Middle of the Spring, 23-30 May 2016 and 38 young people coming from 10 different countries (Azerbaijan, United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Germany, Egypt, Albania, Ukraine, Turkey and Spain) with their smart phones and computers in Hohegeiß, a village of a German small town Braunlage.
What is this about? What are these people with electronic gadgets doing in this beautiful green area, right next to the famous National Park Harz?
If you thought of boring tourists who make selfies all around, you are wrong!
These actually hard-working youth attended Erasmus+ training course ‘’Learn IT Tools’’ organized by Natur Kultur. They used this great opportunity to increase their skills in making photos, creating a video and designing a webpage through informal methods comprising workshops, presentations, working in small groups and practical part.
In a friendly and warm atmosphere, with experienced and competent trainers, participants became more careful with snapping a photo, they created videos themselves sharing the best moments of the week and many of them already started their small businesses by opening creative webpages!
“I especially enjoyed the workshop about making photos! Now I know how to use all these tricky camera options, and I understand more why the light is so important or why an object has to be in a certain position of a photo!”, explains Marwa from Egypt.
Beside these particular aims, participants achieved to learn more about Erasmus+ Programme, concrete steps an NGO can undertake in a community, capacity building, fundraising etc.
Late at night learning continued in a different dimension: intercultural nights were organized and participants had a chance to present customs, dances, music and food from countries they come from. National dishes, such as sarma, pite, tortilla, kljukusa, sataras, flie together with sangria, rakija and beer made the seminar even more colourful, tasty and inspiring!
“This is the first training course I attend and I feel wonderful! People are serious when needed, but everyone is so nice and positive. Dancing in dervish’s costume brought me so much fun! I am also happy to have learned some new words in other languages, mashallah!”, says Manu from Spain.
Free time participants used to socialize and get to know each other better by helping kitchen staff, doing exercises after a long sitting day or simply by getting lost in wilderness.
Through this course, participants learnt not only that modern communication and social media are the most powerful tools for generating a positive change, but also that technology goes hand in hand with nature and friendship!
The project was financed from Erasmus+ program over the German National Agency.