SocialErasmus Guidebook by Erasmus Student Network AISBL

SocialErasmus Guidebook

SocialErasmus Guidebook Editors: Juan Colino, Communication Manager 2012 - 2013 Michel Erlandsen, SocialErasmus International Coordinator 2012 Magdalena Dudek Julia Marcincinova Salih Odabasi Renata Polohova Miroslava Svabova Eugenia Zachou Sien Monbailliu Design: Marco Cazzola This information may be freely used for non-commercial purposes, provided that the source is acknowledged (ÂŠ Erasmus Student Network) Erasmus Student Network AISBL Rue Hydraulique 15 1210 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 256 7427 www.esn.org

LLL Program - DG Education and culture With the support of This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Table of Contents SocialErasmus in a few words

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The History of SocialErasmus

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The Goal of SocialErasmus

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The Three Social Pillars

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Education

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Activities.

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Learn from others

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Activities

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Learn from others

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Activities

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Learn from others

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SocialErasmus Week

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Promotion

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Rewards and Recognition

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Sponsors and Partners

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SocialErasmus Week Partners

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Epilogue

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Environment

Charity

SocialErasmus in a few words SocialErasmus is a unique project of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) AISBL. It aims to involve international students, who are participating in the Erasmus programme and other university exchanges, in social and volunteering activities in their host country.

The idea of SocialErasmus is simple but effective: it provides an opportunity for international students to get closer to local communities while giving them a taste of informal education. With their engagement, students gain an international and intercultural experience, break stereotypes, enrich their curricula, and open their minds to the strength that lies in the European diversity. The core of SocialErasmus is the mutual benefit for both international students and the local community; for example by an exchange of ideas and traditions, language and cultural differences. In addition to this, the project widens the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cultural, social and intellectual horizons, adding an extra value to their experience abroad. By strengthening social awareness, solidarity and cooperation, SocialErasmus provides an invaluable service to European societies.

The History of SocialErasmus 2008 In 2008, ESN Poland established SocialErasmus to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The aim of the project was to realize an “enrichment of society through international students”, and so to bring a new dimension to the Erasmus experience.

2009 SocialErasmus became a Polish national project in 2009.

2010 In 2010 ESN International saw the potential of SocialErasmus, and adopted it as an international project. More countries joined and national and international coordinators were appointed, who worked in close cooperation to set up some guidelines and to collect success stories.

students contributed to organizing and carrying out more than 100 events in 20 countries across Europe. In September 2012 the second SocialErasmus Coordinators Meeting took place in Brussels, Belgium. National and local coordinators met to share best practices and participate in workshops aiming to create a new and better project structure for the future. The meeting culminated with an international conference, marking the end of the financial support given by the European Commission. The SocialErasmus conference was attended by the International Board of ESN, its partners, sponsors and other important stakeholders, as well as project coordinators from all levels who presented their outcomes. The release of the official promotional video and the concept of the SocialErasmus guidebook were presented during the conference.

2011 In 2011 ESN got awarded with the first prize of the Civil Society Prize. This prize is granted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and has the theme “Dialogue and participation fostering EU values: integration, diversity, solidarity and tolerance”. ESN International received a grant which they used to professionalize and centralize the coordination of the project. A full time project coordinator was hired in October of 2011.

2012 In January 2012 the first SocialErasmus Coordinators Meeting was held in Trondheim, Norway. National coordinators from 30 countries met up to discuss the project and take part in a training preparing them for their positions. In May the SocialErasmus Week was launched. It was the first large scale international SocialErasmus event and got linked to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Erasmus programme. Hundreds of ESN volunteers and thousands of international

Social Erasmus

The Goal of SocialErasmus “Reach higher! Go further! Go Social!” is the catchphrase of SocialErasmus. The project is based on three pillars: charity, education and environmental actions. The aim of these actions is to integrate international students into local communities and thus enrich society and add a new dimension to the Erasmus programme. An Erasmus experience is viewed upon as an opportunity to discover new cultures and educational systems, build friendships across borders, and give inspiration to a better future. The SocialErasmus project enables students to gain new experiences and perspectives. Konstantina Papanikolaou, the National SocialErasmus Coordinator of ESN Greece explains: “First of all the students develop a sensitivity about social issues which are the similar to their home countries. They learn that their small individual contribution can make a change. Furthermore, they dive deep into problems related to the local community, which they chose for their Erasmus exchange, and thus feel like they are a more active member of it.”

