Do you remember the very first time you went to an Agora, and how overwhelmed you probably felt at all the new experiences, new people and new knowledge? Or are you going to your first Agora and curious to find out what will happen? The Agora Mentorship project is here to help you out!

Have you ever wondered why some participants at Spring Agora Enschede 2017 had an “i” icon or a graduation hat on their badges? Well, those were mentors (“i” icon) and mentees (graduation hat icon), participating in the first re-launch of the Agora Mentorship project. Through this project, AEGEEans who were going to their first Agora were coupled with an experienced Agora participant, who could guide them through the chaos we call our general assembly.

Interesting idea, but did it actually work? If we look at the evaluation answers, yes! For the question: “Would you recommend the Agora Mentorship project to others, for example new members in your local?”, 100% of the people said yes, and a large majority (84,4% to be more precise) wanted to participate (and is now participating) in a future edition again too as a mentor.

In the very first edition, 27 mentors took care of 63 mentees, and for Autumn Agora Catania 2017, we are back with 32 mentors and 64 mentees. A good reason to continue this growing project, which is organised by the Human Resources Committee (HRC) again after having its first edition during Spring Agora Asturias 2015, and another edition at Autumn Agora Kyïv 2015.

At Spring Agora Enschede 2017, the project was then officially re-established, and plans to continue in the future also thanks to the incredible hard work of Svenja van der Tol, Andrea Schmelz, Sonia Della Sala, Lyda Michopoulou, and Patrycja Figarska.

The re-launched version of the Agora Mentorship project mainly consists of:

1. Mentor-mentees couples or groups consisting of one mentor and up to four mentees, according to the mentors’ availability.
2. The Agora for Newbies session, which is held in the shape of an Agora simulation.
3. Online preparation of participants via Facebook page through explanatory posts.
4. Live and online helpdesk during the Agora, meant to answer all doubts and questions. The live helpdesk is available during lunch and coffee breaks, while the online helpdesk can be reached through chat on the HRC Facebook page during plenaries.

Missed your chance to apply this time? Stay tuned for Spring Agora Kraków 2018, where we will prove that three times is a charm!

If you want to know more about HRC and have doubts about anything, please approach us during Agora at the Fair or at our Helpdesk.

Written by Sonia Della Sala, AEGEE-Salerno

The contact in Foggia is not even an antenna yet, but that has not stopped them for organizing a Network Meeting recently. They even thought it was really easy to organize such an event and encourage others to do the same. The AEGEEan interview Giuseppe Fascia from AEGEE-Foggia about creating the new antenna, organizing the Network Meeting and their future plans.

The AEGEEan: How did you hear about AEGEE?
We are a group of friends. All of us had experiences with other associations. Giuseppe Fascia and Gianluca Marchese were members of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Association in Foggia and they started to cooperate with the International Office of Foggia University and with Erasmus students. But they were not satisfied by the activities and spirit of ESN, so they started to look for something on European Networks and they found AIESEC and AEGEE. They liked the activities, the projects and the structure of AEGEE so much, that they contacted some Italian members to gain more information and a better understanding of what AEGEE is.

What made you interested in creating an antenna in Foggia?
After having gained more knowledge about AEGEE, Giuseppe and Gianluca involved Francesco La Salandra and they decided to create an AEGEE-antenna in Foggia. They believed that Foggia need to broaden its horizons and embrace the European mentality, and  to increase the value of its fantastic province and university.

For how long have you been working on creating an AEGEE-antenna in Foggia?
Exactly one year. In fact we sent our motivation letter to Matteo Scarpa (our Network Commissioner last year) on October 22nd 2012. We started communication from then on about how to build the antenna.

How has the university of your city been involved?
We have a great relationship with our university. Rector and International Office are really keen on this project and they will back up all our projects. We also help them with Erasmus students, promoting their projects because our students are not involved so much in university life, and we help them to develop European projects.

How many members do you have in AEGEE-Foggia?
We are 10 members. We will organize a lot of recruiting days to attract other members.

Why did you decide to organize the Network Meeting?
We decided to organize the Network Meeting because, first of all, we thought that it was a way to get to know other AEGEE members better, as well as the famous AEGEE spirit, and because we wanted to start our journey in the AEGEE world in the best possible way.

What challenges did you have while organizing it?
We didn’t have big problems while organizing it, because all of us had organized events before this one.

Would you encourage other antennae to organize Network Meetings?
Yes because it is a great experience. Organizing a NWM creates a great team spirit and facilitates personal and cultural growth.

How have you been preparing for the Agora in Zaragoza?
ZarAgora will be the most important event for AEGEE-Foggia because we will officially be founded there; we will sign the Convention d’Adhesion. We can’t wait to go there and make another step in our experience in this fantastic AEGEE world. We will be enthusiastic to live another new experience and meet a lot of new people. It is our first Agora.

What lies in the near future for AEGEE in Foggia?
We are ready to make a lot of projects with this Network. One of our purposes is to increase the value of our province and we will move in this direction. Furthermore, we are ready to cooperate with other antennae to create something important. I’m sure that you will hear a lot of people mentioning AEGEE-Foggia in the future.

How do you plan on collaborating with any nearby antenna on projects?
We are planning to collaborate with some other antenna for some important projects, and it does not have to be an antenna which is close to us. We think that collaboration will teach us something new and it will help us and our association grow. “United we stand, divided we fall.”

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

The Network Commission (NetCom) is preparing in many ways for Agora Zaragoza. At this Agora some Netwotk Commissioners will finish their term and new people will join the team. The AEGEEan interviewed some of the Network Commissioners about their time working for AEGEE-antennae across the Network.

