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Can Do Cards
Dear readers,
We are glad to present you the Can Do Cards, a KA2 Erasmus Plus funded project.
By the CanDo CARDs project we wish to empower educators in the social field to become ‘CHANGE AGENTS‘.
To do so, we believe that educators in the social field need to be empowered with effective tools to become the drivers for positive change. Change Agents will be equipped with tools that empower disadvantaged people with creative and innovative skills and competences which reinforce their resilience and increase their European awareness and civic engagement. These tools refer to creative methods and approaches for learning democracy, intercultural competences, improvisation theatre and debate education. The impact of creativity and non-formal education is of great importance in shaping inclusive societies and empowering change agents. Creative and emotional skills allow people to find new inventive resilience strategies, better cope with crisis situations and societal challenges as well as raise their critical thinking and active citizenship. It also allows people to act more effectively both individually and in a group, it encourages cohesion and the attainment of common goals without losing respect for one-another.
Thanks to each partner’s expertise, our learning setting will combine both cognitive and affective learning experiences by linking forms of non-formal, informal and formal education.
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Last day at Robin’s Nest
Our last day we started – after a short night dancing and celebrating – with a energiser with Elli and the German team wrapped up their Culturatorium experience. The closing and evaluating was done, like the beginning, in a silent room prepared by Elli. One last round of feedback in the group and a little ceremony for the certificates and we had to catch the bus back to Istanbul.
Best wishes, Katrin
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Day 3 at Robin’s Nest
Starting the day with an energizer presented from the Spanish team, we explored via the “broken telephone” how a word changes when it’s passed through many ears – and how this happens with rumours and fake news as well…
One of the main parts of this day was to know more about the Vearthquake in Turkey, trying to understand the needs of the different groups of people (children, teenagers, women and men) and learning about the work GenV Hayat is doing in this dramatic situation. During the presentation, we were also asked to think about how WE would face the situation, being either a national or international NGO, or from the perspective of the government. It was very moving to learn about the dramatic situation but also about the many forms of solidarity and support that came with it. We were also very impressed to hear how GenV Hayat, which originally did not specialise in this kind of work, was able to step up to this challenge within a very short time, and even bringing in new factors like toilets for disabled people – which contributed to broadening the awareness for such perspectives of inclusion. We learned about aspects like providing for basic needs first (before tackling psychological issues), about trauma and secondary trauma and the many offers for children and teenagers that GenV Hayat is providing. Ideas of support where collected within our group.
As the second part of the day was dedicated to methods of theatre in the context of intercultural learning, Hassan had as play a game of guessing words that are presented without speaking (“Charade”).
After that we were diving into the approach of the “Culturatorium”, which uses elements of improve theatre to transmit topics of cultural differences and how to deal with them, in a very tangible manner, like playing actual situations that happen in everyday life. As a ground work for this we found ourselves trying to be spaghettis, robots and bubbling water as well as making gestures and finding associative words to pass on within the group.
How do you tell someone a delicate and potentially embarrassing matter? Everyone was invited to join Katrin in a scene where many ways of communication – both directly and indirectly could be shown. In this way, we learned about cultural dimensions like direct and indirect communication as well as individualistic and collectivistic world views (and systems), thinking about them not in terms of “right and wrong” but in terms of “pro’s and con’s” and how we have a tendency depending on our cultural background, but also have always a bit of both sides (of the square of values) in us, with different at different times and in different context.
What happens in the last evening of LTTA? Dancing of course! And lots of stories that make us laugh together, now and when we think back at this wonderful experience.
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LTT2 – 2nd day in Agva (Turkey)
This LTTA is being intense and very enriching. We´ve started the day with and amazing breakfast under the Turkish sun!
Hannes (our German camera man) has welcomed us with an energizer outside. Once inside, in the meeting room, Elli (Germany/Poland) has facilitated an exercise to get us to know each other better. Then, the Swedish team has taken the lead addressing the topics of culture and interculturality, making all of us digging into our deepest thoughts and sharing our perspectives and opinions about it.
After lunch, the Spanish team wanted to wake us up with a fun activity: a cooperative version of the «musical chairs». At the end, 17 people ended up all together in one chair. It reminded of this… more or less:
Since we´re at the seaside, we have to take advantage of that!! We walked to the beach, where the Swedish team prepared an activity to reflect about discriminatory situations. We’ve shared personal experiences, and then we returned to the meeting room walking along the beach in pairs, discussing our perspective on the use of inclusive language in our country.
After a short break, each team talked about the activities of the day proposed ideas for tomorrow.
To end the day we enjoyed a pleasant dinner with live music and wine.
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LTT2 – 1st day in Agva (Turkey)
Being in this setting for the first time has been a wonderful learning experience.
There is a great deal happening in our lives as Turks, and we focus on it, but the objective here is different. I believe that discussing a different agenda is excellent for myself and my coworkers.
The first day began with a bus ride from Taksim Square to the hotel. The hotel was highly regarded for its location and overall design. When we initially got at the hotel, we had lunch. Throughout the lunch, we were able to engage in brief chats. Following the lunch, the group moved to the seminar room for a general introduction. We discovered who belongs from which nation, whose institution they are linked with, and how their studies are conducted. I can tell that this group moves quickly. It was impossible to feel uncomfortable among the group.
Plans was executed. Any alterations to the program were discussed and agreed upon together. Participating in the process was also a pleasant experience.
Dinner was then had, and cross-cultural dialogue continued throughout the meal.
Following the lunch, the group resumed their talk around the fire, which was an activity that facilitated them getting to know one another.
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Meet Bea!
Hi, I’m Bea. I am an Occupational Therapist in the Progestión Association, in Spain. My training is oriented to care for children, autism, disabilities and vulnerable social groups. I am currently dedicated to addiction care and research projects.
I like to climb, travel, hike with my dog, ballet and enjoy my family and friends. My best plan: two days in nature with my dog and good company.
I am happy to participate in the CanDoCards project to be able to share methods with the rest of my colleagues.
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Meet Eva!
Hi! My name is Eva, I work as social educator in Progestión in Valladolid, Spain, and I love my job.
Mainly I teach Spanish and also I´m in charge of an awareness project on interculturality and migration.
I consider diversity as something enriching and I´m lucky to work every day with people of different nationalities and cultures.
Interculturality is a topic that interests me a lot, and I´m excited to learn innovative methods and approaches that I can apply in my work.
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Meet Irene!
Hey! I’m Irene, from Spain. I work as a project manager in Asociación Progestión. My career has been focused in social intervention with different groups of people, including migrants, refugees and women victims of gender violence. In the last years, I’m more focus in the management of European projects, which is fantastic to meet people from all around Europe and get to know many places. In my free time, I love to go to the mountains, where I go hiking, climbing and even mountaineering if there is enough snow!
I’m happy to be part of a project like CanDoCards, that promotes inclusion and integration of people through the exchange of experiences, mobilities and non-formal education methods.
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Coordinators meeting in Istanbul – Turkey (second TPM)
Dear readers,
We are happy to share with you concerning the second coordination meeting of our project CanDoCards, which took place in Istanbul, hosted by Young Life (Genç Hayat).
This meeting was an opportunity for partners from Turkey, Sweden, Germany and Spain to gather and share about the work done so far and to prepare the next phases of the project, especially the LTTA 2, which will take place in Turkey in Spring on the topic of Intercultural learning through innovative methods and approaches.
The city of Istanbul gave a warm welcome to its visitors with a sunny weather, for the joy of its inhabitants.
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Some images of what we Can Do
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Kista Folkhögskola
Can Do Cards
Erasmus+ Project for change agents
Can Do Cards 