 Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca.
Clara și-a dorit să ia o pauză de la studiile pe care le urma în Germania și să învețe despre educația în natură, să petreacă timp alături de copii și să ofere ateliere bazate pe învățare în natură. 1. What did you do in your ESC project? I worked in a primary non formal school. I prepared activities related to the topics: Human rights, Peace and Global education and Sustainable development. I work in an international context with volunteers from Romania, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Netherlands. I participated and I implemented workshops about non-formal education and for the promotion of volunteering. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? Make a break in my university studies, go abroad, discover an other country, other people and another culture, being active as a citizen for the society and also support a project which I share the values, take part of a voluntary project, learn from other way to live and to work, have an experience to work with children, practice and learn about non formal education, were my motivations to do an ESC project. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? Interested to discover another part of Europe I looked principally for projects in eastern Europe. There were a lot of possibilities to work with children, and I was interested in learning about non formal education. The project Building Solidarity was engaging for me because it’s in a nature-based school which I would be able to share my sensibility to nature. I found the main topics which were: Peace and Global education, Human rights and Sustainable development interesting to explore. Moreover, the project also proposed Romanian lessons. 4. What did you learn? In general, we used to associate the word “learning” at “school” or “theory”, but I realised that I learned and I grew up a lot this year. Though I was out, for the first time of the school academic system. Through my volunteering experience, working and cooperating with others brought me a lot of pleasure, and possibilities to improve my communications skills and my responsibilities. I significantly improved my English and my abilities to give feedback or to talk about my feelings. Furthermore, I learned a lot about non formal education while participating in workshops and creating activities. 5. What was your biggest challenge and what did you enjoy most during your project? At the beginning my English skills were a bit challenging, being my only way to communicate in this international environment I got quickly more confident and able to express myself correctly. Currently I’m happy that I improved this competence, English is important in so many contexts. Related to my work, it was extremely gratifying to gain the trust of the children, to work with them and to understand and use more and more words in Romanian. I met a lot of wonderful people during my stage and I enjoyed sharing a lot of rewarding moments with them. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project, wherever that is? If I would give advice I will say it's important to be critical of the offers of projects and to not go to the first you get accepted. I was lucky to find a project which has fulfilled my expectations and which I could learn and had a lot of pleasure to work with but it can be different. I know that it can be more challenging. We have the opportunity to meet other volunteers from different projects, during training and evaluation sessions provided by the National Agency. We exchanged about our experiences, and some volunteers were not working in an organisation which corresponds to their aspiration.  Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca.
Șerban este o persoană creativă, iar creativitatea aceasta s-a văzut în diferitele metode și paleta bogată de oferte la care au participat copiii. 1. What did you do in your ESC project? The main activity of my ESC project was to deliver afternoon activities and lessons based on Peace Education, Global Education, Education for Sustainable Development and Human Rights, at Green School Cluj Napoca, a private school with an agile learning program in which children spend most of their time in nature. During the stage I had to create games and informal ways to present the topics in order to be understood by the children and also to get involved in their daily school routine: meetings, lessons, games and many outdoor activities for exploring nature. In the morning I had to observe the morning lessons facilitated by educators which helped me to understand better their passions and interests. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? My main motivation was to learn how to implement different educational approaches as a skill that can be useful for my future career and also to improve my English skills by interacting with international volunteers. A friend of mine attended an EVS project which was her best experience for that moment. She was telling me stories about travelling around Europe and amazing people she met, which made me pretty enthusiastic about starting an ESC stage. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? During high school, as a volunteer in a youth association I used to work with children, our main activity being organising play days every Saturday for the locals. I had a lot of fun and I learned different ways of interacting with the kids. Since then I became interested in non formal education and creating games and activities.I chose Building Solidarity because it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the educational branch by experiencing, but also observing professionists at work, which could give me a better insight about their work. 4. What did you learn? The main things I learned are based on my work: how to create activities for kids and educational games, how to solve conflicts between kids paying attention to their emotions and also how to cooperate with colleagues. Living in the same flat with my colleagues I learned many interesting things about their countries and how their life is there, and more importantly I had the opportunity to observe the ways we spend our free time, different eating schedules and ways of cooking, their habits, priorities and goals. All these things gave me a different perspective which helped me to develop myself. 5. What was your biggest challenge and what did you enjoy most during your project? I think the most difficult situation was to deal with all the changes in our schedule at Green School and also to approach every kid in a proper way, some of them being really difficult. Later on, the pandemic forced us to adapt all our activities online, which was not that pleasant. The things I enjoyed the most are living with my flatmates, especially having a lot of fun together watching movies or playing different games, cooking together and travelling together around the country. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project, wherever that is? Just do it, go with the flow and enjoy every moment. It will not last forever and it’s the only one you can have, be aware of this!  Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca.
