Program: Erasmus+, KA2 – Small Partnerships in the field of youth, financed from the European Union
Leader: Future Generation Europe – Slovakia
Partner: Association Reflections on Europe
Duration: September 2023 – December 2024
Objective:
The main objective of the project is to increase the level of skills and knowledge among the representatives of the partner organisations in the identified topics and to enhance their personal and professional development, as well as the overall quality development of the activities of both organisations.
This will be achieved through the implementation of professional training/courses (hereinafter referred to as “TC – Training Courses”) by external trainers for representatives of Future Generation Europe(hereinafter referred to as “FGE”) and Stowarzyszenie Rozprawy o Europie- Association Reflections on Europe (hereinafter referred to as “ROE”) in the areas of Improving Teaching Skills; Improving 21st Century Skills andCross-Cutting Skills; Improving Psychological Resilience and Adaptability. So, to summarise, the goal will be fulfilled through the implementation of training for the participating organisations and their members, through which they will be able to gain new knowledge and skills which they will actively try out in the design of activities for the young people themselves.
Expected project results
- Trained representatives of both organisations
- Demonstrable shift in competences and ability to transfer them
- Increased capacity and professionalisation of the organisations
- Tested competences through PT
- Participation of target groups
- Implementation of inspiring practices from partners
- Promoting European cooperation and values
- Positive impact on youth work
- Members will gain practical experience
- Members will improve the quality of their work with youth
- The project will raise awareness on selected topics
About trainings:
The entire project consists of 5 separate training topics:
- Leadership and Collaboration – The goal is teamwork, coordination of projects and people, and an overview of skills focused on formal and informal. Online training
- Communication and interpersonal skills – The goal is to learn: self-confidence, conflict resolution, effective communication, negotiation, self-confidence and emotional intelligence. January 2024 in Poland
- Creative thinking – The aim of the training is to develop creative thinking in young people. February 2024 in Slovakia.
- Methods of communication and coping with stress – The goal is to learn methods of coping with difficult situations and building habits that will help strengthen mental resilience. June 2024 in Poland.
- Social Media – how to protect your mental health in the growing digital era – The training focuses on effective management methods, various aspects of life and their application in dealing with the impact of the Internet on the psyche. Date to be determined – Slovakia.
Main activities:
- Preparatory meeting in Slovakia October 6-8, 2023.
- Soft skills training in Poland and Slovakia (1 online + 4 stationary)
- 2 training courses (bootcamps) (in Poland) and students (in Slovakia) (June – August 2024)
- Summary meeting in Poland
What’s behind us
1. Preparatory meeting in the Slovak town of Štúrovo.
On October 6-8, 2023. Together with our partners from Slovakia, we met to agree on a detailed action plan and the method of communication between the parties. We took part in a lecture where we talked and tested the methods of conducting workshops and training that we will conduct as part of this project.
2. Online workshops on cooperation and being a leader
On October 31, we had the opportunity to take part in the first online workshop. Its topic was cooperation and being a leader. We started with a Q&A with an expert – Marina Majnolovic, who told us about what characterizes a good leader and what he should avoid. She also answered our questions in this area. Then we watched a short presentation about the projects. We learned about the tools and techniques used to organize them. Then we moved to the workshop part. We discussed what a project is, how important it is to prepare a plan and how to divide roles in its organization. We were helped in this by specially prepared worksheets, which we completed and presented on the forum.
3. “Leadership and communication” training in Poland
On January 21-22, a training course organized as part of the “Reflections on Future” project took place. This was our first meeting in Poland.
Together with a team from Slovakia for two days we learned the principles of good and correct communication both with others and with ourselves. On Saturday we learned how to speak to be understood and how to listen to show interest in the other person. Together we came to what is the key to good communication, which resulted in the speeches we prepared. We also underwent self-reflection to see where we ourselves made mistakes and what we could improve.
On Sunday, although we still discussed the same topic, it was from a slightly more personal side. We focused on ourselves, what we have, what we need and what our priorities are in life. We learned how to objectively assess our good and bad sides and how important it is in communication to express emotions (even the negative ones).The whole training was led by our Dominika, and the participants were people from Poland and Slovakia
4. Design Thinking training in Slovakia
On February 23-25, 2024, we participated in a training course on Design Thinking, in Dunajská Streda, Slovakia. The three-day event was led by mentor Adam Brocka, using innovative methods.
The first day of the visit to Slovakia served as an introduction to the training. After arriving in the town of Dunajská Streda, we met our hosts in a conference room where we learned the names of the other participants. We then shared our expectations for the training and received name badges.