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIALERASMUS? SocialErasmus is based on three simple criteria, given below, that ensure that activities support the overall aim of the project (enrichment of society through international students). However, the established criteria are set up to be as open and flexible as possible to allow for project improvement and to not suppress creative processes and new initiatives.

ACTIVITY CRITERIA 0 The activity should actively engage international students. 0 The activity should have a positive impact on members of your local community or add positive values onto your local community in general. 0 The positive impact or added value of your activity should be created through voluntary actions of international students. There are many activities that could be considered as social ones. However, the focus of SocialErasmus activities is on the local community and less fortunate people. Therefore, events such as charity donations for the less fortunate in other countries, free hugs, flash mobs that don’t spread an important message to the local community or other similar activities are not considered as part of the SocialErasmus project.

The Three Social Pillars For a better understanding of the project the main activities have been divided into three activity pillars: EDUCATION Non-formal education and information sharing such as cultural exchanges, language activities, and much more. ENVIRONMENT A wide range of environmental actions such as forest preserving, clean-up actions, pollution awareness, and much more. CHARITY Displaying kindness and generosity towards less fortunate individuals and/or groups in the local society such as providing immediate help and support to people in urgent need, fundraising for various charity purposes, and much more. Activities that fall under these pillars are implemented in various ways around Europe. There is no right or wrong way, as local circumstances and cultural differences play an important role when carrying out activities. Even though fulfilling the criteria mentioned above, it can sometimes be hard to classify the events under one specific pillar; especially in case the activity fulfills more than one criterium. Some activities might combine elements from several pillars, or can not be linked to any pillar in particular. Examples of this are activities where international students and local students meet to have a nice time doing sports together. Also talent contests or healthcare projects are a valuable part of SocialErasmus as they bring international students and the local community closer together, and promote social awareness. However, these activities cannot be classified easily.

This publication is meant to be a source of information for SocialErasmus coordinators and sections who are interested in realizing the project. Here, you will find useful information about getting started or further developing SocialErasmus activities. The guidebook may also serve as an inspiration for international students who want to enrich society and develop their own skills by participating in voluntary actions. We strongly believe that by providing this information, potential partners and National Agencies may be in favour of creating fruitful cooperations beneficial for all involved parties.

Reach higher! Go further! Go Social!

Education INTRODUCTION The goal for activities in the Education pillar is to engage international students and local community members in activities that promote informal education. This can be done by raising awareness and sharing information on European mobility programs, countries, cultures, integration and language learning through interactive games and other activities where the educational aspect is secondary. One of the main activities in this pillar is called Erasmus in schools (EiS), in which international students visit local schools to share their stories, knowledge and experiences on their home country and traditions or about spending time abroad. Other activities may include language lessons, creative art classes etc. The benefits for local students are clear and tangible: learning about new places and cultures, practicing foreign languages and meet people from other countries. International students gain a lot as well, gaining an opportunity to do something constructive, help others, learn local language and hopefully feel like they have contributed to local society. Through education activities we hope to spark a cultural interest and inspire students of all ages to perceive themselves as citizens of Europe, where education has no borders and diversity respected and treasured. “We gave presentations and talked to pupils in a primary school in Brno. There was a short introduction about International Student Club of Masaryk University (ISC MU) and ESN in general, and then international students talked about their lives and homes, gave short lessons in their mother tongue or held dance workshops and spoke to primary school pupils about their interests.” ESN Brno, Czech Republic

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Activities Here are some examples of activities in the Education pillar collected both during SocialErasmus Week and throughout the rest of the year.

