International seminar
“Play together, Learn together”
Here is what our participants shared:
” SPAIN – GREAT EXPERIENCE AND A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER
PLAY TOGETHER. LEARN TOGETHER. This completely describes the participants’ experience within the seven days of the project.
The main topic of the project was Social Inclusion through Sport Activities. All the participants took active role in the sessions through the methods of non-formal education, namely different workshops, team building and sport activities, presentations and discussions. Each participant had the chance to share good practices and ideas as well as to learn a lot from the others.
At the beginning of the project all of us were warmly welcomed. The hosting organization had arranged team building activities which made us feel comfortable and calm and gave us the opportunity to cooperate in friendly and worm environment. The project continued with interesting and useful presentations about the realities of the different participants’ countries regarding social inclusion through sport.
The topic of the project was focused on three main groups of people usually excluded from the society, namely women, immigrants and people with functional diversity. Successful people who had achieved a lot in the field of sports were invited to share with us the difficulties they had on their way to success.
Moreover during the project we had the chance to work in international groups, collecting the best practices and creating successful projects on the main topic.
It is worth mentioning the fascinating cultural sessions, the intercultural evening and the following evenings out which filled us with positive energy. These moments spent together exploring Spanish culture and traditions built strong friendship between most of the participants. Me, myself, I will continue communicating with some of the people who inspire me and make me a better person.
And last, but probably the most important, I would like to mention how much I learned in only a week. Thank to the perfect organization and the wonderful people I met, I managed to learn a lot not only on the main topic. I would say that this project contributed a lot for my personal and professional development. ”
Summary:
“Play together, Learn together” was a project that had as main aim promoting the use of strategies to support social inclusion through sports activities. The main activity of this project was a seminar of 7 days where youth workers, social workers and volunteers from 10 countries shared and compiled best practices and methods, created new strategies and tools that might be used by the participants of this project and other people. This seminar was held in Elche from 28th of June to 4th of July of 2016. In order to help this project to achieve this aim, “Play together, Learn together” pursued the following objectives:
– Exchange experiences and good practices about social inclusion through physical activity.
– Share the realities of our own countries according social inclusion and sports.
– Reflect on the possibility of creating new tools or strategies regarding social inclusion and sports.
– Establish a network between organizations interested in promoting sports as a tool for social inclusion.
– Promote physical activity as a way to improve people’s lifestyle.
The fields, this project was focused on were:
- Social Inclusion, sports & women:
We will work in a session lead by Club Balonmano Elche (CBME) team members about sports and equity. Also, one player of the female handball team of CBME in national first league will held a conference about her experience in the professional sports field. - Social Inclusion, sports & physical disabilities:
Center of Sports Investigation of University of Miguel Hernández of Elche will lead an activity to present the situation of the actual situation of physical disabilities and sports in Spain, how they work in order to provide new solutions. Also we will know in first hand some of the adapted material. - Social Inclusion, sports & immigrants:
Elche Acoge is a very experienced organization working with immigrants in our city that is developing a program about grassroots futsal teams where there are many nationalities playing. They will share their experience and we might see how they work.
Participant profiles:
We were 33 participants from 10 different countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
There was no age limit from above, however, there was under – above 18 years old. It was very important for the success of the activity that all the participants were Youth Worker, people working with sports as tool for social inclusion or volunteers that might be interested in becoming a Youth Worker in this field. It was possible to elect participants who were interested in using physical activities as a way to foster social inclusion in their own organizations. Participants were selected between the hosting and sending organization upon of their experience, motivation and knowledge about the topic. However, we tried to keep a gender balance and a “knowledge” balance, allowing to create a comfortable
space for learning from each other.
Travel costs:
We were reimbursed according to the rules of the Erasmus + Program. Reimbursement of travel costs was done upon presenting original tickets, receipts/invoices and boarding passes. Reimbursement was done in EURO, regardless of the currency indicated on your ticket, receipt or invoice. Our tickets were reimbursed directly to the CYA`s account, because they have paid for all of them. All we shared in the end was 5 euro per person, in order to cover the bank, transfer fee, fees for sending the original tickets back to Spain by post, currency exhnange losses, etc.
Accommodation:
The accommodation was in a 3 star hotel TRYP Ciudad de Elche, in the very center of the city of Elche. Rooms were distributed preferably by gender and 2 participants per room. In case of any inconvenience, hosting and sending organization as well as the hotel always found best solution to solve it.
The TRYP Ciudad de Elche is located in the heart of Elche, near the Basilica of Santa María, the Municipal Park, the Jardines Huerto del Cura, the Congress Centre, the MAHE (Archaeological Museum), the main shopping area of the city, the best restaurants and the hot spots of Elche.
ADDRESS:
Avda. Joan Carles I, 7
Alicante – Elche 03203
Spain
COORDINATES:
N +38º 15′ 59.83″ / W -0º 41′ 41.35″
What we brought with us?
As we stayed in a hotel, there were sheets and towels. We selected the clothes we find appropriate, because the weather was very sunny and hot, so we came ready with sun blocker cream and hats. We walked a short distance from the Hotel to the working space every day.
We had intercultural evening with local authorities involved, so we brought with us food, drinks, brochures that represented our own country, culture, etc. We also had a presentation of our organizations, it was important to bring something ready to show to the others.
This main activity was a seminar, in this type of activity participants needed to know about the topic of the project: Sports as tool for social inclusion. So, we brought to this seminar with us:
– Information about the situation of the use of sports as tool for social inclusion in your country.
– Strategies, best practices and ideas of using sports for social inclusion.Experiences and activities developed in your own organization.
– Ideas for new projects in Erasmus +. We will use time to create drafts for future projects.
– Positive and open mind mood. This will be an intercultural and inter age exchange of ideas!
YouthPass:
Every participant was individually entitled to receive a Youthpass Certificate, which confirmed participation and validated the non-formal learning (NFL) experience of Training course project. Validating the learning experiences of participants is important in itself and the document can be of benefit in terms of the educational or employment future of the participant. Through Youthpass the European Commission ensures the Training course activity is recognized as a non-formal learning experience. Each one of us got YouthPass and we were also incuraged to full fill the self-assessment part as well.
(*For more information on Youthpass you may click on this page to check it online)
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