Helenic Youth Participantion (blog post)

 "The project "My Hobby, My Business" was implemented in Predeal, Romania on 14.03- 24.03 and our participants are highly excited about their experience. 

The main objectives of the project were:

Developing the entrepreneurial spirit as well as learning entrepreneurial- and employment skills

Drafting 6 business plans for the initiation and development of new businesses through non-formal education methods and multicultural role-play

Encouraging and developing solidarity and tolerance among young participants to facilitate social cohesion

Check some of the testimonials from our participants: 

"All this experience happened due to ODES and HYP NGOs and due to the great work of our facilitators, Adrian and Ioana, and for this reason, I want to thank them. Ultimately, I think every young person must experience an Erasmus+ project because it makes you get out of your comfort zone. One thing is for sure, that you will want to go again!" - Dimitris

"This Erasmus in Romania was just incredible!

Starting from the topic of the project which was very interesting and also the way that Adrian and Ioana run it was awesome for real. We had a great bond with the Greek team but also with the other people. I feel that I learned really useful things about business and how they’re working, not only for my country but also for the rest of the Europe." - Eleni

"I can confidently say that this project was one of the best I’ve ever been to. The people from all the countries, but most importantly the Greek team itself, came very close and created unforgettable memories. But above all, I can single out a very important moment for me. The moment we understand that at the end of the day we are all the same. We are not divided by nations or religions or disputes, only our experiences make us different and in such projects we open our hearts and become one." - Danai

"Thanks to Hellenic youth participation (Hyp), I took part to my first Erasmus+ project in Romania. The name of the project was ‘My hobby my business'. The experience was great, A special moment for me was when me and Dimitris wore sheets and we pretended to be ancient Greeks in our intercultural night and every one of the project did the same after us." - Lucas

"The Erasmus+ project "My hobby, my business" was successfully completed! We created six innovative and remarkable business plans. But beyond that, I want to say that the relationships we built with each other and everything we experienced together there with such strong emotions was a unique life experience!" - Panagiotis"

Dissemination: Spain

I’m María Las Heras Egea an Spanish participant of the Erasmus + project “My Hobbie My Business” in Predal (Romania). In order to contribute to the dissemination and promotion of the organizations and their youth projects, I decided to make a meeting in my class for my classmates. I’m studying a vocational training course about tourism in Muro de Alcoy specifically in the high school IES Serra de Mariola. Because we are a small group in class (6 people), I asked my tutor to take the tutoring class to talk about my experience in the project. She accepted my suggestion, so I made a small talk for 6 people in my classroom with the approximately duration of 45 minutes. The dynamic of the talk it was me talking as an informal way about different things related with the project:

On the first place I talked about how I found the project, how I applied, the process of selection and all the technical things that made me be a participant.

Then I continue talking about the sessions and the topic. I was explaining that the project was about business things, so I told them that the first sessions were to introduce ourselves, meet the other participants and to talk about our expectations related to the project. After that I told them that we started to do activities to introduce the business as a topic, for that we did one activity very interesting about the things that involves the self-employment for the young people who want to start a business in each country. That it was nice to analyze the situations and opportunities of other countries. After that I explained the main activity, it was thinking about one business idea and working in mixed groups to develop that idea and finally to present it in front of everyone.

After that I also talked about leisure time in the project, with this I mean that I was talking about our excursion day in Brasov, and explained what the intercultural nights are (and I showed them some videos and photos that I download from the drive to give them a visual example).

To conclude the meeting, I was saying that being part of an Erasmus + project is a very nice experience to meet new people, to learn new things in a different way, to discover a new country going out of your comfort area... I also add that is very good practice for them, because they are studying tourism, so it is a big opportunity to practice English that is a necessary thing in our sector.

I spent all the class talking so I answered most of the doubts of my classmates during the school break. Some of the questions were about in which places you can do this kind of projects, about budget and money, kinds of topic and questions related with the level of English.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTIAL MEETING
NAME (person who did it)	Maria Las Heras Egea.
LOCATION	Muro de Alcoy (Valencian Community – Spain).  IES Serra de Mariola (high school).
DATE	27/03/2024 (during the tutoring class)
PEOPLE	It was a talk for 5 students and 1 teacher.
PRESNTATION	No presentation, just some pictures and the explanation of the  whole project that i described in the text.

Dissemination: Türkiye

On March 28, 2024, a  gathering took place at Pablo Coffee in Gaziantep, where 12 enthusiastic participants came together to learn about the Erasmus+ program, our project’s core activities and its primary objectives. The session lasted for a concise yet impactful 30 minutes, providing a wealth of information and sparking lively discussions among attendees.

