News

The ME Time tool was presented during the international training course “Partnerships for Cooperation – How to plan an excellent project for primary schools located in rural or remote areas”, 5-10.10.2022 in Warsaw.

There were 25 participants from 8 countries: Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Iceland, Cyprus, and Swede). Despite the fact that they were all involved in formal education as teachers and schools’ headmasters, they showed a big interest in ME Time tool and some expressed their willingness to apply it in their work.

The Institute for Creative Activities Foundation used the received set of cards during the summary of the Erasmus + „Leading by Feeling” training. 

The trainers used the tool to evaluate what the participants felt, experienced and learned at the training. 

Participants worked in small groups, where everyone went through their process and shared their reflections. 

In the evaluation of the training, many people said that ME Time was the best tool to summarize what happened that was important to them at the training. 

In addition – two sets of ME Time went out into the world, going to organizations in Romania and Serbia. We look forward to receiving feedback!

Here it is!

After 17 months of intensive work, several cartons of printed ME Time tool have arrived in our hands. It was a very touching moment for us. Something that back in March 2021 was just an idea, a general concept – after several hundred hours of work became a concrete result that we held in our hands. 

ESC volunteers of the FERSO Foundation helped us prepare the first 60 kits, which went out into the world. A total of 200 kits will be created, which will go to recipients all over Europe!

The end of August 2022 will see another partnership meeting, this time in Lodz. In addition to discussing the process of our cooperation, we focused primarily on:

• summarizing the set of cards developed since April for the coaching kit 
• usability test of the final version 
• verification of the quality of the material prepared for printing (several thousand images must be checked 3 times before they are printed) 
• creation of a financial manual for the stationary (print) and on line tool
• meeting with the final recipients of both sets (trainer and Youthpass), who participated with us in full sessions of the tool’s use. 
• creation of a video, presenting the tool, based on interviews with its creators and sessions conducted

The training in Spala ended with 4 pages of written evaluation and recommendations for the ME Time tool. The following months we passed on the creation of dozens of images, meetings and substantive discussions.

Finally, in April 2022, the COvid situation allowed us to meet in person in Berlin.
These were 3 very intensive days, during which:

• we evaluated the work done so far
• we gave final shape to the tool, selecting the final images for the Youthpass package
• we created 3 film scripts, which will be visual tutorials for the manual
• we created a full concept of the on line tool for independent work with the tool
• we set a schedule for the development of the trainer’s kit based on ETS https://www.salto-youth.net/downloads/4-17-3043/Basic%20document%20-%20ETS_set_of_trainer_competences_v2.pdf and Trainers library https://www.trainerslibrary.org/

WE have met in beginning of august 2021 to train and conduct first testing phase of the prototypes (first versions) of visual tool and the basis for the manual. 

The training took place in Spala, Poland for youth workers – our co-workers and volunteers; people working every day with youth in training, youth exchanges or volunteer projects + 1 young volunteer (student) from each country. From Poland participated 10 people, from Germany 4. 

During the training: 

• they tested the prototype of the tool in individual work on themselves. 
• deepened reflection on the impact of the tool on the participants
• The participants were trained how to methodically use our tools in the group; 
• in smaller groups they gave us feedback on the tools themselves 
• recommendations to IO1 and IO2. 

The objectives of the training were: 

• Practical testing of the prototypes of the methods developed by the experts within the first stage of IO1 development. 
• Gathering feedback on these prototypes which will allow to develop good quality methods in the second part of work 
• group process supervision complementing the IO1 study, which will be part of the further work on the visual methods and will be used in the preparation of a manual for their use IO2 (how to use the methods to manage and support the group process, how these methods influence what happens in the group) – Acquisition of competences by youth workers to apply such methods in their work 

Results to be used by experts working on IO1, IO2:

• workers (oral evaluation and in-depth interviews)

Above that, it was a time for excitement, cooperation sharing. Being there for each other and for others. For love and friendship. 

This meeting was as colorful and diverse as ME Time. 

March 2021 we began work on developing a tool to support YOUTHPASS and ETS competencies, using a visual metaphor.  The pandemic made an in-person meeting impossible – fortunately, we were saved by ZOOM. As part of our meetings:

• we established a work schedule
• we defined the qualitative indicators of the project and the developed work products (the so-called intellectual work results) 
• we prepared and conducted surveys across Europe, which helped us identify the specific needs of tool recipients and select 1 of the 5 concepts developed 
• we developed throughout the project successive stages of work – both in the creative and project management area