Lithuania Follow Up
Digital youth work through empathy is a very interesting and useful topic for youth workers. After the Erasmus+ project DIGITEM, acquired specific competencies, we were able to share them with the visitors of our center.
After returning back and resting on August 8 we organized dissemination activities for young people, who would benefit about tools for establishing and developing a business, and about Erasmus+ projects. After discussing several options, we decided to meet at the YLC and have a hands-on session. We started the event with an introduction and a fun get-to-know session, during which we offered the young people the same activity we learned in Portugal - portrait drawing. The group really enjoyed drawing individual parts of the face of a different person. The portraits still hang on the wall in the center today! This activity was followed by the presentation of the knowledge gained during the project about entrepreneurship and the presentation of impressions about the Erasmus+ project in a form acceptable to young people. Later, we organized a debate "yes - maybe - no" on the topic of entrepreneurship. The participants were very emotional and defended their feelings and opinions about themselves.
We also used the energizer from the project, and then we did the activity "Double self-portrait", during which the participants drew and wrote on one side of the paper how they perceive themselves, and on the other - how they think others perceive them. It was a rather difficult and unusual activity for young people. Art therapy was a good activity and a fitting continuation of the event. We spent more than 2 hours at the center, 14 young people participated in the event.
We have received many questions about the Erasmus+ program and the opportunities to young people in Europe and beyond.
Follow up and evaluation from the participants
Daiva Pranskevičienė: Erasmus+ project "Digital Enterprise Through Empathy" was prepared and implemented by JLC partners - the non-governmental organization ACPELIA from Cyprus, but the host country was Portugal, which invited over thirty participants from eight different countries: Lithuania, Portugal, Ukraine, Sakartvelo, Cyprus, Romania, Moldova and Armenia. The six-day training was designed to demonstrate how empathy can underpin digital transformation and future business models. The training participants were from different spheres: youth workers, teachers, municipal specialists, journalists, entrepreneurs, representatives of NGOs, etc.).
Different professional, cultural, personal characteristics and physical capabilities have become invaluable "distributable material" for the formation and cultivation of empathy. Learning to know themselves and people around, to feel the world of the blind, deaf or mute, those gathered at the training sought to learn how to balance empathy, digital opportunities and business ideas. The training package included many creative-practical workshops to develop various competencies: finding business ideas, starting a business, using a digital base, the influence of empathy on business, art therapy and others. During the project, the participants also presented their countries and the organizations they represent. It became the basis for intercultural, international and opportunity dialogue.
Follow up and evaluation from the participants
Deividas Mickus: My inaugural engagement within the realm of Erasmus+ initiatives stands as an indelible chapter in the narrative of my life. These projects, orchestrations where diverse cultures, generational cohorts, and varying perspectives converge, are underscored by shared principles and a collective commitment to growth and the cultivation of meaningful interconnections.
The privilege of participating in the 'Digital Enterprise Through Empathy' Erasmus+ project remains a cornerstone experience. Through this endeavor, I forged enduring alliances with counterparts from Lithuania's esteemed JLC, Cyprus' ACPELIA—a non-governmental bastion of cultural exchange—Portugal, the gracious host nation, and the assembly of participants heralding from the tapestry of eight distinct countries: Lithuania, Portugal, Ukraine, Georgia, Cyprus, Romania, Moldova, and Armenia.
The project's substance, enriched by a tapestry of knowledge and hands-on experiences, served as a crucible for my holistic advancement. It not only catalyzed my professional evolution but also facilitated a profound personal transformation. My odyssey into the intercultural milieu elucidated a universal truth—humanity's unity eclipses the geopolitical boundaries that often define us. It crystallized the notion that the pursuit of common good finds its zenith in reciprocal upliftment, the reinforcement of collective endeavors, and the cultivation of a symbiotic momentum. This transcends not just our national and European peripheries but resonates with global implications.
In reflection, my participation in this Erasmus+ voyage is emblematic of the potential inherent in cross-cultural dialogue, the amplification of global camaraderie, and the harmonization of collective aspirations. It is a chapter that continues to reverberate within my life, a testament to the transformative power of shared experiences and the perpetual ripple effect of unity across borders."
Raimonda Balandienė: Training Course "Digital enterprise through empathy" was surprising experience for me as it was first time I participated in an Erasmus project. We came four persons from Lithuania and I had no idea how the communication with so many people from different cultures would go. Thanks to leaders from the very beginning everything went smoothly and all participants soon got to know each other. From the very beginning, the training was different from my usual lectures and we got a lot of information just by sharing experience in the team work. As for me personally I have also had a chance to learn more about developing a digital business. I found out more about digital tools for page creation, logo making, pitching etc. On the other hand I found out a lot interesting art therapy methods, which for sure I would use in future activities. And. The last, but not the least I have met A LOT OF wonderful people, I would remember each and all. Huge 'Thank You!' organizers.
Vilma Šidlauskienė: Until now, I thought that Erasmus+ was only for young people to move, get to know and learn. But one day Erasmus+ found me and then I thought - Erasmus+ is for young people and those working with young people. And when I got there, I realized - everything is not quite like that! I asked Google for help. It turns out, as indicated by jra.lt, ""Erasmus+" is a European Union support program that provides learning and development opportunities for people of DIFFERENT AGEs, statuses, and professions, as well as the opportunity for various organizations, institutions, and institutions to implement projects that meet the criteria of the program (...) Program " "Erasmus+" includes all previous European Union education, vocational training, youth and sports funding programs, including the "Lifelong Learning" program.
So, in the middle of July, I found myself in the town of Pacos de Ferreira near the spectacular Porto, Portugal, with several representatives of the Youth Leisure Center of VšĮ. The training "Digital Enterprise Through Empathy" was organized here, which was prepared and implemented by the non-governmental organization Acpelia (Cyprus). They invited over thirty training participants from eight different countries (Lithuania, Portugal, Ukraine, Georgia, Cyprus, Romania, Moldova and Armenia) to the project.
My lackluster English became the biggest challenge for me. And so much wanted to talk and share!
I came back having added to my knowledge, broadened my understanding of today's life in the countries that have been blocked for a long time by the "great NON-motherland" - I have seen so many young, motivated, eager people and people who speak English perfectly (ALREADY) for a long time!
Now it's easier to live - we (Europe) are on the right track and it's never too late to learn!
Links for online dissemination
- https://www.jlc.lt/projektai
- https://www.ukmerge.lt/naujienos/erasmus-projektas-digetem-skaitmeniniam-verslumui-ir-empatijai/
- https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=607329644823151&set=pcb.607329864823129