relation to recognition of non-formal learning and youth work, such as “Unlocking Doors to Recognition” (2011, 2025).

As an occasional researcher, I have been part of the team conducting the future foresight research “Futures of Youth Work”, as well as research about mentoring and coaching in the European Solidarity Corps.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/darkomarkovic

https://systemic-solutions.org/

https://www.innside.co.rs/

I am the founder of EuroMed Youth Centre, the first youth centre in Türkiye to receive the Council of Europe Quality Label, established through a unique partnership with the Council of Europe, European Commission Youth Partnership, Turkish National Agency, and civil society organisations. This centre remains a pioneering example of university-led international youth work, fostering inclusive and sustainable learning environments.

I also founded AGÜ Youth Factory, one of Türkiye’s first university-based centres for youth work and social innovation, advancing programmes on community engagement, internationalisation, and non-formal education. I have delivered hundreds of trainings under Erasmus+, SALTO EuroMed, and European Commission frameworks, with extensive experience in managing international networks and strategic partnerships.

My expertise spans the full QTP modules (M1–M6), Eurodesk Mobility Advisor Competence Framework, internationalisation strategies, social impact measurement (SROI & SDG frameworks), and network facilitation. I design learner-centred, inclusive, and experiential learning environments, bridging youth ecosystems, municipalities, academia, and civil society across Europe.