The Comité Directeur 2016-2017 introduced a new concept for trainings in their Activity Plan: the European Training Courses. These trainings are aimed at those members who want to be more active in the European bodies of AEGEE. Their perk? They take place in the AEGEE house for only a weekend. We spoke with Project and Communication Director Joanna Pankowska to learn more about this learning opportunity in our Network. 

The AEGEEan: What is a European Training Course?
Joanna: It is a weekend-long event taking place at the AEGEE house in Brussels.

What is the aim of it?
The aim is to prepare AEGEEans for taking active roles in the European bodies of AEGEE. The concept is related to European Schools and Leadership Trainings, but the most important aspect is that it is very cheap (15 Euros), taking place in the easily reachable Brussels and only one weekend long, so we hope it will make it much more accessible for everybody. It will also happen more then once a year, to make sure that everybody can find a feasible date for attending. We hope that, as a results of the event, we will see not only the increase in managing skills and understanding of AEGEE, but also, and first of all, the increase in motivation and inspiration to take up tasks of responsibility in the European Bodies of AEGEE.

Why just eight participants?
First of all, we want to ensure the quality of the event and the personal relation between trainers and participants, which should result in long-term mentoring. The other reason is more pragmatic – the only way to make such a cheap event without putting efforts into FR is to host it at the AEGEE house, which, as many of you know, faces space constraints.

What is the strongest point of the ETC?
The personal relation that would be built as a results of a weekend with a small group of very motivated AEGEEans. We hope that this relation would be beneficial for both – the participants, who would feel more encouraged to take up responsibilities, and the CD, who would be more in touch with the current and future leaders of AEGEE.

When will the next ETC be organised?
The next one will take place from the 17th to the 19th of February (you can apply until the 22nd of January).
You can find more information on the Members’ Portal or Facebook event. After that, we will have one from the 27th of March to the 2nd of April, which will be ETC + aka Leadership Training (longer version) and another from the 16th to the 18th of June.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

“It is more or less common ground that one of the weakest points of AEGEE is its internal education. In all levels of the association, active members are expected to bring results virtually without any training at all”. Although this might sound familiar to many AEGEEans, these words were taken from AEGEE’s draft project on internal education back in 1999.

Given that our internal education system has been a long-term issue and a struggle for our association, the picture looks much better now, after introducing the brand new Strategy for Learning and Training at Spring AgorAsturias 2015, and the approval of the proposals that will from now on regulate the definitions of trainings and the brand new compulsory antenna criterion for each AEGEE local to host at least one Local Training Course (LTC).

A new way to manage the internal knowledge in AEGEE

Let’s first review the different tools of internal education available for AEGEEans: firstly the on-line toolkits, which give guidelines to the members in a wide range of topics (ranging from fundraising, to policy and advocacy, public relations and budgeting). However, the initiative is still quite unknown to the network, which seldom uses such tool. LTCs and RTCs (Regional Training Courses) lacked any kind of general framework and objective until now, which were completely free for each local to organise and select its content. Finally, European Schools are a one-of-a-kind experience to gain knowledge and a deeper insight in certain topics, but they are very few taking place throughout the network, on specific dates and with a limited amount of participants – therefore, not reachable for the biggest part of our network.

According to the new Strategy for Learning and Training document, one of the strong features of formal education institutions is “the hierarchy of different levels of education. According to this hierarchy, it is then possible to define the level of knowledge required for the entry”. Therefore, this strategy aims to create a similar structure, which will provide the basis of the purpose of each training and its entry requirements, as well as the outcomes. It looks as follows:

From now on, Local Training Courses will be divided between two levels. The first level, the LTC 1, aims to integrate new members in a local antenna. According to the new proposal approved by the Agora, 50% of the content of an LTC 1 should be devoted to the following sessions: AEGEE identity introduction, AEGEE history introduction, AEGEE’s structure, local antenna introduction and its main activities, and event management.

The remaining content of the LTC1 can be decided by the locals themselves according to their own needs. The LTC 2, aimed at learning the basic knowledge about AEGEE and the skills needed in order to stay active in the antenna or a European body, follows a similar system and has communication channels in AEGEE, training opportunities, thematic projects of AEGEE, project management and communication inside the team as its own compulsory sessions.

The next level of trainings in the association, the Regional Training Courses, are defined as a support for members of local antennae who aim to become board members and, additionally, to promote the cooperation among antennae in the region and building stronger bonds among neighbouring locals. Compulsory sessions include: Management of local antenna (namely, the antenna criteria, membership management, financial reports,  etc.) and the opportunity to choose among leadership skills or strategic planning.