ESN JUNGLE ESN UMCS LUBLIN - PL The main participants of this event were Erasmus students and Polish students from a junior high school. It took place in a leisure centre, where the main attraction is a ropes course. During the event, students had the opportunity to participate in team building activities, such as a contest on a rope course, a bonfire and other games. The purpose of the event was to give Erasmus students a chance to get to know Polish teenagers, learn something more about local culture and the Polish education system, and also to offer Polish pupils a unique chance to get in touch with many foreigners, to overcome cultural and language barriers and to foster cross-cultural dialogue. Participants divided the tasks between them. One person took the role of leader to divide tasks among the others. Volunteers were responsible for creating games, buying refreshments and other material. “The best thing was the possibility to organize such an event and its success; and the moment when the participants told me they had great fun and didn’t want to go home until we promised we would repeat it again.” Agnieszka Miziołek

CELEBRATING EUROPE DAY

ΗIGH SCHOOL VISIT

ESN CLUJ-NAPOCA - RO This event took place in Avram Iancu High School during SocialErasmus Week with the objective of sharing the cultures of international and local students. During this activity the section gathered Erasmus students from various countries in Europe and asked them to promote their country in an inspiring manner. The students made PowerPoint presentations, brought photos and traditional instruments and tools in order to present songs and music from their home countries. Through these presentations they shared a unique cultural aspect with the local students. In return the local students made presentations about their country for which the Erasmus students awarded them with prizes for the best presentations.

ESN TRENTO - IT This event took place with the aid of Associazione Persicopio and was organized as a language exchange between international and local students. The international students presented their countries in their mother tongue and English as well and explained why they chose to study in Trento. One ESNer acted as translator. The kids interacted with the students and asked many questions. The Local Coordinator of this project was working as an English teacher in Persicopio, which made it easier to achieve good co-operation. The section was very pleased with the interest of local pupils in foreign countries and languages and a good preparation of Erasmus students.as well as the local students who were quite excited!

It was important to ensure good communication with the school teacher responsible for the event, who really helped the volunteers to carry it out so if you are planning such an event make sure to meet personally with teachers and cooperate with them on the plan for the day.

“The important thing about SocialErasmus is that it shouldn’t be felt as an obligation. Use what you know and organize activities that motivate YOU. If Erasmus students see your motivation they will in turn be motivated to participate... Positivity is contagious!” Marco Cazzola, ESN Trento

“I saw the Erasmus Students from a different perspective. They showed that they could be serious and responsible. I also got to know them and their country better and we became closer friends.” Ioana Franciuc, local student

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Learn from others We have chosen one project which can serve as an inspiration for SocialErasmus activities in other countries in the pillar of Education. All the stages in the project are described and solutions to possible challenges are provided as well. INTERNATIONAL CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAYS ESN SLOVAKIA Where National Event of ESN Slovakia in Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Kosice, Nitra, Presov. PURPOSE This activity was dedicated to young people to offer them a chance to communicate with international students, broaden their knowledge about other cultures, cross borders and break stereotypes about different countries, as well as to promote SocialErasmus and to establish a dialogue with education institutions for the future. ESN sections in five cities organized activities for children in public places where other people could join them as well. Pupils were also invited from primary and secondary schools, orphanages and youth centres. The activities included various language games, sports competitions with Erasmus students, painting, picture taking etc. International students also prepared some traditional meals to attract attention of a broad public and to raise their interest in different cultures. The outcome was the excitement of children when meeting international students and increased interest in different languages and countries. As it was organized in public places, anyone could join the activities. In addition, parents were positively interested in proposing such activities in their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schools in the future.

