ESC and EVS On-Arrival Meeting

Aims & objectives

This training aligned to TEC guidelines and minimum quality standards for covering the needs of ESC and EVS participants during their training cycle.
Additional goals are:
- to create awareness in the volunteers about Erasmus+ and key questions related to their every day activities in their projects
- to introduce the volunteers in the reality of Bulgaria, the life and specific context.
- to create awareness in the volunteers about the roles and the players in an Erasmus + projects - SO, RO, CO, NA, Cigna, mentor, coordinator, rights and responsibilities of each party involved, Youth Pass and the key competences model, self evaluation systems and others;
- to provide tools for resolving conflicts and for improving their communication skills;
- to present tools for the further development of the volunteer such as goal setting, creating an action plan, creating personal projects and others.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

We were two Bulgarian trainers, working with group of Young people, age of 18 to 30, from 14 European and non-European countries, who are doing ESC or EVS in Bulgaria for a period longer than 6 months in their majority.

Training methods used & main activities

Non-formal education and intercultural learning, done by:
- structured exercises
- games
- facilitated discussions
- presentations
- simulation games
- e-learning
- debriefings
- reflections
- evaluations
- energizers
and others

Outcomes of the activity

A very positive feedback was given by the volunteers in their formal evaluation forms, regarding the learning process and regarding their needs and expectations. We have covered all the aspects of the training in interactive and involving manner which encourage the participants to be very specific what they learned or achieved during the days of the training. Motivation was raised and they went through personal planning for their further steps during their stay in Bulgaria.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

We have been working closely with the other trainers from the pool of trainers of the Bulgarian NA.
We had group meetings discussing the learning needs of the participants and creating the general programme.
We divided tasks between ourselves and take care of the quality delivery of the separate sessions and sharing our expertise with the participants.
We took care of the communication with and coordination with the logistics company, provided by the NA to organize of the venue, meals etc.

I worked on this training for 5 days as a full time trainer.