Last, but not least, the Strategy remarks the roles of European Schools, aimed at providing knowledge and a full-week training in a specific field (Human Resources, Public Relations, IT, Self-Development, Fundraising…). On the other hand, the Training for Trainers, aims to strengthen the pool of trainers of AEGEE-Europe. Both training courses have their learning outcomes defined by the AEGEE Academy.

A full package to organise Local Training Courses is already available in our Members’ Portal. Moreover, stay tuned, as the Strategy for Learning and Training includes references to the on-line trainings that will be soon released for testing. This means that, other than toolkits and publications, AEGEE members will have yet another tool accessible to everyone for self-development!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

Training for Trainers (T4T) was organised this spring by AEGEE-București and took place from 14th-20th March in București. If you did not have the chance to apply for the event, you can find out in this article what the organisers think of the whole event, what challenges they encountered and how they got along with the participants. We talked to the project coordinator, Bogdan Vișan and the assistant coordinator, Irina Matei. But, we also asked three of the participants, Eva Brieler, Matej Petrov and Francesca Russo to tell us more insights about this event and get a clear idea of how the project went. 

The AEGEEan: First of all, what is your overall impression of the project?

Bogdan & Irina: The project was approached with a degree of challenge from the team but with great responsibility from all. It was a collective effort all in all and could not have been done without the help and motivation of all the team members. On the other hand, there was the trainers’ team, who managed to get every participant involved in the program despite the tight schedule and few hours of sleep. I think everything ended up being great in every aspect and despite not being perfect I can say we remain grateful for this opportunity because we learned a lot from this experience. For the effort, understanding and commitment of all taking part in this amazing project, the overall impression is satisfaction and a little bit of childish joy.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered during the event?

The biggest challenge we encountered during the event was probably right after the trainers arrived in Bucharest and had a chance to talk about some of the matter we could not discuss over conventional communication channels. Having only one day remain until the start of the T4T, we realised that our programs were not syncronized. This meant that we had to change a lot of things last-minute, but, as always, we adapted and we pulled it through.

Also, another big challenge for the organising team happened the day when the participants had to deliver their presentations. At first, it seemed very hard, if not impossible to organise and complete the tasks for the whole day. Nevertheless, it was manageable, but the satisfaction we got from making this project a reality was important to us and to the members of AEGEE-București.

What could you have done differently?

It is almost impossible not to miss things during a project this big, especially when none of the team members ever experienced a T4T project. Considering this, we would have liked to have had a better communication with The Academy and with the trainers in order to get a better vision and structure of what we had to organise throughout the event.

What did you think of the participants?

Ever since the beginning, we were very excited to meet the participants. Having said this, during all our preparations and T4T meetings, all we thought about was how we could do everything so that they feel comfortable, learn everything they need to, eat right, get to know us, our city and also have some fun. According to their feedback, we managed to reach their expectations, and we are very glad we did so, because they were all extraordinary people, joyful and eager to learn. It was a good experience, both for them and for us. We miss them terribly, but we are sure we will meet again somewhere in Europe soon enough, maybe even at our “4 seasons TSU” which we are organising together with AEGEE-Chișinău.

Do you plan to organise a similar event next year?

T4T was indeed a successful project for our antenna and many of the organising team members were motivated to get involved in other local and international projects. Some of them are even planning to coordinate other projects in the future. So, brace yourselves, AEGEE-București has big plans for you!

Now we asked a few questions to three of the participants, Eva Brieler from AEGEE-Bamberg, Matej Petrov from AEGEE-Skopje and Francesca Russo from AEGEE-Padova about the event and what kind of impression it did leave them with.

What did you like the most about this event?

Eva: The people, everyone was so super nice and open. The overall atmosphere at the event was amazing and helped to get the most out of the sessions, too. It was so stimulating to see everyone develop and learn.

Matej: This event was a great combination of content and friendship. On one hand the content was something in which we, the participants, were very interested in, and on the other hand we got the chance to really get to know each other and develop great relationships. This possibility to learn something valuable and meet wonderful people at the same time was what I liked the most about this event.

Francesca: The case study! In fact, I learnt how to work with a co-trainer, learnt the theory and to produce games and activities to deliver the perfect training.

What was the structure and thematic of the training sessions? 

Eva: Trainings (theory and praxis). The thematic was how to be a trainer: Didactics, How to prepare/deliver/follow-up, tips and tricks.

Matej: The main theme of the whole training was teaching the participants to become trainers. This included developing the attitude of a trainer, as well as formats and ways to design trainings. The structure of the training session was basically learning by doing. This included representing some theory and then doing exercises to practice.