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PROCEDURES We will now go through the procedure that the sections followed during the whole process of planning, running and concluding the activity. We will then take a look at the challenges they faced, how they overcame them and what we can learn from their experience. BEFORE THE ACTIVITY 0 Start preparing two months before the event. Contact every local section by email and Skype, assign tasks: promotion, communication with volunteers, fundraising, etc. 0 Contact various institutions for cooperation or sponsorship 0 Create promotional material, send articles to local newspapers, promote online 0 Gather participants (such as ESNers and Erasmus students) The most important thing is to communicate the tasks clearly. Be available for other coordinators in case they need advice and listen to them to gain more ideas and suggestions on how to improve the project. DURING THE ACTIVITY 0 Arrange a Skype call with all coordinators 0 Arrange a meeting between coordinators, volunteers and buddies to create a plan for the day 0 Meet with volunteers and international students to divide tasks 0 Print posters, add information on your website and keep it updated, make use of social networks etc.. 0 On the day of the event meet with volunteers before the official start and prepare the place for activities When you run the activities, try to be an example for the others. Be enthusiastic, join the others, talk with volunteers, children and their parents. You will see increased energy and motivation. In the end have a feedback round with volunteers.

AFTER THE ACTIVITY 0 Create and send an evaluation form to volunteers and participants (it is very helpful for future events) 0 Write an email to local coordinators to collect information such as names, number of participants, personal feedback, relationship with potential partners etc. 0 Write articles, collect photos and post them on web and social networks to show the outcome of your activity 0 Implement a reimbursement procedure if needed 0 Collect and save documents that you created during your project as they may serve as an inspiration for your future activities CHALLENGES Lack of Erasmus students in your town Plan your activity in advance and ask your volunteers to choose a proper date. Do not hesitate to cooperate with other sections or organizations as well and involve more volunteers in the activity. Lack of interest from students Find ways to motivate students for example by providing them with letters of recommendations or implement the SocialErasmus certificate to recognize their involvement. Lack of interest from institutions Use previous activities as examples to present to the institutions and practice efficient communication. Do not use modal verbs such as “if you cooperate with us we could/would….” but rather convince them that the project will be realized and show them the benefits of such a cooperation. Lack of funding Apply for grants and try to set up cooperation with your National Agency (NA) and other organizations. Seek out companies and organizations organizing competitions for youth projects.

When organizing your projects, you may run into some of these some challenges. If you prepare for them in advance, it will be easier to face them and find solutions. BUDGET When you plan a budget for your activity, always consider what costs you will need to cover and if it is possible to find sponsors for it or other ways of funding. The budget of the International Children’s Days project consisted of 1.500 Euros. The budget was covered in part from the grant and in part from support from universities or personal resources). The ESN section which won the grant provided by ESN AISBL took care of promotion (printing, banners and t-shirts), organizing the activities (office material, tools for games, painting and competitions) and for refreshments for participants. Other costs (such as a fee for renting a tent, the place where it would stand, printing other material and rewards) were covered with support of universities in all cities. CONCLUSION This event presented a tight organisation, good communication between coordinators, contact of partners such as universities, and last but not least, raising awareness in more than one city. Thanks to good planning, ESN Slovakia was able to overcome challenges such as lack of human and material resources and used the grant effectively to motivate sections for other SocialErasmus projects. “We met children from various backgrounds and felt that we could do much more for them if we had a chance to meet them regularly. They had so much energy and potential despite the fact their parents were poor and did not believe that their children could achieve more than them.” Miroslava Svabova

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Environment INTRODUCTION The Environment pillar focuses on activities that are beneficial for the environment. Through these activities a sustainable attitude is promoted among international students and local community. In such activities international students and local community are given the opportunity to engage in concrete actions that will help to improve environmental situation. The focus is set on specific local challenges and broader environmental issues in general. Among the most commone activities are area clean up, planting trees or helping local forest protection autohorities. Environmental activities influence volunteers involved in a project as well as the community. Moreover, projects concentrated on environmental education in schools motivate pupils for greater interest in the matter and offer different perspective on the issue from the one presented in a school (if presented at all). These projects enrich their knowledge and support creative solutions for a good cause. The outcome of environmental projects is a higher awareness on the subject both in the exchange students and in the local community. In particular it could also have an intergenerational connotation as older generations see the younger ones taking actions on local problems.

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Activities The Environment pillar covers a broad range of activities. Some examples of activities performed during the SocialErasmus Week 2012 are provided below.