The session began with a brief introduction to Erasmus+, a European Union initiative aimed at supporting education, training, youth, and sport in Europe. Participants learned about the various opportunities Erasmus+ offers, such as youth exchanges, training courses and European Solidarity Corps. The program's focus on fostering cultural exchange, enhancing skills and promoting international cooperation.

The participants were informed about the project aim, its goals and the target audience. The core activities of our project were highlighted, showcasing the diverse and engaging nature of the program. 

The primary focus of our project revolves around cultural diversity and inclusion. By bringing together young people from various backgrounds, the project aims to break down cultural barriers and build a more inclusive society. 

Throughout the session, participants were encouraged to ask questions and share their thoughts. This interactive approach not only kept the audience engaged but also allowed for a richer exchange of ideas. Feedback from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing a keen interest in participating in future Erasmus+ activities and similar projects.

HERE you can find the presentation.

#Day9: Saying Goodbye

Today was another wonderful day in Predeal. The sun was out, melting the snow and making the day feel bright and warm.

This was an important day because it was the last time we all sat together in a circle. Tomorrow, each of us will head back to our home countries, starting a new chapter in our lives.

Our session today focused on how this new chapter will be different from the one we’re leaving behind. We talked about what we’ve learned and how it will shape our future.

We started by catching up on some missing documents from yesterday’s work. Then, we had some fun with guessing songs and sharing gossips. We also revisited the 8 competencies, discussing what we had learned about each one.

We talked about why sharing what we’ve learned is important and how we can do it in our home countries. We made a plan to help spread our ideas effectively.

We set up a trash bin and a suitcase in the middle of the room. Each person shared what they wanted to throw away and what they wanted to take back home with them. It was a symbolic way of letting go of the old and embracing the new.

We then opened the time capsule we made on the first day and read the notes we had written to our future selves. It was amazing to see how many of our expectations had been met.

Next, we had a fun reveal of our secret friends. We stood in a circle, and one by one, we hugged our secret friend, discovering who had been sending us gifts throughout the week.

After lunch, we spent time writing our thoughts about each participant on their paper. It was a great way to remember all the amazing people we met here.

Thank you all for making this experience unforgettable. We love you and will miss you a lot. ❤️

#Day8: Final Business Presentations

Today was another wonderful day as we wrapped up our business projects. It was amazing to see our ideas come to life after four days of hard work.

Congratulations to all the teams for their innovative ideas: AIxperia, Dream Factory, Craft Corner, Malaparts, Drivers on the Storm, and PillowTalk. We’re excited about the future possibilities, including virtual reality for cultural events and museums, educational classes for artists, craft events in cozy cafés/restaurants, 3D printed car parts, niche engines for running cars, and AI in psychology.

Here you can see all of our ideas:

1. AIxperia - Business Plan & Presentation

2. Craft Corner - Business Plan & Presentation

3. Drivers on the Storm - Business Plan & Presentation

4. Malaparts - Business Plan & Presentation

5. Pillow talk - Business Plan & Presentation

6. Team Kalorifer - Business Plan & Presentation

A special shoutout to the PillowTalk team for securing the most investment from our investors!

We closed the day with an amazing cultural night featuring Turkey and Italy. We enjoyed learning about your cultures, watching traditional dances, and tasting delicious traditional foods.

It was a fantastic end to a day filled with achievements and cultural celebration. Here's to more days of creativity, learning, and sharing!

#Day7: Building Businesses

We spent the morning working on our businesses. All the teams focused on how to build better customer relationships and manage finances. It was a productive session filled with learning and collaboration.

After lunch, we had a fun snowball fight to energize us. Then, we presented our ideas to the rest of the group. Each of us received feedback and advice on how to improve our business plans. We gained a lot of knowledge about presenting and building our business plans step by step. It was really helpful for all the teams.

We enjoyed dinner together and then had a special pajama party! We danced a lot and played games like Ninja and Ho Ha Hi in the session room. It was a night full of laughter and fun.

Another wonderful day passed with all of us having fun and sharing our dreams. Here's to more days of learning, growing, and enjoying each other's company!

#Day6: Business Insights

Today was a day full of learning and fun. We started with a session on SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) using Coca-Cola as an example. This helped us understand how to build our business and create a strong value proposition.

In the afternoon, we split into groups to work on presentations we had been preparing. By 4 PM, we presented our work. Each group received helpful feedback on how to manage time and improve the look of our slides. This advice will help us make better presentations in the future.

The highlight of the day was the Spanish night. We learned interesting facts about Spain, danced flamenco and "chipi chipi," and enjoyed lots of tasty Spanish food. The night was filled with laughter and joy, making it a special experience.

Today was a perfect mix of learning and celebration. We learned new things, shared our work, and had fun together. It was an amazing day that added to our wonderful memories. Here's to more magical moments and strong friendships on this journey!