Francesca: All the sessions were done using the non-formal education, so they were with a part of theory and many interactive activities. They covered all the knowledge needed to deliver a training. So, there were for instance, the training style, the training delivering and our path as trainers. Then we had the case study: everyday a few hours to prepare our final training performance to be delivered for local students.

What did you think of the trainers? What about the organisers?

Eva: The trainers were all very competent in their fields. The content was delivered clearly and we had a lot of fun during the training, too. The trainers were very motivating and supportive. They made a good team!! The organisers were always very helpful and attentive. Whenever we needed something, they would make sure we got it. They were all very dedicated to the project.

Matej: Lovely, lovely people! Both the trainers and the organisers. My general impression is the following: the trainers were very competent and did an amazing job in organising all the sessions, it is even more impressive how they managed to accomplish this if you take the tight schedule in consideration. The content of the session was very broad, interesting, helpful and applicable. The organisers were some of the kindest people I have ever met, always attentive and ready to assist us for everything we needed. They were also very patient with us, sometimes we were a difficult group to control, so I am appreciating this very much.

Francesca: The trainers were prepared and rich in useful suggestions while organisers were always very kind and ready to help us.

How was the social program? What kind of parties did you have? 

Eva: The social program was a bit in the background as there were many training sessions. So we went to bars to have a drink. Of course, there was a European Night and a goodbye party with karaoke.

Matej: This was an event where the social program was not the priority, the focus was always more on the training sessions. However, it is my opinion that the organisers managed to organise great things for us to do after we have finished with all the sessions. We had the chance to see the night life of Bucharest by visiting local pubs, taste traditional Romanian food by visiting a local traditional restaurant, watching (and laughing about) a Romanian comedy movie, and singing in a local karaoke bar. As you can see, it was not bad at all. [he smiles]

Francesca: We did not have an intense social program, because we did have to be awake for the morning sessions and sometimes we did have some evening sessions, too. We had a traditional food night in a characteristic pub, a EU night, a karaoke night and a romanian movie night.

Do you plan to participate in a similar event next year?

Eva: I would like that. So far, I have no plans for next year, it seems too far away. But the event was really amazing, so I can only recommend taking part in it and I would love to be a part of something similar again, too.

Matej: As I mentioned, I love this combination of being able to learn something new for a topic which I am interested in and get to do it while meeting and hanging out with new, kind people. Having said this, I will definitely consider participating in a similar event.

Francesca: Hopefully, as a trainer!

Written by Gabriela Geană, AEGEE-București

The AEGEEan has been interviewing several locals throughout the year for theirs outstanding achievements. Some of them have organised big events, like Statutory Events or European schools. Others have been rather small locals in the Network who have made big accomplishments. However, there are other locals which have been regularly organising both local and European events throughout the year and have traditionally been very active antennae in our Network.

AEGEE-Kraków’s current board

One of the latter locals is AEGEE-Kraków, with a lot of active members both in the local and European level and well-known around the Network for having organised a wide range of high-quality events. The activity for AEGEE-Kraków has not stopped since last April, with the organisation of an AEGEE Business Conference, a Model United Nations, a Management Training Course and a Travel Summer University.  The AEGEEan has interviewed the president, Ela Krótka, in order to get to know better AEGEE-Kraków’s secrets.

Please, tell us a bit about your local. When was it found, and how many members does it have? And how many are active?

AEGEE-Kraków was reactivated in 2000 by the students of Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland. Since the early beginning, the members of our local were very active what made us a strong antennae in just a few years. Our local has a good reputation in Kraków, this allows our members to work in well-known companies after graduating their universities, but also during their studies. Nowadays, we have about 130 members of which the majority is active.

What do you think makes AEGEE-Kraków so special?

The people, of course! All of us are like a big family – we know each other well, we love spending time together. We go to all the projects like NWMs or Agorae in about 30 people what makes us very motivated. We feel the AEGEE-spirit all the time, we do not forget why our organisation is so great and important. New people are warmly welcomed and they feel a part of the group instantly. The members are the ones who create and run our organisation and they are the most important – everything is for them and from them.

We know that there are several working groups within AEGEE-Kraków. How are they organised?

We have two sorts of groups – project and working groups. Working groups carry their tasks all the time in order to take care of our antenna. They are the PR Working Group, FR Working Group, HR Working Group, Culture Working Group, International Politics Working Group and IT Working Group. Our members have the possibility to get knowledge of the topic they are interested in when they work in the groups above. Later, they join some “project working groups”, where they can put into practice the knowledge they earnt. Project working groups are made to organise special events. Our members work in teams using their abilities and showing the strenght of our organisation!

