Weronika Zaborek
I would like to report one of the most extraordinary projects have ever participated named Youth versus racism: checkmate! Organized via Youth in Action program. All participants from 7 countries was gathered in the picturesque scenery of Nurri in Sardinia where were supposed to participate in different activities connected with topic of racism, xenophobia, exclusion etc. The aim of the project was to make people become aware of these issues and to fight against them. Since we had workshops in mixed groups consisted of people from different countries we had also great possibility to integrate each other and to develop our language skills. The intercultural evening was crucial point of project because we learn a lot about other countries, cultures, traditional dishes. On the project we also aimed to structure the production of a toolkit of games promoting human rights and fight against racism, xenophobes, religious bigotry and violence, which will be finally gathered in one book. I think all goals became achieved and everybody came back home with great memories.

Mateusz Gładecki

The week spent on the Project In Nurri I remember very well. Those days were full of new experiences and friends. Personally, it was the first time when I flew the plane and then at the beginning of the whole adventure I knew that it would be something special, something I had never experienced. Now when I’m sitting on a comfortable seat in Lublin I can say that I was right, it was AMAZING! The whole project took place in the vicinity of the above-mentioned town, in the hotel Istellas. We were surrounded by the amazing lake, mountain, unusual ecosystem of this part of Italy. The place was almost perfect for the order in which we arrived here from various parts of Europe. To deepen our knowledge about fighting against racism, xenophobia and social segregation. Also, a large part of the day we spent together in class, at the beginning to integrate, then concretely related to the topic of the project. It seems boring? But it wasn’t! Classes were performed in the form of play, so the time passed very quickly. At lunch break, not so short, lasting for the entire 3 hours we had free time and we could do anything we want, oh sorry almost everything... unfortunately the lake wasn’t available for us. When I’m looking at it all it was probably the only drawback in the location, because looking at the beautiful lake at least 5 degrees Celsius warmer than the pool and couldn’t swim in it? Terrible! But the pool and the atmosphere around it gave advice, the terrible can only be exchanged for the "inconvenience". Every evening we had party and I think it was the funniest part of the project. Nearby teenagers came to have fun with us and even the mayor of the region! The trip was very successful, I learnt a lot and met really interesting people from all over Europe!

Mateusz Winczura

Project Youth versus racism: checkmate! aimed to fight with xenophobia, exclusion and other forms of negative discrimination. Youngsters from Poland, Latvia, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland and Sweden met up in hotel close to little, sardinian town of Nurri. Together, we learned a lot about different cultures and together find reasons and solutions for burning problem of racism in modern societies. We also had a meeting with local community, and with the major of Nurri: Antonello Atzeni. We have also prepared a lot of (more than we firstly planned) educational games on the topic.
This project helped us also to make new international friendships.Apart from workshops we had also free time to socialise and get to know each other better.

Anastazja Niedzielska

From 10thSep till 17th this month, the polish team took part in the international project, Youth vs. Racism- Checkmate!

During this week, young people from 7 countries: Sweden, Poland, Spain, Slovenia, Latvia, Ireland and Italy were gathered in Nurri, Sardegna.
We stayed in a precious hotel nearby the famous yachting center. Surrounded by mediterranean greenery, we had a great possibility to develop our creativity and cooperative skills. Everything was perfectly planned due to achieve our goal, that was a game manual for European Commission Education and Culture Department. Divided into small groups, we made several puzzle prospects, tought them the rest, while learning a lot of new things. Not only had we stayed in a confrence rooms, improving our communication, concerning international issues, but also we had incredible opportunity to integrate with other participants during the evenings. There was a plenty of activities to take part in and have fun as well. We tasted swedish marshmallows, danced slovinian dances with bananas, drank irish guiness and more.
I highly recommend this kind of project to anyone. We were glad to participate in it, coming back home with unforgettable experiences and discoveries.

Davor's impressions

I've chosen this photo which is showing the positive mood during the workshops.
I've got a very positive experience in my pocket after the exchange in Nurri. I've met a lot of good, interesting, beautiful people.  It is interesting how a game can make you think of and learn a lot of new things. I liked the way of making working groups and the processes of presenting topics.
Most important, I'm impressed how the exchange made me think about the topics we were discussing. Not just during workshops but also in free time.
The only thing I didn't appreciate that much was creating 10 games per country. I think 5 games would've been enough.  However, the exchange was amazing & well organized. The place was really beautiful, I liked the silence all around, we were there all the time all together so we could know each other quite good.  Congratulations for the organization and many thanks for the invitation
! I hope we can cooperate in similar projects again!
 Greets from Slovenia!

 Davor Jerman

Non-formal education: learning how to learn!