Adriana a avut multiple roluri în cadrul proiectului. Ea a fost unul din membri echipei de voluntari care a urmărit și a făcut oferte pentru copiii din Green School, multiplicând aceste activități în alte două școli, atât în zona urbană, cât și cea rurarlă. Pe lângă aceste activități, ea a preluat și parte din planul de diseminare. 1. What did you do in your ESC project? In my project I mainly took part of the dissemination part with my co-worker, we had to organize events, flash-mobs, visual materials and attend radio interviews. One day per week we were going to observe the activities of our other colleagues inspired from the 4 topics of our project: human rights, sustainable development, peace education, global education. After this, our goal was to deliver activities in the public schools where they didn’t have much access to concepts such as non-formal education, nature-based education, agile learning. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? I decided to join an ESC project because I wanted to have a gap year between high school and university where I could experience more things and discover more about myself. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? I chose this specific project because I liked the objectives. For me it was very interesting to find out about a school like Green School which was totally new for me and never heard of it. Also, the diversity of my and my co-worker’s part of the project really made me excited because we had to do diverse activities which were putting us through different situations from where we had many chances to learn. 4. What did you learn? I learnt more than I expected. My main focus was to find a way that will lead me to my desired career which I had to discover, but even more than that I learnt about beautiful values that I cherish now, I had the opportunity to understand and communicate better with the people around me and I think I learnt something from everyone I met during this stage and I’m grateful for having such a vaste team with inspiring stories. 5. What was your biggest challenge and what did you enjoy most during your project? The biggest challenge was for me the constant change of the dynamic. Even if I enjoy the new, sometimes I couldn’t adapt that better and this influenced my attitude. But on the other hand, I enjoyed meeting so many different and beautiful people right in my country. And I can’t omit that this project helped me discover myself and what I want to do next. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project, wherever that is? I would tell them to be patient and calm and always let space for kindness.  Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca.
Tomi a fost voluntarul preferat al copiilor pasionați de șah, mereu deschis la noi provocări și la antrenarea minții. 1. What did you do in your ESC project? My main responsibility during my ESC mobility consisted of delivering activities for children / from 5 to 11 years old/ at Green school. The workshops I implemented were predominantly held online due to the pandemic. For instance, I cooked with my pupils. We also worked on various origami. Moreover, we fulfilled numerous science experiments and had fun by using different online platforms or playing games. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? Originally, I had no clear idea what field I would like to do my ESC in. I was just zealous in participating. I believed this experience was going to broaden my horizons. The opportunities to meet new and inspiring people, improve my personal and professional skills, and become more culturally aware were the reasons why I endeavoured to take part in this mobility. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? My determination to undergo this experience was my major incentive. As a consequence, I could have compromised regarding topics and destinations. Nonetheless, I knew I would love to be involved in the educational field or something related to NGOs, international programmes, etc. Working in a secluded area in the countryside did not appeal to me. Therefore, Cluj was a fantastic choice. 4. What did you learn? This is undoubtedly a vast topic. I could not cover or even summarise it in a few sentences. In brief, I substantially developed my digital skills, got familiar with new educational methodologies. I certainly improved on a personal level as well due to the fact that I worked in both international and local environments and shared a flat with people from 4 different countries. 5. What was the biggest challenge and what did you enjoy the most during your project? I would say that the global pandemic was the main hindrance because it dramatically affected my daily routine. Switching to online activities and meetings or in other words working remotely was a completely new realm to me. I enjoyed the most inspiring and intelligent individuals I met. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project? I would recommend him to do it straight away. There is definitely no reason to hesitate or procrastinate. Some people might consider it as a " risk,", however, I can assure them this "risk" pays off tremendously well. It helps you grow up, become more responsible and put your priorities in order.  Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca.