From the TSU “Think different: Get out of your comfort zone!”

In May and June you have organised many activities and events. What is the secret of succeeding in organising so many?

I would say that passion is a key factor for organising successful events. We are a welcoming and open-minded group, with common ideas and ways of thinking, these characteristics help us to create something dynamic. We are always flexible and take everyone’s point of view into consideration. Members listen to each other and reach an agreement together. Everything is like a chain of creativity and we never break it. We realise that all of us are needed and what we do is for a whole organisation, not just for one person. Mutual motivation and working in groups create a strong bond amongst all members. All of that causes good projects and the feeling that we want more and more!

We know you recently organised an “AEGEE-Business Conference”. What can you tell us about it?

The aim of the AEGEE-Business Conference “Close the deal!” was to create a platform of co-operation between members of students’ organisations and business. It was our intention to give the participants practical information on how to make their student projects more professional, how to interact and engage with partners and sponsors, and also how to present themselves properly. The training conference was followed by a networking meeting where every attendee could expand their social circle. The participants gathered knowledge about building a network through business contacts, cooperating with partners and investors, and developing practical abilities.

The topics of the conference ranged from self-presentation, including elevator speeches, networking as a tool for communication and building networks of contacts through, interacting with stakeholders in CSR, establishing dialogue between business and students recommendations, business etiquette, ethical sales and negotiations, Cialdini’s art of persuasion, and humor in business and sales.

The Conference was met with resounding success – the number of applications exceeded the participants limit by 50. Participants included 100 representatives of 52 student organizations and academic clubs from all over Poland (from Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, Łodź, Wrocław, Kraków etc.) and several other associations.

What about the Model of United Nations organised in late May? Which topics were covered this year?

AEGEE-Kraków’s Model of United Nations was an international interactive conference. Every participant had a chance to represent a country (member of UN) and discuss global political and economic issues. The main goal of the conference was to promote the knowledge about the role of the UN in the modern world and its engagement in solving international problems. The conference was a great opportunity to develop diplomatic skills. This year the main topic was the crisis in Ukraine. Twenty young people from every corner of Europe were debating and exchanging opinions regarding the current situation in Ukraine.

Which were the highlights of this event?

The highlights of this AEGEE MUN definitely were three things. First of all, the UN simulation which included lively discussions, numerous alliances, unexpected twists, sleepless nights, hundreds of hours of hard work. Other highlights include the City Game, the nocturnal sightseeing of Kraków, and the Diplomatic Party, which was a simulation of a diplomatic banquet. During this part of the event participants had a chance to see how unofficial talks really looks like.

AEGEE-Kraków has also organised a training course related to Management. Which was the aim, and who were the trainers?

We organize Management Training Course twice a year. It’s aimed to provide young people with knowledge of PR, FR and Team Management as well as communication skills: public speaking and negotiations. It is very useful for our members as it prepares them for future challenges. Every graduate of this course is prepared to coordinate a project or working group in AEGEE. The trainers work in the related fields and provide real case scenarios, furthering the preparation for future projects. This gives the course a high standard and allows the participants to develop their inner managers. Each MTC-course is a three day long period of hard work and new experiences are guaranteed.

And in order to achieve so many things, how do you motivate your members to be active on the local level?

The goal is to give every student an opportunity  to develop, more importantly, an opportunity to relax, find new friends and share opinions. As a HR manager, the main focus is on creating a good ambiance for every member and participant through motivation and generating passion. Each member is different and possesses different qualities and as a HR manager the role is to appropriate each challenge to the individual’s aspirations.

Some AEGEE-Kraków members at Agora Patra

You have also several members involved on the European level. How do you “bridge” the gap between local and EU level?

Since some time our members are interested in EL. For us, it is very important to make AEGEE-Kraków members aware of achievement and expansion possibilities into European Level. There are many opportunities to develop ourselves, and noteworthy, anyone can work on EL from the local area. We believe that this year Cracovians will get good and trustworthy information regarding EL from CD member and AEGEE-Kraków member Ola Kluczka who is well-equipped for the task.

Hopefully, in the nearest future European structures will be supported by next AEGEE-Kraków members.

Does your local have any future plans?

Every organisation should have a realistic plan for the future! For the upcoming academic year we are planning to organize 16 events, few of them through EL. Projects are the basis of every unit and all individuals involved develop themselves and their thought processes. We conscientiously increase the amount of members and diversity of AEGEE. Fundraising and interacting with more universities are two of the many focuses we have established for the next step. The future is looking bright for AEGEE, we keep expanding and growing and if the sky is the limit, we are approaching space.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona