17/11/2024
Czechia
participants
The main goal of the activity is building stronger connections within the team, working on a cooperation and following a common goal, which are the main pillars that our section builds on and that we want to pass up to the future. The activity is also aimed at newbies and creating a motivation for them to become active members, as well as motivating current active members to continue with their work. One of the important objectives is the inclusion of our international members. The activity in general is meant to be a reward for work of our members, including Board members, who have no tasks during the weekend and blend out fully with active members and newbies during the activities.
Our section organized a Teambuilding weekend this semester. It was an event where newbies, active members, and the Board met together, formed diverse groups, and learned how to cooperate, respect each other, and pass knowledge from formally higher positions throughout the section all the way to the newbies. They also gained information about how ESN worked, its Causes, and opportunities.
The usual schedule of our weekend was as follows: Friday included Icebreakers and a variety of small get-to-know-each-other games. Saturday started with a creative team game and then was devoted to addressing the Causes of ESN. These included:
• Education & Youth: The activity aimed to renew our active members’ base with new people, bringing innovative ideas and different points of view. It also helped facilitate their education and free-time activities outside of university through volunteering.
• Environmental Sustainability: Participants were encouraged to behave environmentally responsibly. We focused on waste reduction, separation, and collected trash from the nature around the cottage. We also used reusable cups and dishes to minimize food waste.
• Health and Well-Being: The activity provided a break from the stress of city life, school, and ESN tasks, allowing members to relax and recharge in nature. We included physical activities like a small hike and outdoor games, and served healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables, avoiding soft drinks. We also followed the Responsible Party initiative by providing water and small snacks during evening activities.
This was followed by the main weekend game for participants, which consisted of a mostly logical set of games. Sunday was meant for feedback and discussion, followed by cleaning time.
Activities were executed by ESN MUNI Brno members from Ukraine, Slovakia, and Turkey, and among participants, there was a great variety of countries of origin—Slovakia, Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, Turkey, Colombia, Spain, Ukraine, Venezuela, India, Honduras, and Mexico. The whole event was led in English, ensuring that international members felt included and comfortable. Our section has been expanding, and English has become one of the most important pillars of our community.
The main goal of the activity was building stronger connections within the team, working on cooperation, and following a common goal, which were the main pillars that our section built on and that we wanted to pass up to the future. The activity was also aimed at newbies and creating motivation for them to become active members, as well as motivating current active members to continue with their work. One of the important objectives was the inclusion of our international members, who shared their customs and traditions with us, enriching our experience.