What does "non formal education" mean? "Any organized and sustained educational activities that do not correspond exactly to the definition of formal education; non formal education may therefore take place both within and outside educational institutions, and cater to persons of all ages, it may cover educational programmes to impart adult literacy, life-skills, work-skills and general culture (UNESCO: 1997, 41). Each project we  organize and develop should lead to the acquisition/improvement of competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) leading to the personal, socio-educational and professional development of all participants and promoters involved. This will be achieved through non-formal and informal learning. A variety of non-formal learning methods and techniques may be applied (workshops, role plays, outdoor activities, ice-breakers, roundtables, etc.) in order to address the different needs of participants and desired outcomes. The project should be based on a learning process stimulating creativity,  active participation and initiative (entrepreneurial spirit). Such learning process should be planned and analysed throughout the Youth Exchange: participants should be provided with a place for reflection on learning experiences and outcomes. The project should enable the participants to acquire self-confidence when they are confronted with new experiences, attitudes and behaviours; to acquire or cultivate skills, competences and knowledge contributing to social or personal development.

In this view, plays a fundamental role the intercultural dimension of the project itself: youth exchanges always increase young people's  positive awareness of other cultures and support dialogue and intercultural encounters with other young people comin' from different cultural backgrounds. Tolerance, understanding and respect for diversity, these are the key-words to understand how a project of this kind is made, and what it's made of: people who have in common the same objective, that is to say  the same will to know each other; they're infact suyrely involved with their active participation in preparation and evaluation part of the project itself. Not so far from the principal aim of a project is another important feature. A Youth exchange also gives you the possibility to learn a new language: we all know that linguistical differences are the first obstacle to the mutual comprehension; trying to overcome this wall of unknown is the first step each one of us could make to understand something in a better way. Staying in contact with people coming from different realities, being them of a social, cultural or linguistical nature is probably the best opportuinity we have in learning how to learn.

Gianluca

Studenti per la città: University life and community

Here it is a little newspaper article taken from "La Nuova Sardegna", a famous local newspaper.

It is about the conference that took place in Cagliari about students' associations "associazioni  studentesche a favore degli studenti" and especially  focuses on the different possibilities that students may have to form themselves in a  local as well as in an european  context. The idea, developed by the association "Studenti per la città" in cooperation with "Tdm2000", brought to the formation of an online portal called "Lpf - La prossima fermata" (the next stop); this new online activity gives the students - and not only students- the possibility to know the different offers of italian Universities as well as to have a real job interview and to understand and participate to international projects for young people.

There are several opportunities that the students can find, but great part of them don't know their existence. Let's have a look!

Home / Rassegna stampa

Studenti, come trovare un lavoro on line

18/06/2012 08:18

La Nuova Sardegna 18/6/2012

CAGLIARI 

La vita da studenti universitari non è così facile come può sembrare ai più: alcuni necessitano di un lav oro part time che li consenta di mantenersi Agli studi, altri vorrebbero poter  studiare all’estero per accrescere il proprio curriculum, o fare uno stage. Ma non è affatto facile    raggiungere questi obiettivi. Più spesso le difficoltà si trov ano anche nelle piccole cose di tutti i giorni,  di vita da studente quotidiana. Molti, infatti, ancora faticano a trovare un alloggio con un contratto  regolare e ad un costo accessibile. In loro soccorso, e non solo, arriva “La prossima fermata” (Lpf), il  portale online che offre ai giovani l’opportunità di conoscere l’offerta formativa degli atenei italiani, di  proporsi per un reale colloquio di lavoro e partecipare a progetti giovanili internazionali. L’idea è nata  dall’Associazione studenti per la città in collaborazione con Tdm 2000, che con una semplice  registrazione consente ai giovani di semplificare le numerose ricerche su internet: al posto di “viaggi”  estenuanti basta un semplice click. L’iniziativa è stata presentata nei giorni scorsi, nella sala Cosseddu  della Casa dello studente di via Trentino, durante la conferenza “Associazioni studentesche a servizio  dello studente”. In primo piano l’orientamento formativo e professionale per i giovani a livello locale ed  internazionale e start-up d’impresa. Ad oggi sono diverse le opportunità alle quali è possibile accedere a  seconda delle necessità, anche se la maggior parte degli studenti non ne è a conoscenza. Da pochi mesi  ad esempio è attivo lo sportello di Consulenza legale per gli affitti e il servizio di assistenza sanitaria per  gli studenti fuori sede. Da tempo invece è attivo Student Jobs, lo sportello polifunzionale– interistituzionale che fornisce informazioni ed eroga servizi di competenza di uffici e di enti diversi,  pubblici e privati operanti sul territorio, che si occupano di istruzione, formazione ed inserimento al  lavoro. Anche l’Ersu, l’ente per il diritto allo studio, organizza seminari, conferenze, utili in ambito  professionale. Di prossima apertura invece il Welcome Day e lo sportello casa.   