SOCIALERASMUS: LET’S DO IT WORLD! ESN ESTONIA This was a national project of ESN Estonia which counted altogether five ESN sections. It was held simultaneously in two cities, Tallinn and Tartu and involved Estonian students and Erasmus students. The purpose of this activity was to clean the area during the cleaning day that was all over Estonia and to offer international students a new type of activity. Estonia showed best practice by cooperating with an existing project, “Let’s do it world!” that focuses on sustainable environment; planning starter quite a few months earlier. The event served as a motivation for other ESN sections around Europe and started an avalanche of SocialErasmus projects for the SocialErasmus Week. “Joining a local clean-up action with international students gives a chance to interact with a host community on a completely new level. It is one of those fulfilling activities where in the end we can actually see the result and feel proud of ourselves! Though it may not always be the easiest task to get the exchange students to join this event, it is always possible to find those who actually care and would be thankful for the opportunity.” Jaanika Saarmets, National SE Coordinator, ESN Estonia

ERASMUS ROSE PARK

CAMPUS CLEAN-UP

ISU TBILISI & ESN TBILISI UNIVERSAL - GE The Georgian project involved two ESN sections in Tbilisi, ISU and UNI. It proposed a great idea of creating a park for Erasmus students through planting roses. The main aim was to plant 32 roses in the park and also clean the surrounding area to provide people a place to gather in the future and show Georgian adults that anyone can devote time to environmental volunteer work. During the event Georgian students cooperated with international students and also prepared some activities for children from an orphanage. A specific team was created with team roles and tasks: communication with the city hall, media, creation of posters, motivation of volunteers, planning games for children, shopping and other.

ESN AAS - NO The project was organized as a part of the country’s tradition of cleaning up polluted areas. The main purpose of this event was to involve international students in this traditional volunteering activity of Norwegian culture and to meet the locals involved in the project.

“We felt the need of SocialErasmus event to be held more often and that everyone can do a good thing even with a little effort.” Nana Antidze, National SE Coordinator, ESN Georgia

ECO-PLAYSTATION ESN UMB BANSKA BYSTRICA - SK The project was held by the section in the central part of Slovakia, Banská Bystrica. It involved ESN members, international students, scouts, teachers from kindergarten and parents of school children. The purpose was to create an eco-house made out of natural materials. The house was built in exterior yard of a kindergarten and serves as a playground for children. Moreover, the attractive name has turned out to be very appealing. “I was incredibly proud when I saw our Erasmus students working there. I was really impressed and touched. All the effort which I put into organizing this activity was worth it! Thanks to this event our Erasmus students got closer to the community, but to my heart as well.” Kjara Krutakova, President of ESN UMB Banska Bystrica

Students took plastic bags, put on gloves and cleaned a campus. Free snacks and small rewards were used as a motivation for participating in this project. One good practice of ESN Aas is to organize short cleaning up session, keeping in mind that interest of young people does not last long. “SocialErasmus week provided a means for our section to be part of a bigger movement. There’s something special about so many students joining together for a good cause.” Tari Helmers, ESN Aas, Norway

ERASMUS PLAYGROUND ESN Iasi - RO Erasmus Playground was born from a common will to leave a mark in Iasi. ESN Iasi decided that there were plenty of places that could be restructured. An approval of a City hall was necessary. A playground for children was renovated with little money and lots of joy and desires to change something. The final result was a neat and colourful playground for some happy kids. “We are happy to still visit that playground and see that there is a physical proof of SocialErasmus in Iasi.” Oana Ojica, National SE Coordinator, ESN Romania

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Learn from others We have chosen one project which can serve as an ispiration for SocialErasmus activities in other countries in the pillar of Environment. All the stages in the project are described and solutions to possible challenges are provided as well.

E FOR ENVIRONMENT ESN ROMANIA WHERE National E for Environment project was organized in three cities: Iasi, Bucharest and Timisoara in Romania during the SocialErasmus Week. PURPOSE The objective of the event was to educate children in terms of protecting a healthy environment and learning about consequences of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions and the effect of the modern urban world on the natural world. The inspiration for the idea of the project came from volunteers and Erasmus students. It incorporated several actions and smaller projects under the umbrella of a general name E for Environment. ESN sections contacted schools to announce a competition in writing essays about problems damaging the Earth. Erasmus students facilitated workshops with pupils in creation of recycled toys and other tools using different material. They also exchanged used batteries for fruits. The purpose of the event was to provide insight into the topic of global environmental problems and to explain the effects of non-environmental actions. The idea of a healthy education about the environment should start at an early ages. The project encouraged environmental education in schools and showed a great example of combination of various activities leading to one goal.

