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Should I Stay or Should I Go? Should I stay or Should I go was a really complex project who was based to nonformal education. Trough debates and trips, we had a lot of teambuilding activities and games. All those were helpful and funny at the same time. We had to use our skills, to work together and to communicate a lot. Creating presentations, building things or arguments together, every single activity was useful for everybody, especially for shy participants. Even when we had to visit Buşteni town, we had to respect a rule: participation in every activity is made in small international teams. Every team is different and everybody have the opportunity to meet each other. The diversity of activities were cool because they have covered all tastes of the participants. Even when the activities seemed easy and childish, like protecting an egg when it is thrown from height or shaping plasticine, drowing funny things or playing theater, they were all so useful. We really worked for them and discovered new things because of the experience of the others. We talked, we changed ideas, we had a lot of debates about everything around us. It means that all the activities worked very well and we really learned new things. One of the most interesting activities was to try to compose songs in small teams. The song was about the subject of the projects, so we showed everybody in a funny way our ideas.
“Should I stay or should I go?� was that kind of project where everybody was interested and full of joy. The activities were relaxed, even if we had to work and learn. All that we've done, we've done with a smile on our faces. We learned..we learned how to debate, we learned how to interact, how to think about other project and of course, we learned about Erasmus+ projects.
The atmosphere Every single day, the atmosphere was good and very good. We energized our bodies and minds in group. We had volunteers who learned us how to be relaxed and how to prepare for a day with a lot of beautiful activities. The people were friendly, and that was a great plus. Everybody was friend with everybody and that's why we could share our experiences and knowledges faster. The activities
Volunteer work provides an organization with free resource to help it meet its mission or goals, which often include filling the gap between an individual or community's resources and those provided by the government. In many cases, volunteers are crucial to help maintain life, as when meals are delivered to homebound people. Sometimes volunteer work, such as renovating a playground, benefits the broader community. And while volunteer work is important for the individuals and communities served, it also benefits the volunteer. The activities were based on volunteering, and that was planed in such an interesting forms of learning. “The rope debate” was the activity which let us debate in a free style and train us for the next days. Next days were more interesting and serious, but still amazing. Some of the participants had know about the debate format and they tried to teach the others from their team. It was about debating about volunteering, but also,the process was a volunteering activity. The project wasn't just about the debate and volunteering. It was about team building and competences. The “city bound” learned us how to search for an information and how to learn about a country. Of course, all our trips were about learning,discovering, discussing and about a healthy life style, too. All the activities were educational and meaningful. We learned how to work like a team in different combinations, we had to build a balloon for an egg, to express ourself by building a statue,or drawing something expressive.
Learning There are a lot of ways to learn. In this project we learned to learn and each of us learned about the others by dialog or during the activities, but also, everybody learned about the countries participants in this project. Intercultural evenings were educational and funny and everybody interacts with everybody in this way. Dancing or singing, doesn't matter at all what we were done, because after all, at the final we felt like leaving from a big family, and that's what's important. You can learn to be a volunteer with yourself and give you the chance to discover more than your own universe. Discovering the others universe and understanding that everybody's different is a big step for a good volunteer and this project was a very good way to take this step and to learn HOW to be a volunteer, but also what is it a volunteer and all the theoretical facts. At the end, for this project, a BIG thumbs up from all the participants!
Debate competition Format: World Schools The competition started in the sixth day with eigth teams in the goup stage: Patriinu, The Promethians, Madrugada, Aljaalvi, Khoa, Unicorn Squad, Debatable, The Borises. Afte three intense mathces, Unicorn Squad, Aljaalvi, The Borises and Madrugada reached the semifinals, played în the evening of the same day. In the next day, Madrugada played The Borises in a final that took place in the highschool of the city. Team „The Borises” won the competition. Subjects: 1.”Volunteering is a waste of time”
Pros:Time commitment Once you begin to volunteer and organizers of that particular activity or program see that you're a valuable asset, you make be asked or encouraged to do more. This can lead to scheduling problems and leave less time for school, family, work and other obligations. It's important to know at the outset what the expectations are of your volunteer work and to make clear to organizers just how much time you can devote to the cause. Setting boundaries is a necessary evil in the volunteer world. Frustration In its report on "Why People Volunteer," the Voluntary Action Directorate of Multiculturalism and Citizenship Canada cites several common turnoffs to volunteering, such as poor organization, a lack of training and assignments that don't fit the volunteers' interests or skills. But another key problem is that volunteers can become so committed and involved in their particular cause, they can easily become frustrated that others don't share their passion. The report states, "Many volunteers care a lot about the work they do and it bothers them that society doesn't place enough value on it." Cons: Health improvement A number of research studies have shown that volunteering, particularly
by older adults, provides health benefits. For example, one study published in the February 2009 "Journal of Gerontology" notes that older women who volunteered in elementary school classrooms were not just more active than their counterparts who did not volunteer, but that activity boosted their metabolism to where they were burning twice as many calories. Physical activity and a positive outlook can also help reduce blood pressure, other studies have shown. Personal Development The "Why People Volunteer" report, which polled numerous volunteers of all ages, found that one of the overwhelming responses from those surveyed was that volunteer work revealed interests and skills that had never been realized by the volunteers. The report states, "Among the major rewards and incentives of volunteering appears to be the opportunity for personal growth... Participants mentioned being pleasantly surprised by discovering they are good at doing unexpected things. There was talk of growing self-esteem and confidence with each new challenge tackled and skill learned. Others found that life developed more intensity, more colour, as they were exposed to new experiences that would not ordinarily have come their way." 2.�EU shouldn't pay travel costs În Erasmus+ and youth projects� Pros:Spiritual reward By definition, volunteer work is unpaid, so the rewards you reap will be more emotional and perhaps spiritual rather than financial. The nonprofit Botanic Gardens Conservation International, which relies on volunteers throughout the world, suggests the advantages of volunteering include "[the] opportunity to give back to society and feel useful," "[to] fill in
a gap in your personal life" and "intellectual stimulation and growth." Wise spending To travel in a project is much more a wish than a necessity. UE should first take care of those who die because of hunger, or those who are homeless and give them those money, because they really need that amound of cash. After that, UE can think of travel costs for projects. It's all about priorities. Cons:Lower opportunities There are a lot of humans in this world that are poor and cannot afford to buy a ticket to travel in another country, or even in their country. Maybe they are people that want, with their hearts, to help the nature, or the others, and many times the cost of travel represents a wall between them and the others. Projects should be encouraged Erasums+ projects are awesome. They teach you a lot of things and they connect you with other cultures, other ways of thinking that helps you, I think, more than anything ĂŽn this life. Everyone should have the opportunity to travel, to discover, to learn, to meet people, because that is the best way to find yourself first, and to hel the others.