Bettina Camedda

If you want to see something about mour conference, take a look at this reportage of the "TG3" a national broadcasting that dedicated us a space in the Tg edition at the link below:http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-21e7ab3b-5efa-444a-b8d3-8457015b6f19-tgr.html?refresh_ce#p=0

Gianluca

Youth in Action: Discovering our Europe

What does "Yia" mean? Is it the name of a new Spy agency? Is it the new code To enter your e-mail address? No: are the young people moving all around Europe.

Youth in Action is the Programme the European Union has set up for young people. It aims to 

inspire a sense of active European citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans 

and to involve them in shaping the Union's future. A new kind of mobility, based on non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue, investigating into our social and cultural background.

The Youth in Action Programme aims to respond at European level to the needs of young people from 

adolescence to adulthood. It makes an important contribution to the acquisition of competences  supporting

the new youth policy framework for European Cooperation in the youth field adopted in 2009, which

outlines a cross-sectoral approach to youth issues with a view not only to creating more and equal opportunities for all young people.Making young people aware that they are European citizens is a priority of the Youth in Action Programme. The objective is to encourage young people to reflect on European topics and to involve them in the discussion on the construction and the future of the European Union. On this basis, projects should have a strong "European dimension" and stimulate reflection on the emerging European society and its values.  

The priority of the Youth in Action Programme is the active participation of young people in their daily life. What does it mean? It means to be active citizens in European reality, into the dimension that shows us that we are part of the european consciousness, and we mhave to take part at this project; only understanding and respecting our cultural differences we will able to appreciate mthem and increase our baggage of knowledge with a larger sense of being citizens.


Gianluca

Studenti per la città: About us- Our project

This project is promoted by the association Studenti per la città: a reality made by students coming from high school and university, as well as young graduates.
The main objective of the association is to foster active participation in youth from all over our island, Sardinia. Meetings with students, workshops, information campaigns and university conferences as well as sports and leisure time activities are the main activities proposed and developped by our association. In doing that we rely on other partners association such as:

• Omeath Youth Group (Ireland)
• Association of Initiatives and Cooperation "YARD" (Latvia)
• Krajove Towarzystwo Autyzmu Oddzial w Krakovie (Poland)
• Kulturno izobrazevalno drustvo PINA (Slovenia)
• Association Cazalla Intercultural (Spain)
• Utbildningsforvaltningen Lidkoping (Sweden).

Despite the fact that "Associazione Studenti per la Città" has been recently established we have been experiencing theYouth in Action program as an informal group. As a group and especially as individuals we have taken part to many YiA projects, also supporting the organizers in implemnting the activities.Therefore, we have developed a good expertise and we have decided to host an activity to enlarge our capacities and to facilitate the participation of the young people of our local community to this kind of projects. We have grown up a lot by participating to these projects both on the personal side but also we have achieved some skills and competences that cannot be acquired at school or in daily life if there isn't a challenge and a comparison with other habits and experiences that come from the fact of belonging from a different

culture. At local level we have organized many activities to promote intercultural understanding and we cooperate with the youth organizations to be effective in our local community.

However, you can find more infos on the infopack, available in PDF format at the URL below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/105228655/Infopack-Checkmate

Take a look!!!



Gianluca

SARDINIA DREAMIN'....

Sardinia is the second largest island in the mediterranean sea with a total surface area of 24.090 km2, 1850 kilometres of coastline and about 1.600.000 inhabitants. It is located 187 km from the italian peninsula and the territory is mainly made of hills and highlands. In September summer weather i still going on. The average daily temperature in Sardinia during this month is between 28°c during the morning and 19°c during the night.

The sea reigns over this region with its colours and its shapes; from Costa Smeralda to Costa verde, east coast and west coast, Sardinia offers a great variety of beauties and fantastic landscapes. 

Those who prefer the mountain to the sea can explore the area of Gennargentu, the greatest mountain range in Sardinia, with its peculiar landscape, where Man and Nature joined one another and decided that the latter should have the priority. This region is rich in flora and fauna, with its mouflons, golden eagles, Sardinian deer and several species that are now threatened with extinction. 

However, the presence of man does not seem to affect this territory; great surfaces still preserve their natural composition, luxuriant woods with even millenary trees, small desert areas and marshes inhabited by deers, wild horses and rapacious birds. 

Gianluca