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PROCEDURES We will now go through the procedure that the sections followed during the whole process of planning, running and concluding the activity. We will then take a look at the challenges they faced, how they overcame them and what we can learn from their experience. BEFORE THE ACTIVITY 0 Created a Google Document to be filled in by the volunteers in order to have an overview of the participants and discuss the event. The document included: description of the event, T-shirt option, section to which they belong, ideas for workshops and movies to watch, suggestions for improvement. Suggestion: Create friendly reminders for the Erasmus, in order to make them fill in the form 0 Contacted various companies for their offers of materials needed for the project. Chose the most suitable offers. 0 Chose the design of the PR materials with consultations with local coordinators 0 Search for location of the events 0 Checked contract examples for schools 0 Printed and post posters in schools 0 Pre-workshop and practiced the activities for pupils before the events 0 Asked Erasmus volunteers to bring some objects that could be recycled and useful for the workshop (plastic bottles mainly) 0 Sent the PR materials by post to the other sections (delivery covered by the company) DURING THE ACTIVITY 0 Skype calls and weekly meetings with coordinators 0 Teams went to schools, prepared fruits and SE stickers on the fruits for the competition with used batteries 0 Started activity with a short movie about the activity 0 Prepared toys from recycled materials

0 Essay competition for children initiated before the event 0 Read and graded essays 0 Used batteries and light bulbs exchanged for fruits AFTER THE ACTIVITY 0 Final evaluation of essays on next working day in school 0 Collected the invoices BUDGET The budget consisted of 1500 euro as for the fact that it was national event and it covered all expenses. Our partners supported us with T-shirts and boxes for collecting used batteries in exchange for being promoted on our posters posters.

CONCLUSION It was a great cooperation with our partner. We had a lot of motivated volunteers who enjoyed the activity. “Through participating in SocialErasmus, we manage to do something good for our society. Even if it’s a small deed, it matters in these tough times. It gives us more courage to go on and create more along with foreign students who come to our country, hoping that we will inspire them to do the same when they get back in their country!” Eugenia Zachou, ESN KAPA Athens, Greece

CHALLENGES Delays in receiving PR materials Solution: Start working on the project two months in advance to avoid delays. Ask other organizations about a good previous cooperation with companies. Weak cooperation of teachers. Solution: It is important to talk personally to the teachers beforehand to be able to adjust to the schedule and in some cases to find a different school.

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Charity INTRODUCTION In the charity pillar, we focus on activities that display kindness and generosity towards less fortunate individuals and groups in our society. Through a large variety of activities, international students are engaged in actions offering immediate help and support to people in urgent need or carry out activities with a more strategic aim like fundraising for various charity purposes, in many cases in cooperation with other charitable organizations. In October 2010, ESN organised an international charity drive and asked all of its sections to raise funds through their local activities. As a result 54.000 € where donated to UNICEF to support humanitarian efforts in Bhutan. International Santa Claus is a key activity under the charity pillar. For this purpose international students bring gifts to orphanages, spend time with children and hopefully bring more joy and happiness to the children during Christmas time. Other activities include international student visits to nursing homes and children hospitals to share precious moments with the people living there. Blood donations have also been organised with large groups of international and local students in some countries.

Activities ESN sections have organized plenty of creative and effective activities under the name of charity pillar. Some examples of activities held during the SocialErasmus Week in 2012 can be found below.

