INFOPACK
Training course 5 - 13 June 2021 (incl. travel days) near Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Hosting and coordinating organisation
Hello!
Greetings and a warm hug from Bulgaria! We are happy to have you as participants! In the following pages we try to give you general information and practical issues about the project. Read this guide carefully and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. We are here to clarify all the details of the project. We will help and support you to spend a really good time during the project.
Contacts Dilyana Vuchkova - coordinator E-mail: dilianavuchkova@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/diliana.vuchkova Mobile + Viber: +359-894-62-11-23 Mobile + Whatsapp: +359-889-655-178
Tsvetelina Radenkova - co-coordinator E-mail: tsvetelina.radenkova@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/tsvetelina.radenkova.1 Mobile + Viber: +359-885-18-40-17
About the project YOUTH WORK - YOU(TH) LEAD aims to address two major aspects of the NEETs phenomenon, mainly to increase the quality and number of actions in youth work addressing NEET youth and professionalisation of youth workers in order to increase the competencies of youth workers and to deliver learning in an appropriate manner for NEET young people and other socially-at-risk young people.
Objectives To increase the impact and professionalisation of Youth leaders in their work with young people in local communities To develop the competencies of 27 Youth leaders to prepare, design and deliver activities aiming at NEET young people and their personal development, career development opportunities, social and communication conflicts To develop a group /network of 46 local young people actively involved in the community life and ready to take the role of leaders to identify, involve and motivate NEET youth To develop a framework for youth NGOs to work together and develop new projects aiming at NEET youth around Europe using NF learning methods and instruments
Project June 2021
June - July 2021
Training course
Local activities in 9
with 29 youth
partner countries
leaders/ workers from 9 countries near Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
flow August 2021
Youth Exchange with
August-October 2021
46 young people
Evaluation and
from 9 countries
dissemination
near Veliko Tarnovo,
activities in the
Bulgaria
9 partner countries
Project
flow
The project foresees two mobilities - a Training Course for Youth Workers and Youth Leaders and a Youth Exchnge - and two sets of local activities developed and implemented by the participants to the two mobility activities. The training course will involve 29 participants and 3 trainers from 9 countries and will take place in an are near Veliko Tarnovo. The participants will be youth practitioners, youth leaders, especially, but also youth workers, social assistants, psychologists and volunteer coordinators that are in charge with designing, implementing and evaluating youth activities in their early career. The youth exchange will involve 46 participants and 2 facilitators from 9 countries in Europe and will take place in the same location, where the TC took place. The participants in the youth exchange are young people who don’t have experience in youth activities and even in extracurricular activities, but instead they have a real motivation to participate, learn, improve and put into practice all the methods they will learn during the youth exchange. The young people are socially challenged, originating from families with different problems, from geographical areas with fewer opportunities or facing situations of long term unemployment or disengagement from studies and or training. The participants will be 16-30 years old with a focus on the category of 18-25 years old.
Costs Costs will be covered accordingly to the Erasmus+ programme: • Meals /three times a day/ • Accommodation /in double rooms/ • 100% costs during the activities • The international travel costs are covered according to the ERASMUS+ distance bands and they include the transport from the point of origin to the point of destination, round trip, as follows: o Romania – 180 EUR/ pax o Latvia – 275 EUR/ pax o Estonia - 275 EUR/ pax o Slovakia - 275 EUR/ pax o Slovenia - 275 EUR/ pax o Italy – 275 EUR/ pax o Spain – 360 EUR/ pax o Portugal – 360 EUR/ pax o Bulgaria - 180 EUR/ pax
Attention! Participants will be reimbursed according the travel distance upon presentation of travel documents. We kindly ask you to keep all the travel documents (invoices, boarding passes, plane tickets, bus/train tickets and proofs of payment). Please note, only the cheapest means of transport / fares are subject, covered by the project. Costs for using a taxi is not allowed to be reimbursed. Please, note the maximum of your travel costs.
Reimbursement • You will be reimbursed the travel costs during the training course dates upon presentation of the following documents: o Traveling by plane: invoice received from the airline company if you are buying the tickets online or from the traveling agency; if you are buying the tickets via an agency, electronic ticket (in some cases the electronic ticket and the invoice are one and the same, it’s important to see the exact cost of the ticket), proof of payment (bank extraction). o Traveling by bus/train: bus/train tickets. o Traveling by car: receipt for the gas, road taxes (vignettes), license of the driver and the car, protocol of starting mileage. o Traveling by taxi: is allowed, but due to instructions from National agency, we are not allowed to reimburse taxi costs.
