PRO- Project Readiness for Erasmus+ Organisations

Day 1

Participants from different countries were warmly welcomed with smiles at the Awesome People House, a place where happy people live together. On the first day, we started with introduction games to get to know each other and build connections among participants. In this activity, we said our names, chose an adjective starting with the same letter as our names, and created a movement that represented us and matched the adjective. In this way, we both learned each other’s names more easily and started communicating with one another.

After that, we played the Sheriff Game. In this game, the Sheriff standing in the middle of the circle said “bam” and pointed at someone. The chosen person had to sit down, while the two people next to them tried to guess each other’s names. Whoever remembered the name correctly first stayed in the game, while the other became the new Sheriff. Thanks to this energetic and enjoyable memory game, we became more familiar with each other.

In the “Two Truths and a Wish” activity, we thought about two important experiences or dreams that had a strong impact on us. We explained all three as if they had happened, and the others tried to guess which one was not true. Afterwards, we received information about the schedule and learned how the program would progress.

With the “Pro Sun Activity,” we participated in team-building exercises. We answered questions such as: “What brought you here?”, “Who inspired you to come?”, and “What is your personal goal?” This activity helped us realize that participants were not there randomly, but rather with the purpose of meaningful learning. It also showed us the importance of personal development, intercultural interaction, and networking opportunities.

During the “Expectation, Fear, Ask and Answer” activity, everyone shared their expectations from the course, the fears that worried them, and the questions they were curious about. This helped participants understand each other better and approach one another with empathy and understanding in order to overcome their fears together.

We also participated in the “Walk and Talk” activity. In this activity, we discussed the given topics for ten minutes, changed partners, and took photos around different parts of Kopparberg while getting to know the surrounding environment. When we returned to the workshop area, we shared a short reflection about the activity. In addition, during the “I Am” game, we created as many “I am…” sentences as possible. This activity was both entertaining and helpful for improving communication skills.

In the YOCOMO activity, we worked on the question of what a youth worker should be like and placed different qualities into related categories. We expressed our strengths and weaknesses. We also did the “Matching the Skills” activity. During the “Network Market,” everyone introduced their association or school. We took notes about the NGO Passport. At the end of the day, we held a feedback session. In the evening, we organized a cultural night where everyone introduced their own country, wore traditional clothes, and shared traditional foods from their culture.

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Day 2

On the second day, we learned about Erasmus+ KA1, KA2, and KA3 programs. In particular, we focused on the KA1 opportunities such as Youth Exchanges, Youth Workers Mobility, Accreditation, and DiscoverEU. We discussed the characteristics and common aspects of youth exchanges and youth workers. Through experience-sharing activities, effective peer learning also took place.

We worked on the most important pillars of Erasmus+: objectives, priorities, and Erasmus Youth Quality Standards. In the “Objectives” activity, we searched for objectives placed outside and answered questions related to them. We learned about Erasmus priorities through a spinning wheel activity. Afterwards, we presented them in different ways such as role plays, presentations, and captions.

Before continuing with the sessions, we played an energizer game that helped us start actively and enthusiastically. The trainer gave us a problem scenario and asked us to identify which quality standard was being violated. Afterwards, we discussed possible solutions. Later, we studied need analysis using the World Café method. We wrote problems related to local life, school, family, and relationships on papers. We reflected on the question “What is the problem?” for ten minutes and selected one specific issue.

We also had an interactive discussion and exchanged ideas about reverse engineering. After choosing our problems, we attached them to our foreheads and matched with partners. Then, we drew a tree. In the middle of the trunk, we wrote our problem; on the roots, we identified the causes of the problem; and on the branches, we wrote its consequences. Based on one of the causes, we created a project topic.

Later, together with our group partners, we experienced the first steps of project writing. We identified the project objectives, target group, and expected results. We also created the timetable section of the project. Throughout the day, we played different games as well. In the colored paper activity, each color represented a symbol, and we tried to explain it to the person in front of us.

At the end of the day, we learned how to take measures for disadvantaged people. In the same way, we also realized that special precautions should be considered regarding Erasmus priorities.

Day 3

By the third day, we already had our own project with our group partners. We had become more involved in the process and gained greater self-confidence. Everyone had started to face their fears with more confidence and determination. Thus, we were ready to begin the third day with reflection activities.

Each participant shared their reflections from the previous day. Afterwards, we completed our program and checked it through a checklist. On the third day, we already had a program designed by ourselves, and we improved it further to prepare for the next tasks.

Based on the YOCOMO competencies, we prepared a 40-minute activity and implemented it with all participants. Afterwards, we gave feedback to each other and recognized both our strengths and the areas we needed to improve from different perspectives.

Later, we moved on to the budgeting section. We were given sample budgets and worked on their calculations. During the day, we also played the “Dance Leader” game. Everyone became the dance leader in turns, and this fun activity increased everyone’s energy and motivation.

Day 4

We started the fourth day with a reflection activity that helped us become more aware of ourselves, our work, and our personal development. Afterwards, we reviewed our learning steps and exchanged opinions with one another.

Questions, problems, and unclear points related to budgeting were discussed and answered. Each group was given a form and instructions containing information about countries, the number of mobilities to be organized, participants, staff members, and trainers. Based on these instructions, we prepared a sample budget. Afterwards, each group wrote the detailed budget on flipcharts and presented it.

We also learned about the AI tools most commonly used by online trainers and project trainers. We received information about ChatGPT, Gamma, Claude, Lovable, and Canva AI.

Later, we moved on to dissemination and visibility topics. We played the “Fruit Salad” game. Participants formed a circle and were divided into groups named apple, orange, and banana. Whenever the leader called out a fruit name, the participants with that fruit had to change places. When the leader said “Fruit Salad,” everyone had to switch places, and the person left in the middle became the new leader. This energetic and enjoyable game helped us refresh our energy before continuing the activities.

Finally, we played the counting-to-20 game. If two people said the same number at the same time, they were eliminated from the game. It was an activity that improved both attention and speed.