The implementation of the “DobroTvortsi” project with number 2017-1-BG01-KA105-035874, financed under the Erasmus+ Program, has been successfully completed.
The realization of the project activities provided an opportunity for 20 volunteers from Romania to get involved in the preparation and realization of the “Danube Waves” Arts Festival, which in turn helped to form new knowledge and skills among the participants and provoked the expression of a responsible civic attitude. The European Voluntary Service was held in the city of Vidin for a period of 25 days – from 10.07.2017 to 03.08.2017.
The main goal of the project, namely – to encourage volunteerism, we achieved by engaging young volunteers in the preparation and organization of the festival and involving them in creative and creative activities from non-formal education, such as synthesis of art, which helped to form new knowledge and skills, and responsible civil attitude in them. By joining the efforts of the volunteers from Romania and the youth of the local community, we contributed to promoting solidarity and tolerance between young people from different countries.
Through the implementation of the project, we showed the volunteers the benefits of carrying out activities to help society, exchanged experience and good practices with the partner organization Asociatia Tinerii 3D and improved our skills in working with young people. What the young volunteers have given to the organization are not only good practices and proven methods of work, but also inspiration, enthusiasm and a different worldview, in which lies the real richness of intercultural communication.
As a result of the implementation of the planned activities, the specific goals of the project were also achieved, namely:
• Participants improved their level of key competencies and skills, with a view to improving their personal development;
• Intercultural dialogue is implemented;
• Youth solidarity increased;
• A field was provided for personal expression, gaining experience in another country, cooperation and useful interaction between young people;
• Participating organizations gained experience in implementing volunteer projects.
The implementation of the “DobroTvortsi” project had a positive impact on the participants in an educational dimension, as through the activities carried out it contributed to the development of key competencies acquired through the methods of non-formal education, namely:
- Ability to absorb knowledge – during the implementation of the activities, we stimulated the participants to organize their own learning process, set goals and achieve them, use the acquired knowledge and skills, be motivated and self-confident;
- Improved communication in a foreign language – the project activities were carried out in English, which gave the participants the opportunity to learn to structure their speech in a foreign language and to argue using appropriate means of expression. All this led to overcoming the concerns of some of them to communicate in a foreign language, developed their communication skills and led to the wider development of this competence;
- Social and civic skills – in the process of work, we implement a number of activities that helped to build an active civic position of the participants in society. They had the opportunity to form and express an opinion on important issues. They developed competences for solving problems in a non-conflictual way, for reaching a compromise, overcoming stereotypes, understanding and appreciating different cultures, sharing European values, making decisions, taking responsibility for them and working in a team;
– Cultural competences – the intercultural context in which the project activities took place and getting to know one’s own and foreign cultural features, traditions and history improved and helped the cultural awareness and growth of the participants.
The implementation of the planned activities allowed us as the host of the project and the partner organization to gain insight into whether the youth are affected by non-formal education and in what way we will be able to apply it in our activities in the future. We received visual information about current topics among young people, and the direct connection with them will allow us to choose the most appropriate approach when communicating with them in the future.
The current project is financed by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Program. This publication reflects the views of the author and the Commission only and cannot be held responsible for the information it contains.