Mind that! Participants should be in charge of arranging your own insurance for the time of travel and stay in Bulgaria. The insurance costs are on the participants’ costs. We suggest you to use European Health Insurance Card, if you hold one. Participants who will arrive and depart out of the project dates (because of better flight options) should negotiate in advance the accommodation and meals in Sofia. The hosting organisation will help logistically to find the best accommodation for you and give you tips for the meals. Accommodation will be on behalf of the project, meals on your own costs.
Covid-19 We will follow, during the project the Health Protocol regarding the security and protection of all the participants and staff. The protection and security measures will be in accordance with the legislation in force at the time of the face-to-face activity, always considering the regulations of the Bulgarian Ministry of Health, regulations of the accommodation and transport (international and national). Before the project: Each participant should avoid contacts with potential groups/ people in order to Covid-19 infection and distribution. Each partner has the responsibility to check before the departure the rules and restrictions imposed for their country by the Bulgarian Ministry of Healthy.
Covid-19 Travel: During the international & national travel, it is important to respect the security measures imposed by airlines, airports and various transportation companies, with regard to safety distance and the use of a protective mask. During the project: Please proceed according to the accommodation and host organization safety standards, which are imposed by WHO, European Commission, and Ministry of Health. It is mandatory to use a medical mask (preferably not a textile one), which should be provided by each participant. Temperature measurements and desinfections will be implied also. The PCR test or antigene tests costs (beoth on arrival and departure) will be reimbursed by the host organization and supported from the project grant.
Covid-19 Measures Arriving in Bulgaria From 1 May all other travellers to Bulgaria, regardless of their nationality and point of departure (other than above), are required to present one of the following documents: - A vaccination certificate indicating an approved vaccine schedule has been completed at least 14 days before arrival. The document must contain the name in Latin alphabet, date of birth, date(s) dose(s) administered, name of vaccine, batch number of dose(s), manufacturer name, name of country and organisation who has issued the certificate. - A negative PCR test performed within 72 hours before entry into Bulgaria or a rapid antigen test performed up to 48 hours before entry. The document must contain the names of the person, details of the medical institution that performed the test (name, address or other contact details, date on with the examination of the test (PCR or RAT) and ‘Negative’ written in Latin.
Please, check in details what are the requirements of each travel company regarding the type of the test necessary for flying!
Covid-19 Measures - A document showing a positive result from a PCR or rapid antigen test for people who have recovered from COVID-19. Must be dated at least 15, but no more than 180 days before arrival. Must contain name of the person, details of the medical institution that performed the test (name, address or other contact details), date of test, type of test (PCR or RAT), and ‘Positive’ written in Latin - The vaccine types and antigen tests that will be accepted are listed in the annexes (in Bulgarian) at the end of the published ordinance: https://coronavirus.bg/bg/965.
About Bulgaria Bulgaria, which was founded in 681 A.D., is the oldest state in Europe, but its roots reach far deeper into the past. In tombs adorned with frescoes and basreliefs in the Valley of the Kings, archaeologists continue to discover beautifully worked golden objects buried with Bulgaria's Thracian forebears, some dating to 3000 B.C. Uncovering the countless burial mounds that dot central Bulgaria is a process started in earnest just a decade ago. In that short time, it has become clear that Bulgaria once was home to the world's most sophisticated goldsmiths. The discoveries also have prompted local claims that it was here, in the shadow of the Balkan Mountains, that Europe's first civilization was born.
About Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 15th largest city in the European Union with a population of around 2 million people. It is in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula. Prehistoric settlements were excavated in the centre of the present city, near the royal palace. The well-preserved town walls (especially their substructures) date back before the 7th century BC, when Thracians established their city around a mineral spring, which exists to the present day. The city has had several names through its history. Its ancient name, Serdika or Serdica, derives from the local Celtic tribe of the serdi who inhabited the region since the 1st century BC. Serdica was a Roman capital during the tetrarchic system of government. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the major commercial centres of the Bulgarian Empire, along with Tarnovo. Sofia's population remained small until 1879, when it was declared a capital of the Principality of Bulgaria after the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
Sofia has a compact city centre and almost all sights are within walking distance of one another. You can have the possibility to visit Sofia in the free time after your arrival and before your departure. Project team can organise a city tour, if it is possible and on your request, with the association Sofia Free Tour, so you can see the most interesting places in the city: http://www.freesofiatour.com/. It starts daily, every day MON-SUN: at 11 am from Palace of Justice and it’s a free service.
Arrival and Meetings There will be two groups of participants travelling to Veliko Tarnovo. The first group are those who arrive on 4th June 2021: Spain (4 pax), Portugal (3 pax), Estonia (3 pax), Italy (3 pax). You will sleep in Sofia in a hostel (which we are arranging) and depart altogether in the morning on 5th June 2021 with a bus. The second group will be the people arriving on 5th whole day. So we should wait for all participants to arrive, latest 22h and depart with another minibus. Meeting point for all participants: We will negotiate picking up each of the groups either from the airport, or from the city center. Some of the groups will have free time in Sofia Center.
