Presentation of the "Youth in Action" Programme in the local community from Horezu

This event was organized during the "Paper Handicrafts Business - Winter Edition" youth exchange in Horezu, Romania.

Youth Exchange Official Video

Do you want to see our key actions and activities implemented during the youth exchange? 

Check out the official video! 

Reindeer - Teaser

What do you think? Are DIY projects also fun?  

Check out this new teaser!

Ribbon - Teaser

Do you know how to advertise a ribbon?! Check the following video!

Keep your eyes on us! To be continued...

Brochure...

During the Youth Exchange we have developed some ideas about what kind of handicrafts can be made from different recycable materials (glass, metal, paper, plastic and wood). If you are interested to read more about this article you can check the project brochure.

In this brochure you can also read about ideas developed during the "World Cafe" activity on entrepreneurship development which seeks production of handicrafts and about the participant's feedback.

This brochure is available only in English version.

Enjoy reading!

Santa Claus - Teaser

Still don't believe origami is fun? Check this one out!

Keep your eyes on us! To be continued...

Christmas Tree - Teaser

Do you want to see more fun videos? Check this one out!

Keep your eyes on us! To be continued...

Christmas Star - Teaser

Ever wonder if DIY projects are fun? 

We managed to mobilize a group of very talented young people into creating something fun to present their DIY origami projects.

Still don't believe origami is fun? Check this out:

Keep your eyes on us! To be continued...

Creative Workshops & Origami Tutorials

Our participants, splited in teams, recieved paper, scissors, glue and all necessary materials and for each country, the representants had to show and teach the others how to make an origami Christmas ornament.
In this way, all participants were both teachers and students and they had an active participation during the workshop.
After this, at the end of each creative workshop, the participants created a tutorial for each ornament.

The Christmas ornaments created during the workshops are the following: Ribbon (Italian team), Christmas Ball (Polish team), Christmas Star (Romanian team), Reindeer (Spanish team), Christmas Tree, Candy Stick and Santa Claus (Turkish team).

Some of our activities...

The activities planned during this youth exchange included, exclusively, non-formal methods; the aims were to facilitate the process of interconectivity, to activate motivation and creativity, to support the process of decision making and contribution with new ideas, encouraging freedom of expression and tolerance among participants. All these methods facilitate the learning process and support the development of entrepreneurship competences, the integration and assimilation of the project results and cooperation among young people. The involvement of young people in these activities help them to develop personal and social competences, and also competences for teamwork.

The non-formal methods proposed during the project activities had the objective to develop a participatory attitude, to support the process of refection, to promote tolerance, to support the integration of intercultural differences in the proces of creation and to support cooperation among young people.

          

Examples of activities:

Energizers: The aim of these activities is to facilitate the getting-to-know-each-other of the participants, to energize them and to facilitate the switch between other activities. Usually these activities are group games that takes up to 15 minutes.

Ninja: The participants are asked to form a circle. The facilitator „attacks” a random participants by pointing out with both hands held together. The person attacked has to raise his hands above his head, also holding them together and his neighbours (the person on the eft and the person on the right) have to come from both sides toward him and to attack him. Then the person that was attacked in the first place has to attack someone else. When you attack you have to shout „ha!”, when you are being attacked you have to shout „he!” and when you are one of the neighbours you have to shout „hi!”.

Prince, princess and dragon: The game revolves around the story of a prince, a princess and a dragon. Participants divide into two teams and stand in two line, with their backs to the other team. Each team decides whether they will be the prince, the princess or the dragon. They turn around to face the other team and mime an action representing who they are. The idea is that: the princess defeats the prince, the prince defeats the dragon, and the dragon defeats the princess. Sometimes, neither group will defeat the other because they will both choose to be the same thing!

Straw towers 

Aim: to facilitate communication and cooperation between participants

Method: teambuilding activity

Description: Participants are splited in four teams. Each teams recieved an equal number of plastic straws. The request is, during 30 minuntes to build a tall tower, using only the straws given. In the end, the tallest tower wins.