Deși Anna a fost alături de noi o perioadă mai scurtă de timp, copiii au îndrăgit-o și au participat cu drag la activitățile propuse de ea. 1. What did you do in your ESC project? I was working in Green School Romania with 4 other international volunteers. Our task was to prepare daily activities for elementary school children on the topics: Human Rights, Sustainable Development, Peace- and Global Education. Besides that I participated in a Team Building, an On Arrival Training and weekly Romanian lessons, such as weekly evaluation circles. Furthermore, I organized together with 2 other volunteers a “Self-Care Info-point” in the central park of Cluj-Napoca. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? My motivation was to participate in a social project, to live independently and to learn about different cultures. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? This project appeared right to me, since I love to work with children and to live and work together in a group of people my age. I try to practice a sustainable lifestyle, so I wanted to work in Green School, since it’s an environmental friendly school. 4. What did you learn? During my stage I learned how to take responsibility for children and to take the initiative to schedule activities on my own. Undoubtedly I learned a lot through living in an international shared flat and through exchanging a lot with other volunteers. My service taught me how to be more independent, how to take action more often and how to work better in a team and to be more tolerant. By now I also know basic Romanian and I learned a lot about the Romanian culture. Additionally I learned about different forms of learning, educating children and non-violent communication at my workplace. 5. What was your biggest challenge and what did you enjoy most during your project? My biggest challenge was to teach children about complex topics without being able to talk to them, while I was often sick and having a low energy and not used to living in a city. I enjoyed it most to grow together with the other flat members, volunteers and the people from our hosting organisation. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project, wherever that is? Look for a project where you feel qualified for, and for tasks you already have some experiences with. Don’t have too high expectations of yourself and take it slow, but mention directly if you feel uncomfortable with something. Think about the environment you want to live in. Maybe look for a project with a lot of other volunteers, that makes finding friends easier and work more interesting. I think ESC stages often provide you an amazing learning experience. But be aware, that for none of us 16 volunteers it was always easy going. But I think each one of us has developed a lot and turned more independent through this experience.  Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca.
Giacomo este din Italia și i-a plăcut mult să învețe limba română: 1. What did you do in your ESC project? During my ESC project I was preparing activities for public schools while learning and observing at a private school specialized in non-formal education. Amongst my tasks I had to follow a dissemination plan to inform the local community about what we were doing in my project. In addition to this I got some occasional tasks from my organization, like my personal project. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? Mostly the people that shared their experience and talked about this opportunity. I was also searching for a volunteering experience outside of my country that would give me the chance to grow through adapting myself before starting my studies. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? I was interested in living in a country in eastern Europe and working with children, so when I found out about this option I immediately thought it would be a right project that would fit at least some of my expectations. I previously found my volunteering experience with young teenagers very instructive and wanted to learn more about non-formal education. The topics our activities were based on seemed interesting, too. 4. What did you learn? How to share a house with other flatmates, how to relate and interact better with children, how to invent new activities and adapt them for different schools, how to communicate formally with people in an office, how to manage my first monthly income alone, how to travel efficiently through Romania… The list goes on. 5. What was your biggest challenge and what did you enjoy most during your project? The biggest challenge I faced was when I had to deal with low motivation during the coronavirus pandemic, since most of our activities were suspended. Seeing other people of my hosting organisation being so motivated and trying their best to maintain my project alive helped me a lot. I enjoyed the time I spent with my fellow volunteers, my travels here in Romania and the moments of happiness with the kids, when everybody was smiling. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project, wherever that is? Good luck and prepare yourself for a wonderful experience. You can find a lot of satisfaction and results in something that you did not expect before arriving. Spend time to search for a project you really like, and don’t choose it just for the location. You can inform yourself by searching more about your future organisation from previous volunteers.  