Training Course: Open Cafe Training – (15th – 19th of April 2019)
Participant(s): Maria Christodoulou, Nikos Tseregkounis, Leonidas Stylianou & Dimitra Vlachakou
What did you learn/gain from this training program? (Did the organizing, objectives and outcomes met your expectations?)
Maria: We learned how to organize Open Cafe events! Also we learned how to promote them, and the whole process and things that need to organize these events. We developed personal skills like self confidence, public speaking, project management ,skills which are needed for hosting an Open Cafe event.
Nikos: At the open cafe training I learned how to organize an event from scratch. How to promote the event on the social media and how to approach as many people as I can. Beside that I learn how to run the open cafe event, how to make the proper introduction, how to choose a topic and how to present it to the participants. At last I learn how to deal with hard situations during the open cafe event like conflicts between the participants.
Leonidas: From open dialogue cafe, I have learnt to be patient and respectfull, without taking care about age, skin colour, sex, culture, etc.
Dimitra: It was a particularly interesting experience considering the fact that we had simulations of Open Cafes, we learnt a lot about social inclusion and we had long conversations about social issues that concern our society and we returned back to our country to share about our experience and motivated to learn even more.
Was it your first participation in an Erasmus+ Youth Project; What are your impressions about it? Will you participate again in a similar action with InterMediaKT?
Maria: No, it was not my first participation in a Erasmus+ Youth Project. Of course and I want to participate again in a similar actions with InterMediaKT. Actually, Open cafe has 2 more training courses, one in Sweden and one in Netherlands so I will go again for sure!
Nikos: It was my first Erasmus + experience and I loved it. I met so many different people from many different countries with different cultures. So during the training we talked about many topics and I learned so many thinks by hearing different opinions and different stories from each country. It was a great experience and of course I would like to participate again in an Erasmus + program.
Leonidas: Yes this project is my first Erasmus+ travel. It’s a great challenge for me to organise 40 events with differents and intresting discussion topics.If I face the oppurtunity for an Erasmus+ project that is going to be a challenge to me of course I’ll participate.
Dimitra: No, it was not the first time. I came back with a much more different mentality, full of ideas, new beliefs and experiences that were nothing more than pleasant and creative. I am looking forward to participate in many more projects! InterMediaKT is doing a great work in Erasmus+ field.