To enhance the learning of 60 volunteers from ESN Romania, by organizing an online three days training event, focused on the development of knowledge and abilities related to: Leadership, Human Resources Management and Sustainable Development.
The “National Training Event: The 5enses of a section”, organized online over three days, brought together volunteers of ESN Romania and ESN Moldova as guests, who were trained in order to develop specific skills to help them contribute to their section’s growth in the areas of: Leadership and Integrity, Trust and Communication and Sustainability (the 5 essential aspects for a sustainable development). Moreover, the training helped the volunteers learn more about ESN (based on their knowledge and experience they were divided on two different tracks) and improve their project management abilities through a group activity in which they elaborated on specific ideas.
Initially planned to be organized physically, the event was moved online due to the high number of infections in Romania. The event’s preparation started months before, with the needs assessment of the network. The Training Coordinator together with the Vice President had individual meetings with each section in order to understand what the actual needs of their volunteers are. After the interviews, they outlined 5 main topics needed to be addressed during the training event (previously mentioned). In order to bring a fresh perspective for the participants, external trainers were invited to deliver different sessions. The facilitators’ team included experienced ESNers, members of the Eduk8 Pool of Trainers and External Facilitators (representatives of other organizations, trainers active in the corporate sector). The event involved sessions aimed to enhance the participant's ESN knowledge, with sessions designed to improve the skills of the participants in different fields, based on their interests. Hence, during the registration, the participants had to fill in a form with their preferences, as well as with their ESN experience and were assigned different tracks accordingly (see the agenda). The last day of the training found the participants in teams, in which they had to practice their skills by coming up with a project proposal. They were given constant support and feedback on the way and had to prepare a presentation of the project. The social program was diverse and fun and involved interactive getting to know each other activities, a mission impossible game and a debate competition.
The event was opened for any volunteer of ESN Romania and it was tailored to address their different needs. Moreover, members of ESN Moldova were as well invited to attend the event, in order to support their development and exchange of good practices. Based on their experience, during the first day, when ESN related topics were approached, the participants were divided in 2 different tracks: ESN Planet for beginners and ESN Galaxy for the more experienced volunteers. On the second day of the event, the participants were divided on three different tracks, based on their interests expressed in the registration form. The tracks were: Leadership and Integrity, Trust and Communication and the third one, Sustainability. The workshop sessions for the first track were: Integrity and “Taking Responsibility”, “Team Management”, “Leadership Styles”. For the second track the topics approached were: “Feedback and how to work with it”, “Online Communication”, “Identify your weak points and work with them”. As for the third track, the workshop sessions were the following: “Negotiation and Partnerships”, “Stakeholders Management” and “Fundraising & Grants”. The topics were selected following the interviews conducted by the Training Coordinator of ESN Romania, together with the Vice President of our National Organization, with their counterparts at the local level. The third day of the training brought together participants with different ESN backgrounds and interests, in a group activity to help them understand and learn about project design and project application writing. The structure of the project proposal they had to work on was similar to the ESAA project proposal, in order to help the sections understand better the specifications and requirements of the financier
