Dates: 8—15 September 2020
Venue: Paralia Ofriniou, Orfani, (Summer camp “Tsaf Tsouff“), Greece
Programme & action: ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: training course
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Praxis Greece
Participating countries: Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Moldova, Greece, Bulgaria
Czech participants: Samuel Macko, Petra Plachá, Jana Fialová
Project report:
Aim of the project is to familiarize participants with various leadership techniques and to let them practice what they learned in diverse scenarios.
The learning program takes roughly a half of the day, but it doesn’t feel that way. Training is in no way overwhelming, it does not have a form of a lecture. It mostly consists of group activities in which one needs to cooperate with other team members to achieve some sort of goal. Activities of the first day revolved mostly around introducing ourselves and learning names of other participants. As leadership is a complex concept, activities of the following days tackled it from multiple angles. We played a great variety of games, some notable mentions are a shepherd and saving organizators.
In a shepherd game, we would form groups, one member would be the shepherd, others sheeps. Group is then supposed to develop a game plan and a way of communicating without speaking words. Blindfolded sheeps are then scattered throughout the area and the shepherd then has to get them to the designated sheep pen.
In the saving of organizators, we would all collaborate together on varied tasks, such as composing a song, drawing a flag, creating a statue and so on.
When needed, we did “energizers”. These short activities required a physical activity and/or extra focus and were supposed to “wake us up”. We did self reflecting activities too.
During the stay, I learned a lot not only about mentioned techniques but also about myself. How I react in certain, at least for me, non-mundane situations.
Outside of the program, we had free time in which we could do basically anything. We could go to the beach which was right outside the camp, swim in kayaks, drive bicycles, play all kinds of sports, go to the pool and so on. Tsaf Tsouf camp is really full of possibilities. From the most part, we were the only group there, so that also added to the freedom of activities.
Accomodation was very summer-camp like, in a good way. We slept in train wagons with bunk beds in them. Food was very good, there were also vegetarian options. Kitchen was giving away extra portions for participants that could still find a space for it.
Actual training, although very important and fun, is not the best part of the project. For me, it was other participants and organizators. Despite the complications related to COVID situation, there were people from all around Europe. Everyone brought a great attitude and was fun to work with. Chance to hang out with people with different backgrounds and personalities is the best part for me. Organizers were friendly, one could go to them with anything and anytime and they always tried to help. Practicing my english is also a big plus.
Overall, it was a great experience, I am looking forward to my next program.