Arriving in Sofia !!! For those participants who arrive at Sofia Airport: By Metro (underground): Sofia Metro Line 1 connects the Airport Terminal 2 to the city center (Serdica Station). The journey takes 18-20 min. The metro station at Sofia Airport is located in the eastern part of Terminal 2. Sofia Airport provides free-of-charge transportation between the two terminal buildings T1 and T2. The shuttle bus stops located in front of the terminal buildings are designated by signage and pavement markings. The cost of one trip is 1.60 BGN, approximately 80-euro cents. Tickets can be bought from ticket machines at the Metro entrances or inside the Airport. Important: Any piece of baggage exceeding 60х40х40 cm requires a separate ticket.
Venue of the TC Selected participants are expected to participate to the entire training course. Board, lodging, local transports, Covid-19 tests, all materials and the content of the training course are covered. Training course will take part in Tourist Training Center “Momina Krepost”, near Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria from 5-13 June 2021 (including travel days). Located in the green forests, this isolated hotel is 2.5 mi to Veliko Turnovo city center. It offers free Wi-Fi in the training rooms and mutual areas. There are double, triple and bigger rooms. All rooms at Hotel Momina Krepost have a private bathroom and balcony. Some suites feature a sofa bed. Meals will be served in the restaurants, where you can taste traditional Bulgarian cuisine and international food. One of the restaurants can be also used a s training area and it has a terrace with nature views.
Venue of the TC We have purposely chosen the Training/ Touristic center in order to assure: outdoor places for activities, which will be used both for the TC and the YE creative environment, because the area around the hotel is used as an outdoor exhibition; students from different art universities implement their practices there close contact to nature, offering many touristic routes - walking or biking not a luxurious, but clean, nice and calm atmosphere, detached from the big city a place where also the Youth exchange can be implemented
Veliko Tarnovo city Often referred as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famously known as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture. The old part of the town is situated on three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, and Sveta Gora, rising amidst the meanders of the Yantra. On Tsarevets are the palaces of the Bulgarian emperors and the Patriarchate, the Patriarchal Cathedral, and also a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls.
Today, Veliko Tarnovo is the center of one of the largest urban areas in Bulgaria and is one of the few cities in the country with a growing population.[citation needed] It is a foremost educational and cultural center, and the home of two major universities and extensive artistic activity. The city is a leading tourist attraction, boasting a steady increase in visitors for the last two decades.
Trainers team
Adriana Popescu, MBA – was involved in nonformal learning and volunteering projects since high-school and is super passionate about learning and learning design generally. Has worked with schools and NGOs in various education, professional development, strategic planning and innovation projects.
Adriana Popescu Trainer, Romania
Adriana is enjoying a permanent learning process, exploring with Design Thinking, gamification and systemic coaching.
Trainers team
Cosmin Catană - Youth worker and youth work trainer, recently working more as youth work manager running 2 physical youth centres and a mobile youth centre. Been involved in youth work in different stages and various organisations (public / private) since 1999. Now involved with Curba de Cultură, an association he has founded in 2012, offering opportunities for young people aged mainly 13-24 in rural Romania, 120 kms north of Bucharest.
Cosmin Catana Trainer, Romania
Message from the trainers Dear participants, This is a dynamic training for people who enjoy working with youth and who would like to become great leaders. Fun and comfortable clothes are required, as well as a big responsibility to learn. All methods have been used before and nobody got hurt. Still during the training it might happen to have strong reflections about yourself and your work, very good mood and you will feel a high pressure of involvement in all types of exercises. There will be a lot of movement involved in the process of our training course and we are fans of an active setting & process for the learning environment. Just make sure to be comfortable and joyful, we’ll take care of the rest. In the last days of the training you will have the chance to experiment the laboratory phase and find the proper portions of non-formal methods and facilitation needed in your youth work. Adriana and Cosmin
Training program
What else! Tasks for you > 1 During the Training we have planned also the “Intercultural night” activity. We will expect you to bring a national flag, information about your country, your city, your organisations (leaflets, brochures, presentations, videos, most likely in English). Please, bring traditional food and traditional drink from your country that you would like to share with the others for degustation. Try to prepare some interactive presentation rather than Power point presentation. Do not forget traditional music, your favourite music and videos. Tasks for you > 2 Please, contact us back to share if you have any food preferences (are you a vegetarian or vegan) and allergies so we are also prepared to serve you appropriate meals. Tasks for you > 3 Please, brig your own bottle for water or cup for drinks, we would like to act environmentally friendly and reduce the usage of plastic.
What else! Tasks for you > 4 Please prepare a 5 minute visual presentation of statistics and policies for NEET young people in your home countries. You will have the space and resources to present your country’s approach on Tuesday morning.