NetCom at the fair during Agora Rhein-Neckar

How has this year in the NetCom been for you?

Claudio Armandi: Unbelievable, the best year in my AEGEE-career by far. I can’t really describe how challenging and rewarding a year in the NetCom can be, you have to try it to understand it! It just brings your AEGEE experience at the next level, all you tried before is nothing in comparison!

Andra Toma: Like a rollercoaster ride but with jet rocket attached as fuel. I’ve learned so much more that I ever expected when I first decided to submit my candidature. I won’t lie, it was hard! A lot of patience, long hours but definitely worth all my time.

What’s next for you in AEGEE?

Claudio: I am still motivated to stay at the European level. Since there are people willing to take my place I will not go for another year in the NetCom, even if I will miss this so much. If you want a more detailed answer, just check the candidatures!

Andra: A very good question! Well, as Claudio also mentioned I am still motivated to stay at the European level, so I decided to re-candidate for the Network Commission (candidature coming up soon). As for what will happen we’ll just have to wait and see.

NetCom girls in Zagreb

Why would you encourage others to submit a candidature for NetCom?

Antonija Parat: Working in the NetCom is very rewarding – it’s an opportunity to use your experience in AEGEE to help others, to inspire them and motivate them. Seeing your locals grow and develop is an amazing feeling. You also get to grow and develop – you get to hear a lot of great ideas from your locals, to learn from them, and to work together with them on improving our organization. If you are thinking about running for NetCom, I can only say the best about this experience!

Dominique Lessen: Working as NetCommie is amazing. The contact with locals, helping them wherever you can and trying to motivate  people. Not only the work you do is great, but it is also an amazing experience to be part of the NetCom team. So if you are dedicated, submit your candidature and experience this yourself!

Claudio: NetCom gives you an insight into the Network you can never gain anyway else. You really get to know many different realities and many amazing people that will inspire you. You end up learning more than you can teach. It also gives you a lot career wise: NetCom is the right mixture of HR, management and consulting! Just going on stage to present your candidature is one of the best experiences you will ever get in AEGEE.

Andra: It’s a challenge, but just like for every other thing in life, you have to go for it. Besides the opportunity to meet and greet new people, if you were a board member before, this is like the next step in the chain of evolution, you get to see what it’s like to have not just one but 10-20 locals to take care of. So if you want to candidate, my advice is to just go for it, you’ll get more out of this experience than you can possibly imagine!

Network Meeting Bergamo

What has been your favorite moment so far?

Antonija: I had a lot of great moments, but one experience I am particularly fond of is our NetCom meeting in Brussels. Before I came there, I didn’t know a lot about the other team members, but the moment we got to know each other better we clicked, and I was so grateful for the chance to work with them. We were working nonstop it seemed, and that weekend was my most inspiring and enthusiastic time in AEGEE so far.

Dominique: As a NetCommie, you have a lot of Skype meetings, send a lot of emails and make a lot of phone calls… So when you meet all these people in real life, that is great! My favorite moments so far were thus these meetings, where I was able to meet with my fellow NetCommies, in Brussels and in Zagreb. It is great to talk in real life, which increases the ‘team spirit’ and makes working together when we are back home even easier.

Claudio: I can’t recall just one. Network meeting in Bergamo was surely one. It was the first one entirely organized by me, I really felt the esteem and the love of my locals there. Also the birth of every new local was an emotional moment for me. Each one of them has a different story. Bologna is mainly formed by expat AEGEEans that got in touch with me. Foggia guys also contacted me because they heard of AEGEE and wanted to know more. Verona, on the other hand, was born because I managed to create a group of interested people I gathered from different sources.

Andra: No! Come on! This is like: ‘’please choose between these two chocolate bars’’. However, for me the most rewarding moment is when I get to meet the people of the locals I am responsible for. That moment when you stop being just the replayer on the other side of the e-mail and you start being that person they can call at 10:00 am because they have problems uploading the membership lists or just go for a coffee and tell you their fears or problems or just ask you about your experience.

What are you working on besides antennae?

Antonija: As NetCom speaker, I’m also performing my speaker tasks – which basically means coordinating the NetCom team. I am working a lot with other Netcommies – one of our main goals is to enhance our cooperation – the exchange of ideas between us will definitely benefit the whole Network. I am also working on improving Knowledge Transfer, finishing a manual about it.

Dominique: I am working on a Twin & Mentor manual, so we will hopefully get more twin agreements and a better system for the mentorship of locals. At this moment we only have one twin agreement, but I am looking forward to seeing more agreements signed at the Agora!

Part of the NetCom together with the Comité Directeur

What value does working with subcommies have for you?

Antonija: I am lucky to work with very motivated subcommies – they support and inspire me in a lot of ways. Having subcommies gives me the chance to cover my locals’ needs better, to get useful feedback, and to work in a more structured and organized way.

Dominique: My subcommies give me feedback, help me to stay in touch with my locals, give me ideas and so much more. We are lucky to all live relatively close to each other, so besides our Skype meetings, we meet up regularly. We are not only working as a team, but we are also good friends, so they are really valuable to me.

Claudio: Since I’m the guy with the most locals, the work of my subcommies is pure gold. Each one of them is responsible for a group of locals and they help me keep the communication with them. This does not mean I don’t have a direct line with my locals, but my subcommies help me in collecting reports and sending reminders.

Andra: I haven’t really had sub-commies until now but if I will get reelected it is something I really want to try to see how it works.

All the Network Commissioners are looking forward to Agora Zaragoza: to see motivated Network Commissioners presenting themselves on stage, meet European friends, enjoy the last time with the locals in case for the Network Commissioners finishing their term. All in all, it will be a great Agora for the Network Commission!

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København