The next day we started our hard work first thing in the morning. The first item of the day was the speech of our mentor Adam Brocki, who with a word of introduction introduced himself to us and conducted a short ice breaker. Then the mentor introduced us to the topic of Design Thinking training while explaining what it is about and how it was created. After that, we talked about the characteristics of an active listener, how they behave and why being a listener is important in our daily lives. We learned how to ask questions that properly engage the other person in conversation and at the same time allow us to develop the topic of discussion. Creating new ideas that lead to innovative products wasn’t a challenge either, because we received vital information on how to create new materials that are attractive, needed and meet consumer needs. The knowledge we gained was aimed at facilitating our future work. After gaining theoretical knowledge, we had the opportunity to put it into practice in the first block of workshops, among other things, when working in pairs. We played the role of journalists and consumers to conduct dialogues on fashion. Using the acquired knowledge as journalists, we had to actively listen and skillfully ask questions to be able to define consumer problems. After swapping our roles using one of the Design Thinking , “point of view statement” methods, we searched for and defined a solution to our consumer’s problem. After defining the solution, we had to illustrate it using cards and pens. After completing the tasks, our mentor opened a discussion in which we talked about what helped us achieve our goal.
After the talks, it was time for a lunch break ending the first block of classes. After resting, we reflected on what services we use every day. After a brief analysis, school was an ideal example as the participants were young people studying in high schools as well as universities. Initially, we defined our problems, frustrations and discomfort with the place where we learn. We used the Design Thinking method – a double diamond thinking about how to design a school/university to be student/student friendly. After defining the solution, we used the method of customer segmentation and value proposition. By dividing into segments such as tasks, pains and goals, we had to arrange questions relating to each of them. In the next steps, the materials were used to interview three people who are struggling with school/university issues. Through analysis in three smaller groups, we looked for solutions to each person’s problems. During the assignment, we had to create a real solution with a monetary and other limitation, which we defined on our own, and a fictional solution with no limitations. After the workshop, Alexander Ćwik together with Bartosz Gawlik interviewed in front of the camera about what they learned during the workshop.
We started the last day with an evaluation and group discussion about what we learned during the training and what we will use in the future. On stick notes we wrote what new at the training should be initiated, what should be continued and completed. We ended the evaluations by filling out a Google questionnaire constituting feedback from the training.
5. Training in Poland – Implementation of Acquired Skills
This time, together with our partners from Future Generation Europe, we met in Kielce at the Karczówka Monastery from May 18th to 19th, 2024, where we focused on developing our soft skills.
We spent an intensive weekend working on personal development. We started with team-building activities, then got to know each other better to facilitate effective discussions. Participants from Poland and Slovakia had the chance to apply the skills they acquired in previous training sessions within this project. The youth used their presentation skills, stress management techniques for public speaking, and ability to craft compelling arguments in a debate they organized.
Each participant then conducted a SWOT analysis, identifying their potentials and gaining better self-awareness. At the end of the day, they learned about negotiations and practiced negotiation techniques through a game and negotiating with each other.
The following day, previous training participants led short workshops. Bartosz and Wiktoria prepared communication workshops, giving participants the opportunity to test themselves and learn about effective communication methods. We concluded the workshops with a summary, drew conclusions, and prepared for the next meeting.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved and all participants of this meeting!
6. Bootcamp in Slovakia!
We’ve just wrapped up another meeting as part of our “Reflections on Future” project!
From August 12th to 16th, we participated in a BootCamp in Slovakia with the project leaders @futuregenerationeurope.
Over these five days, we took part in workshops on topics such as:
- Introduction to social media and its impact on mental health.
- Managing the impact of social media.
- How to positively influence mental health through social media.
We learned about the risks and benefits associated with social media, discussed our main needs related to it, and talked about dopamine as the “happiness hormone” and its effects on us. We also had the chance to “return to childhood” through painting, and later explained the symbolism of what we identified with. Additionally, we explored the structure of social media and algorithms, created strategies for social media campaigns, and discovered the “7 keys to good content.”
We then went on a mountain hike where we could apply our content knowledge in practice and discuss our “tree of values,” things we are grateful for, and what has shaped us. The discussions also covered topics like hate and hate speech, allowing us to share examples from our own country or personal experiences. We talked about misinformation, how it works, and learned how to verify the authenticity of the information we read.
Thank you for the wonderful time and new connections! If you want to join us in Slovakia, the next meeting in the “Reflections on Future” project will be from October 11th to 13th, 2024.
We started the last day with an evaluation and group discussion about what we learned during the training and what we will use in the future. On stick notes we wrote what new at the training should be initiated, what should be continued and completed. We ended the evaluations by filling out a Google questionnaire constituting feedback from the training.
7. Training in Slovakia – Impact of Social Media on Mental Health and Stress
From October 11th to 13th, our representatives took part in a training event held in Slovakia. This was another significant milestone within the project “Reflection on the Future,” organized by Future Generation Europe.
Over the course of these three days, we had the opportunity to participate in the following workshops:
- How to Use Social Media Wisely
- The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
- Managing the Effects of Social Media on Mental Health
- Coping with Stress
The main theme of all the workshops was social media and its influence on our lives.
During this time, we delved into the mechanics of algorithms, learned how to curate the content we see, and discussed both the positive and negative aspects of using social media. We explored how social media affects dopamine levels in the body and discovered ways to mitigate the negative effects of excessive use.
Additionally, we learned effective methods for coping with stress and overcoming procrastination.
To wrap up the training, we created a few short videos that promote the knowledge and insights gained throughout the event. Stay tuned to our Instagram to see the results soon!
