“Change in to Change out” is a two-stage project including two training courses, approved by Belgium National Agency in the framework of Erasmus+ programme. The project was implemented by JOETZ, from Belgium, and hosted by the Georgian organization International Center for Peace and Integration (ICPI).
The first training course took place in Rustavi (Georgia) from the 15th to 22nd of November 2017, while the second one was in Kobuleti (Georgia) from the 1st to 8th of March 2018. The other participating organizations came from Italy, Estonia, Lebanon, Ukraine, Portugal, Latvia, Romania, and Armenia.
For the first stage, “Start to change within”, focused on helping youth workers to think about their development as adults, the experiences of their lives which shaped their personalities and attitudes. Another important focus of this first training was on the participants’ capacity to set personal and professional goals, in order to realize and maximize their potential.
“This project helped me to improve my interpersonal skills and fall in love with Georgian culture and food, obviously. During the training course, I learnt how to communicate effectively with the others, how to trust them and let them help me. One of the participants is still my buddy, we keep text to each other, sending pictures of our adventures.” (Christian – first stage).
The second stage of the project was the training called “Keep changing in to change out”. Here the topic was “personal development” in general, that’s why participants took part in activities and reflections which helped them to think out of the box, and improve their self-awareness.
“This project was for me an incredible opportunity to challenge myself, to have a deeper consciousness of my personality and of my ability to build meaningful relationships. Thanks to the previous work that the trainers were doing on us, I learned a lot about myself and my weakest and strongest spots. I wish everybody to take part in a project like this, it’s something which gives you an invaluable memory.” (Marta – second stage).
“The main aim of the project was the building of self-awareness and communication skills; we had different activities every day followed by a moment of reflection, during which we had the chance to observe our behaviours and ask ourselves what we wanted to change, what we wanted to keep. […] Even during the activities the atmosphere was generally playful and relaxed. I found myself always stimulated and eventually challenged by the situations. Having the chance to observe our feelings and actions once the process was through has been every time a powerful tool for personal growth. I appreciated a lot also the daily trip to Batumi, organized by the hosting organization. We had the chance to visit the city, try the local food and beverage and have a short workshop on traditional Georgian dance. I had an amazing time with amazing people, this is an experience I would absolutely recommend. This has been my first Erasmus plus project and I couldn’t wish for something better to start!” (Ilaria – second stage).
To read more about the second stage of the project: LINK