ERASMUS HALL ESN CRACOW UNITED - PL The event was held in Orphanage “Brzechwa” in Cracow during SocialErasmus Week. The orphanage was in poor shape and was threatened to be closed. The purpose of the Erasmus Hall project was to provide children a warm place and paint a whole hall in the building with colourful pictures. ESN Cracow United communicated with a government center to seek for an institution in need and organized a collection to support the project. “The project has important advantage - you can feel that working with people and helping them gives great joy. When I started working, people gave me incredible energy and strength. In the end I receive a best reward for it, the smile and gratitude of those who I helped.” Magdalena Dudek, National SE Coordinator, ESN Poland.

INTERNATIONAL SANTA CLAUS ESN IASI - RO International Santa Claus is an event that has been performed in many ESN sections all around Europe. The aim here is to provide children suffering from financial issues with the things they need most such as clothes, toys, stationery and treats. Erasmus students bring the added value to the action by giving the presents to kids in person and they also prepare entertaining programme for them.

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ESN Iasi managed to give presents to thirty poor children through active fundraising that was run by international students, section members and also to their altruistic donation.

BLOOD DONATION ESN FOGGIA - IT Blood donations are widely performed by many Erasmus students in Europe. ESN Foggia held this event during SocialErasmus Week 2012. The story of one Erasmus student lead this initiative to a great success. In the group of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Erasmus students there was a student who had suffered from a serious illness. After years of treatment he was able to heal and beat the disease. His impressive accomplishment triggered ESN members and Erasmus students to actively participate in the donation and motivate others to contribute as well. The collaboration between the local section and the association of blood donation (AVIS) may be a good example for similar future projects.

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Learn from others We have chosen one project which can serve as an inspiration for SocialErasmus activities in other countries in the pillar of Environment. All the stages in the project are described and solutions to possible challenges are provided as well.

FOR THE CHILDREN - SERIES ESN BILKENT - TK WHERE Province of Sanliurfa, Fall 2010 and the Province of Bursa, Spring 2011. PURPOSE The idea of this project is based on offering mutual interests for both international students and children in local elementary schools, such as providing elementary school students with school supplies and open dialogue with the schools in the area for future trips. The goal was to introduce the Anatolian region to the exchange students, provide help for the teachers in the area and collect funds to achieve this lofty goal. PROCEDURES We will now go through the procedure that the sections followed during the whole process of planning, running and concluding the activity. We will then take a look at the challenges they faced, how they overcame them and what we can learn from their experience. BEFORE THE ACTIVITY 0 After the project had been introduced during National Platform, planning and scheduling phases were kicked off 6 weeks prior to the event 0 During the weekly meetings of ESN Bilkent, an outline of the project was determined 0 Erasmus students were informed personally about the event and on the website

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DURING THE ACTIVITY 0 The type, quality and amount of the donation to be made was determined with the guidance of Bilkent University Social Responsibility Center 0 A website was created to promote the event 0 Schools to be visited were found and their needs were confirmed by contacting authorities 0 We contacted Governorship of Sanliurfa to provide us with accommodation in the city 0 We contacted Bilkent University Vice Rectorate to provide us transportation from/to Sanliurfa 0 Considering the standard of all the school supplies, ESN Bilkent consulted with several publishing houses 0 In order to fulfill the need of paint of one of the schools in Sanliurfa, ESN Bilkent contacted with International Paint Ltd. 0 We shopped for necessary supplies and materials 0 We shopped for snacks for volunteers 0 We started the trip to the schools 0 We arrived at the school. Had a welcome moment with representatives and children 0 We carried out the SocialErasmus activities: Played games with children, we led discussions with representatives AFTER THE ACTIVITY 0 We had a feedback round with international students, schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representatives, partners and sponsors 0 The significant outcomes of the event were the following t Sufficient amount of donations to elementary schools were successfully done t Local children had the chance to meet foreigners for the first time t Erasmus students experienced typical example of a local village in Southeastern Turkey t Erasmus students found an opportunity to visit the famous historical downtown of Sanliurfa and taste delicious regional food