City Rally

Aim: to facilitate teamwork
Method: teambulding activity
Description: Participants are split in mixed teams and they receive a list with tasks (to take a photo with the people from the village, to find some museum or important building in the area and to take a picture in front of it, to take a photo of a certain statue, to obtain an information from some infopoint etc.). While completing the tasks they discover the community and the area in which the exchange takes place. Through this method, participants will develop teamwork competences and they have the opportunity to interact with villagers.

„Youth in Action” presentation

Aim: to inform participants on “Youth in Action” Programme

Method: photo/video presentation

Description: Participants gather in an indoor space and one of the facilitators presents the “Youth in Action” Programme then recieved and answers questions to clarify some aspects regarding this financed program.

Creative Workshop: Origami ornament

Aim: creation activity

Method: communication, teamwork, creative tehnics, role play.

Description: participants, splited in teams, recieved paper, scissors and glue and for each country, the representants had to show and teach the others how to make an origami Christmas ornament. In this way, all participants were both teachers and students and they had an active participation during the workshop.

 

Making of... teasers

Aim: to create presentational movies, to encourage active participation

Method: screen play workshop

Description: the participants were spilt into 5 teams and they had 90 minutes to create and develop a presentational movie for the origami ornaments that were made during the exchange. They had different materials to use and were encouraged to express creatively.

Study Visits

One of the youth exchange day took place in a study visit and the participant had the opportunity to visit Targu Jiu City which is primarly well known for some famous works of art made by a world-wide known sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The participants also visited a romanian monastery: Polovraci and got to know a little bit more about the romanian history and culture by visiting some interesting old houses, unique in their style that served as shelters during Ottoman attacks – their popular name is Culele Maldaresti.

Intercultural Nights

During the whole week, each night had a designated theme, each country prepared a cultural night. The participants prepared the program of these nights as they wished and in character with their cultural specifics. The program included a presentation of the country, a presentation of customs and traditions, traditional music and dances, traditional clothes, food and drinks and also a presentation of the sending organisations.

World Café

It is an integrative method that has as aim the facilitation of communication, interrelation, getting-to-know each other between participants and also it is an ideas exchange.

Description: The space where this activity takes place is divided in more places or debate tables, as in a coffee shop. Each table recieves a debate subject, subject that is usually inspired from ideas that participants gathered in branstorming previous activity. The participants are divided in „bees” and „butterflies” and the rule is that the „butterflies can change the tables and go around the room and exchange ideas with others, while the „bees” have to stay at the same table to assure that the discution on that subject is carried on. Each group name a spokesman that presents the ideas at the end of this activity.

Youth in Action

"Youth in Action" is the European Union Programme which aims to inspire a sense of active European citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union's future. It promotes mobility within and beyond the EU's borders, non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue, and encourages the inclusion of all young people, regardless of their educational, social and cultural background.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES?

The "Youth in Action" Programme is the EU’s mobility and non-formal education programme targeting young people aged between 13 and 30 years. Its general objectives are the following:

• Promote young people’s active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in particular
• Develop solidarity and promote tolerance among young people, in particular in order to foster social cohesion in the European Union
• Foster mutual understanding between young people in different countries
• Contribute to developing the quality of support systems for youth activities and the capabilities of civil society organisations in the youth field
• Promote European cooperation in the youth field

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

• Central target group = Youth between 13 and 30 years old
• Youth workers, Youth leaders, NGOs, etc.
• Local Authorities

PROGRAMME COUNTRIES?

• 28 EU Member States
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (Alee)
• Turkey (EU candidate)
• Neighbouring Partner Countries (South-East, Eastern Europe and Caucasus, Mediterranean region)
• Other partner countries in the world that have signed agreements with the European Community

In order to achieve it objectives, the "Youth in Action" Programme foresees 5 operational Actions:

Action 1 - Youth for Europe encourages young people's active citizenship, participation and creativity through youth exchanges, youth initiatives and youth democracy projects.

Action 2 - European Voluntary Service helps young people to develop their sense of solidarity by participating, either individually or in group, in non-profit, unpaid voluntary activities abroad.