Tasks for you > 5 If you still are not a member of the Training course Facebook group, please, do not hesitate to add yourself https://www.facebook.com/groups/48120 5416489930
Practical information Cyrillic alphabet In Bulgaria we use Cyrillic alphabet. Bulgarian was the first Slavic language to be written. It first appeared in writing during the 9th century using the Glagolitic alphabet, which was gradually replaced by an early version of the Cyrillic alphabet over the following centuries. At the end of the 18th century the Russian version of Cyrillic or the "civil script" of Peter the Great was adapted. A modern literary language based on vernacular spoken Bulgarian was standardized after Bulgaria became independent in 1878. Words have also been borrowed from Turkish, Latin, Greek, Russian, French, Italian, and German and increasingly from English. Hello = Zdravey = Здравей Yes = Da = Да No = Ne = Не Please = Molya = Моля Thanks = Blago-da-RYAH = Благодаря How are you = Kak si? = Как си? Good-bye! = Do-VIZH-dane! = До виждане! Bye-bye! = Chao! = Чао
Practical information Time Zone Greenwich time + 2 hours, Central European Time + 1 hour Currency and Money exchange The Bulgarian unit of currency is the Bulgarian lev (BGN). 1 euro (EUR) equals approximately 2 BGN (1 EUR= 1.95583 BGN). The website of the Bulgarian National bank for more information about the existing exchange rate: http://www.bnb.bg/index.htm?toLang=_EN The best option is usually one of the major banks or exchange bureaus that generally charge no commission. Banks are opened Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You will need your passport for cashing, cheques or exchanging currency. There is NO also ATMs at the hotel and you cannot pay with cards. So you better withdraw cash at any ATM in Sofia or Veliko Tarnovo. At the airport there is an exchange office but we would advise you to be careful about the rate. We will dedicate time also to do monkey exchange.
Practical information Weather The weather in Sofia during the period of the project would be around 20 degrees C. The average temperature around the TC location in May are around 20-25 degrees C as it is situated near the mountain and different climate is expected. In the hotel is nice and warm. Please, bring with you warm clothes and comfortable clothes during the training (we will do a lot of active exercises and games). Have in mind that it might rain and probably you will need an umbrella.
Practical information Electricity and chargers Bulgaria's standard electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC with a frequency of 50 hertz. For other equipment, a transformer or adaptor is required unless the appliance has a multivoltage option. Sockets in Bulgaria take standard European-style two pin plugs. Take with you a highly effective alarm clock and GOOD MOOD!
Practical information Bulgarian Cuizine Bulgarian food is Balkan food. The dishes are prepared using natural products which to a great extend brings the unique taste of the Bulgarian meals. There are also many distinctive features of the Bulgarian cooking that contribute to the exception taste. When preparing meals with meat for example, Bulgarians start with cooking of the meat and gradually add the rest of the ingredients. In this way they save time and effort as the entire meal is prepared using only one pot or saucepan. The combination of milk or yoghurt with other products is also very typical for the Bulgarian national cuisine. It enriches the technology of food preparation and makes the dishes healthier. Another distinctive feature is the thermal processing of the products they are simmered slowly on low heat, which enables their nutritive qualities to be retained and, again, make the food taste much better.
Practical information Bulgarian Cuizine White cheese and yogurt - The most products for which Bulgaria is internationally known are yogurt and white brine (feta) cheese. These are almost always present on Bulgarian tables in one form or another. Banitsa - One of the most famous and most popular breakfast items in the country is banitsa. It is a made of dough with various fillings, such as cheese, spinach, rice, and sometimes meat. Other popular breakfasts dishes include pancakes, buhtas (fritters), mekitsas (fried dough pieces), and fried bread slices. All of these are particularly delicious when served with jam, marmalade, honey or Bulgarian yogurt. Rakia - The Bulgarian national drink. Rakia (ракия, rakija, raki, ракија) is the traditional drink of Bulgaria. It is a clear alcoholic beverage made by the distillation of fermented fruit. It has a high alcohol content varying anywhere between 40% and 95% alc. (80 to 190 proof), making it a potent drink.
Check-list Be sure you have all of these done before you leave: read this guide all the way through at least once packed your travel bag - including traditional food and drinks and info materials about my organisation arranged a testing for Covid-19 charged the highly effective alarm clock; took your charging cable for your mobile Prepared a lot of GOOD MOOD for the whole stay in Bulgaria If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask! You can add us to social media and add also our contacts in Viber or Whatsapp so we keep in touch during the way and in any case! SEE YOU IN BULGARIA! Dilyana and Tsvety
5 - 13 June 2021 near Veliko Tarnovo Bulgaria
it's not the end... it's just the beginning...