REPORT
MID-TERM TRAINING
for EVS volunteers doing EVS in Russia
in May 2009 – November 2009
Nizhny Novgorod region
23-24.29September 2009
Middle-term evaluation aims
The main aim of the training is to summarize the experience of the volunteers they have got during the first part of their EVS projects and to outline direction of the future development of that experience.
The second aim is to give to volunteers an opportunity to know and understand better Russian culture, to be able to operate with it.
Specific of the training
This middle-term evaluation seminar shows the possibility to organize training sessions for only 2 volunteers.
Evaluation session has to be done by people have impartialpoint of view, so the trainer paid a lot of attention to taking participants out of their “regular” life and giving them the possibility to observe their projects from outside.
Volunteers expressed their wish do not make energizers, and just to get 5-10 minutes break when they feel need it, so this training didn’t include traditional energizers.
Day 1st
Going to the training atmosphere
Warming up
The day is starting from coffee, to create a warm, cozy atmosphere. Trainer explains that middle-term evaluation needs volunteer’s skills to use different points of view for one subject and for making productive training session volunteers are asked to go deep to seminar atmosphere.
Labyrinth game
Description of the task:Trainer suggests volunteers to take places around playing table and explains rules of Labyrinth game: each participant has an equal number of cards where pictures of different treasures are placed. The same pictures we can find on Labyrinth board. Each participant look to the card lying on the top of the card’s heap. Moving labyrinth corridors participants have to find a way to the treasure drawn on the top picture and to achieve it by counter. When you have reached the first card, you show the picture on your card to other
players, and then you can look and to build a way to the second card. The person who will collect all treasures first, will be a winner. Trainer participates in the game as well.
Working process: First volunteers were surprised to play a table game on the training. They looked quite out of the game and moved Labyrinth corridors without thinking a lot. Then they became to be more and more involved to the game, thought about next move, planed different directories. Sometimes they broke moving plans of each other for the achievement of the own pictures. The trainer won first, but volunteers decided to continue their play till the moment when one of them opened all cards. Finally volunteers were fully involved to the game and turn their attention to the task. Volunteers loved the game a lot.
Reflection:Trainer is asking volunteers following questions:
-how do you like the game (answer: from the beginning we didn’t think it will be so complicated to achieve the goal)
-how did you feel if some of us destroyed your plans moving corridors as we needed, what was your strategy in the game (answer: sometimes we wanted to give up in face of obstacles, but still wanted to realize the task and continued)
-if everything you found in a corridors has a value for you (answer: no, only some things are really valuable… but if to think everything can be used for good somehow)
-may you see any connection between the game and your life in EVS project (answer: yes, of course, it looks very similar! It looks the same easy at the beginning, and difficult in reality, there are different ways to achieve the goal and you have to be flexible to achieve it etc.)
Conclusions: this exercise switched our thoughts to training realities, where we use our skills and habits to realize training tasks. And this is a time to switch our feelings to the same direction.
Feeling stairs
Description:There are 2 lines on the floor situated parallel with 3 meters distance. The first line calls “Life”, the second – “Training realities”. Volunteers are asking to stay behind the first line. There is a relax music playing in a room (Karunesh “Zen Breakfast”). The trainer asks volunteers to stay and relax, to listen the messages the trainer will pronounce and try on those messages to volunteer’s feelings. When the volunteer will feel the message is equal with her feelings she has to make a step forward. So, with
feeling of the last message volunteers will stay behind of the second life, i.e. physically come to “training realities” zone.
Working process:The trainer gives messages one by one:
-Now I put out all daily troubles, obstacles, thoughts about different things, and relax
-I call to mind 3 first months of my project, how that was, and I observe it from outside
-I remember my impressions about life in Russia, Russian culture, people, weather etc. And I observe it from outside
-I would like to see what I have achieved in the project, how can I improve it and what to change. I can look impartial for that
-I am ready for the middle-term evaluation
When the trainer gave messages, volunteers really reflected it before making steps. They spent more time on the message concerning impartial view, but then the last step was done fast and volunteers looked happy and ready to work.
Conclusions: So, welcome to the middle-term evaluation!
Introduction of the program
As the number of participants is really small, the trainer provides volunteers with individual programs and explain aims of the each session and logistic of the program in general. She pronounces aims of the training in connection with training sessions.
Everything is clear for volunteers and they don’t have any questions.
Expectations session
Back to the future: work with expectations from on-arrival training.
Description: the trainer provides volunteers with a list of expectations done during on-arrival by volunteers (that was done using techniques of green (expectations), yellow (resources needed to realize expectations) and red (fears) apples), with green, yellow and red peaces of paper, one highlighter and a pan. The tasks for volunteers are:
-to highlight among all apples theirs (2 more volunteers participated in on-arrival training)
-to write on a paper with the same colors: 1) which kind of expectations already have realized, 2) which expectations doesn’t make sense any more (lost expectations), 3) which expectations still have to be realized – here volunteers also can add new expectations from the second part of the project)
Working results:
Conclusions: the expectations will be discussed with the hosting organization staff that will do their best to help to realize them. These expectations will be observed again on final evaluation.
Middle-term evaluation expectations
Description: there is a flip-chart with words “Middle-term evaluation” and contours of stars all around the list. Volunteers as asked to take pens or markers and to right their expectations from the middle-term evaluation seminar inside the stars.
Working results:
-To learn more about Russian culture and to try it on taste
-To find information about interesting places in N.Novgorod region still not visited
-To get new ideas for future development of the project and life after project
-To get information how to get a job connecting with volunteering after the end of EVS project
-To evaluate the project, to understand where am I
Conclusions: from current point of view all the expectations can be satisfied during the middle-term evaluation and we will turn back to this list tomorrow, during evaluation session
Project evaluation
Achievements parade
Fruit salad cooking: how our project looks like
Step by step to the wish: planning future achievements
Environment evaluation
Spider net
Expert work: paying efforts for the environmental improvement
Evaluation of the day
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