Experiențele noi ne provoacă, ne aduc multe bucurii, prietenii și lecții de viață. În perioada septembrie 2019 - iulie 2020, 7 tineri entuziaști din țară și străinătate au făcut parte din echipa Green School, în cadrul proiectului Building Solidarity, un proiect finanțat de Corpul European de Solidaritate și implementat de Green School și Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca. La final de proiect am întrebat voluntarii care sunt gândurile pe care le iau cu ei în noile aventuri. Fiecare dintre ei a trăit diferit această perioadă, unii au fost alături de noi toată perioada proiectului, alții au venit mai târziu. În următoarea perioadă veți putea citi testimonialele lor., astăzi este rândul lui Bart. 1. What did you do in your ESC project? In my ESC project, which was called Building Solidarity, I volunteered at an elementary school called Green School, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. We did this with a group of 5 volunteers (2 romanian, 1 Bulgarian, 1 Italian and me from the Netherlands). Our project initially was about educating the kids of the school in the subjects of peace education, global education, sustainable development and human rights. Next to this we also did a lot of playing games and doing overall fun activities. We were supposed to do this in the school of course, but after two weeks of doing the regular project we had to work from home because of the Corona quarantine. From home we did daily activities with the kids on zoom, varying from playing online games, to sports, to science experiments. 2. What motivated you to do an ESC project? I was motivated to do an ESC project in the first place to work in a country I didn’t know in order to discover it during my gap year. I also wanted to meet new people from abroad and this seemed like a good opportunity. 3. Why did you choose this specific project? Building Solidarity looked almost perfect to me. I like to educate children, even more when it comes to educating about sustainability which is my field of study and green school offered me this opportunity (although it didn’t really turn out the way I wanted because of Corona). Apart from the work, Cluj-Napoca seemed like a great place to do this kind of project. It is a buzzing city with a lot of young people in a country I didn’t know before with much to explore in its surroundings. 4. What did you learn? From the work I did I learned that teaching young children takes some more patience than the older kids do, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. In these times I also learned new things like playing guitar and sewing (we made face masks with our volunteering organisation for the less privileged) that I liked more than I expected. I also learned more about myself. I learned to listen more to myself and that it is okay to give myself the time I need when I encounter something negative. 5. What was your biggest challenge and what did you enjoy most during your project? The biggest challenge was staying inside most of the time during quarantine without a lot of distraction. The thing I enjoyed the most during the project were the people I worked and lived with, since we always made the most of it even though the situation was tough. 6. What would you tell someone who is about to do an ESC project, wherever that is? Just go for it. Don’t have too many expectations and do whatever you like the most in your new country. And even when it doesn’t always go as planned, know that there will always be something positive to take from this experience. Also, try to get involved with the local culture as much as possible. Urmăriți-ne și citiți și ce spun colegii lui Bart.
Proiectul Building Solidarity, co-finanțat prin programul European Solidarity Corps al Comisiei Europene şi implementat de către Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca în partneriat cu Green School Romania, în perioada iunie 2019 – septembrie 2020, a avut ca scop principal implicarea unor tineri din diferite colțuri ale Europei în activități educaționale bazate pe concepte pedagogice moderne, în cadrul Green School, precum şi în cadrul a două şcoli publice din mediul urban şi din mediul rural. În total, în urma celor 10 luni de voluntariat, cei 7 voluntari, dintre care 2 români, au însumat 4465 de ore de voluntariat. O parte dintre aceştia au avut ca rol principal realizarea de activități bazate pe temele principale ale proiectului: educație globală, dezvoltare durabilă, drepturile omului şi educație pentru pace, promovând totodată în rândul copiilor din Green School voluntariatul, multiculturalitatea şi solidaritatea. Doi dintre voluntari au replicat metodologia învățată în cadrul a două şcoli publice: Şcoala Gimnazială “Ion Creangă” din Cluj-Napoca şi Şcoala Gimnazială Luna de Sus. Aceştia au avut ca rol, atât promovarea proiectului şi a programului European Solidarity Corps, cât și diseminarea rezultatelor în cadrul comunității. Nu ezitați să ne urmăriți, în curând vor apărea și testimonialele voluntarilor și a copiilor din Green School.  |
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