Action 3 - Youth in the World promotes partnerships and exchanges among young people and youth organizations across the world.

Action 4 - Youth Support Systems includes various measures to support youth workers and youth organizations and improve the quality of their activities.

Action 5 - Support for European Co-operation in the Youth field supports youth policy co-operation at European level, in particular by facilitating dialogue between young people and policy makers.

About us...

“Initiative Sociale” Association is a NGO that has been created in July 2012 from the founders wish to produce changes in youth mentalities and to motivate the young generation to cooperate for a better society and to motivate them in taking initiative.

"Initiative Sociale" is an association of young people and its mission is to promote and implement non-formal programs for the young generation.

It founders are dynamic and ambitious young people, from different academic backgrounds like Tehnical University of Construction Bucharest – the Faculty of Constructions, University of Bucharest - the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work and University Ovidius from Constanta – Faculty of Law. Two of them are also certified as Trainers in Social Entrepreneurship and have all necessary information regarding the conception of a business plan.

They also have a vast experience regarding participation in international projects like: Youth exchanges Action 1.1., Cooperation with partner countries Action 3.1.a, Cooperation with partner countries – Training and networks Action 3.1.b, and Training program and networking Action 4.3. and they also have experience being involved in local projects.

Our objectives and mission are to create and develop national and international youth exchanges, programs to promote European partnership among young people, professional development of European standards and practice, to organize summer schools and conferences to promote social initiatives among young people, to create and develop different programs regarding orientation and professional counseling.

We would also like to implement activities that can generate capital and jobs for young people, to create and develop project for community development, especially for rural community development and to create and develop projects for the European Voluntary Service.

We would also like to concentrate on promoting social economy and social entrepreneurship; we would like to offer support and provide technical assistance to young people who want to start a business, especially the social businesses initiatives. Also, we would like to provide support in creation and development of programs for democracy among young people and will promote the concept of Active European Citizenship.

Another objective is to create partnerships with private companies, NGOs and public institutions to create projects for community and social initiatives among young people.

About the project...

The project "Paper Handicraft Business-Winter Edition" was a multilateral youth exchange (Action 1.1) which have been held in Romania between 01-09 November 2013.

During 9 days, 33 young people, between 18 and 25 years old and 5 leaders with no age limit coming from Italy, Spain, Turkey, Poland and Romania have met in order to share experiences, learn and focus on concrete actions for the promotion of entrepreneurship. (making paper products with the theme of winter/Christmas using Origami technique). 

The main objective of the project was to increase the level of knowledge regarding the production of paper handicrafts (with the theme of winter/Christmas) using Origami technique for 38 young people coming from 5 different countries for 9 days the period of the youth exchange. After closing the exchange, in the early December 2013 (12.12.2013), the volunteers of the applicant went in a social center for young people (Metropolis Philantropic Foundation) to decorate together with them the rooms for activities. Also, they decorated the Christmas tree with the paper handicraft products that were made during the youth exchange.

The project activities were aimed to engage young people through active participation, which is a priority of the "Youth in Action" Programme. The youngsters have been taught, as a result of participation in this Exchange, to understand better their role in society and in the future of Europe because they learned about the need for the development of entrepreneurship in order to create new opportunities and involvement in economic and social level. Also, the following were facilitated: intercultural exchange, the national stock exchange and especially exchanging ideas, sustaining dialogue and intercultural links through the active involvement of young people in the activities of the project, organized tasks so that each participant had the opportunity to come into contact with a different culture.

For a successful completion of the project we proposed the following working methods:

• get to know each other games, evaluative games

• integrative methods

• storyboard

• teamwork

• brainstorming

• discussions/debates on different subjects

• team-building

• intercultural observations.

The working methods of non-formal which were proposed in the context of exchange activities, aimed at promoting active participation among youth, support for the process of reflection, promotion of tolerance, support and assimilation of cultural differences and of course supporting the understanding between young people from different countries and cultures, the development of cooperation and the creation process.