Project Name: AdvantAGE
Activity: Training of Youth Workers for fight against stereotypes and promote tolerance and solidarity through different experiences and viewpoints for a better life and society
Training in Denmark: Szeged, Hungary
Project Dates: 25th of May - arrival day 1st of June – departure day
You can stay up to 1 day before and after the project dates. Your transportation costs will be reimbursed. However, you will have to cover your own the other expenses!
Accommodation: The training will take place in Szeged, Hungary. Szeged is located in the Southern Great-Plains region in Hungary, it takes 2 hours by train to get to from the Airport of Budapest. The accommodation for the participants will be in Hotel Centrum, which is located at a comfortable walking distance from the venue. Participants will be placed in gender based rooms with 3-4 separated beds and bathrooms.
Food: The venue of the training will be close to the hotel, to serve the participants with 3- times-a-day meals and snacks and beverages for the coffee breaks.
Reports from our Participants in the training
3 youth workers from our NGO participated in the training course “AdvantAGE” for fight against stereotypes and promote tolerance and solidarity through different experiences and viewpoints for a better life and society. The representatives of our NGO are sharing their experiences below:
You can also find the manual created during the project here: https://bit.ly/3Adb6c5
Stavros Stavrinides:
The Erasmus project “advantAGE” at Szeged, Hungary was the first Erasmus program I have participated in. I didn’t know what to expect from that experience but fortunately was a week I will never forget. From the first night we met the other participants and from the first moment there was chemistry between us. Second day, our first day in the project started with games and activities that had goal to get to know each other even more. Afterwards we had some team building games and city game that its purpose was to communicate with the locals in Szeged. Also, we made small posters every day in different teams, listing problems generation gap is causing and giving solutions to prevent those. Furthermore, every day each participant country was presenting traditional food to the other members of the program. It was an unforgettable experience that help all of us get socialised and educated at the same time.
Marios Epaminonda:
Moving into more detail about our days there. We would begin our day with a breakfast at the hotel and then we would march towards the venue to begin the activities. Before diving into our activities, we first had a reflection group(reflection group=a group of participants that was assigned from the first day) summarize our previous day and what they gained from it and then they would have us do an energizer. Beginning with our official activities, we had many. Almost all of them revolved around the elderly and how to help them improve their lives, incorporate themselves better in this modern era and also in general about human society. Furthermore, we had a lecture from a person from the organization about social sciences, isolation and seclusion of the elderly today. Finishing with the activities, we had a couple that were more unique, and also included elderly people from Hungary. The one was dance lessons with an elderly Club, where we learned country dance and other traditional dances of various countries, while dancing with the ladies. The other one was Tai Chi lesson from a tai chi master. Overall all activities were great and had helped me learn more about the discrimination that exists in our society today, but the ones I liked the most are the dance lessons and Taiichi which we got to do with the elderly and that was really sweet and fun to get together with them even though they didn’t speak English.
Chrysostomos Syrimis:
My experience in Hungary was quite constructive and more important than I expected before I got there. I had never thought about bridging the gap between age groups I just knew there was a gap and thought it was normal. However, through my experience in this program I understood the importance of cooperation between two generations and how both can benefit from it. Young people are the future of a society but also the older ones with their experience in life can help the future to be more certain and the mistakes of the past not to be repeated. Through various activities we did and especially in those involving elderly people, I understood that cooperation is very important and the biggest gap we had with the specific people was communication, since we spoke different languages and they could not speak English. However, because the will was there, we managed to fit in the activities we were given and also have a good time. We did Nordic walking, Tai chi, played board games, we danced and talked. Not only the elderly people, but the entire group was amazing, I had an amazing time, created strong memories and made some new friends will have for life!
3 Youth workers and trainers (above 18 years old) from our organization will take place to the program. Travelling food and accommodation all are paid from the program (For an application you must be member of our organization, if you want to apply for membership you can go for the application to the link: https://www.acpelia.org/be-a-member
We are looking for participants with the following profile:
· wish to develop professionally and personally;
· over 18;
· willing to be an active participant for the entire duration of the course;
· motivated, open-minded, willing to cooperate and share from experience;
· has knowledge, experience and tools from previous work or projects about mindfulness;
· open to reflect on their experiences in youth work related to the topic;
· desire to explore new ideas and promote mental health awareness;
· have the motivation and capacity to disseminate the project result;
· speak (or open to try to speak) in English.
Summary of the project:
Age-related stereotypes and discrimination are more typical characteristics of our society than ever. Representatives of different generations are victim and guilty at the same time, because they discriminate people of other generations while they are also often discriminated. Lack of intergenerational communication causes misunderstanding, and leads to stereotypes and discrimination. Our society needs well-prepared youth workers who are able to understand and engage each generation, promoting this way intergenerational communication and. With these in mind, the objective of the project is to introduce tools and methods to engage multiple generations in activities that bridge the ever increasing generation gap.
The aims of the activity are the as follows:
1) develop mutual acceptance and understanding between people from different generations;
2) fight against stereotypes and promote tolerance and solidarity through different experiences and viewpoints for a better life and society;
3) make youth workers able to involve also the elderly in their activities in order to bring closer young and old generations.
Partners organisations:
· Crveni krst Krusevac – Serbia
· INNONET – Slovakia
· DCTR – Portugal
· EURO SUD – Italy
· ACPELIA – Cyprus
· Walk Together – Bulgaria
· BRIGHT – North Macedonia
· Young Folks – Latvia
Aplication for Interest of Participation: https://forms.gle/cvNSQd9fFZsmeNRB7
If you want to be a candidate of our program please complete the application form and don't forget to complete the membership form if you are not a member of our organisation. Link for completing the application of membership: https://www.acpelia.org/be-a-member