BUDGET Budget consisted of 3.000 Euros (from partners and sponsors including support from the University). Our sponsors were the Governorship of Sanliurfa Province, International Paint Ltd., AkzoNobel Corporate and the Bilkent University Dean of Student Office for the activity in fall 2010 at Sanliurfa. For the one in Bursa in spring 2011 our partners were the Municipality of Bursa Province and the Bilkent University Student Council. CONCLUSION This activity showed the combination of education and charity. It is a very good example of creativity and shows that students show interest in such kind of activities. It is also a good example of fundraising as the project was funded by different organisations. “As an interesting anecdote, some of the children have never seen a passport before. We tried to make the children wake up to the reality that “abroad” is not a country but it’s how you call almost 200 different countries and cultures.” Huseyin Erdem, ESN Anadolu, ESN Turkey

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SocialErasmus Week In order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Erasmus programme, ESN launched the biggest international SocialErasmus event, “SocialErasmus Week”. From the 4th to the 11th of May 2012, international students from 36 countries carried out a variety of different activities with the aim of improving social integration while adding positive values on local communities and community members.

“The most beautiful aspects of SocialErasmus Week is knowing that hundreds of people are doing different activities at the same time but for the same aim.” Alessio Musillo, National SE Coordinator, ESN Italy A promotional video of the event covers activities in seven different countries.

Promotion Promotion is a key aspect of SocialErasmus. If the activities are promoted in the right way participation will increase and so will the overall satisfaction volunteers and organisers. As a general rule try to plan the promotion in advance and also to make the activity fun.

MEDIA If you want to achieve a big impact you should contact the local and national media be this TV, press or radio. The best way to do this is to elaborate a press note and send it to the media. Keep in mind that this kind of document has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own format and conventions. Research a little bit on the internet if you want to create a good press note. You can even find templates to help you with this. Once you have the attention of the media try to help them to cover your event. Do your best to adapt the time of the event so it suits them better and to take special care of them, they will appreciate it and that will help you to get their attention again in the future.

SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook is the best option that you have out there to promote your SocialErasmus activities. Be sure to use your regular channels to promote it. An event in your regular group or page is a very good thing to do but be sure that you use a very descriptive but short event description. Also a nice event picture will help and if you post it in the event timeline people would be able to enjoy it in full size!

OTHER PROMOTIONAL OPTIONS To promote your activity you should not only think about social media. The regular rules of promotion still apply if you are also targeting your activity to the external public. You should think about investing in posters or in flyers. You can find a few examples of promotional material in this guidebook. For the posters the best locations are around the faculties and also in places that the students go such as cafes next to the University. Try to give enough information in it but also make it attractive and nice. Normally concerning the content in posters less is more. Using flyers could be also a nice option to spread the message. You can give them at the entry of the University to create a bigger impact or leave some at the cafeteria. Also you can use your mailing list (if you have one) to promote your event. Even your University can help you with this and send an email to all the students enrolled at the University informing about the activity. Most of the times they agree to do this if it is a charity event so go for it and ask!

If you have an active Twitter account you should use it as well. In this case focus on it during the event so people can be updated about how is it going. You can even create a hashtag and share it so others can comment about it.

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Rewards and Recognition Though most volunteers join SocialErasmus activities for the genuine pleasure of volunteering and helping others, proper recognition can support your project in many ways. By satisfying individual needs of your members and international students you will motivate them as well as support your goals. Here are some tips on how to motivate your students a give recognition to your students: 0 Be enthusiastic and thankful that volunteers came. Thank your volunteers for everything they did. You may think that it’s not enough for their work, but everyone will appreciate it. Try to tell to the whole group: “I’m glad you all came. We couldn’t do this without your help.” Let people know how important they are! Give them meaningful tasks and share responsibilities. If they need to prepare games, create a poster or make something, they will feel rewarded by their own accomplishments. 0 Organise an after-party for volunteers. It’s great to set up activities like a “movie evening” for the volunteers, rent a movie, buy popcorn and enjoy! You can also organize a barbecue or charity party on the same day. It gives everyone a chance to relax a bit and spend some more time together. 0 Keep volunteers posted on progress. Give them a forum in which they can share ideas on improving the event. Give your volunteers the opportunity to get more involved and also to be as well informed as they can. 0 If you provide free food people will come. It may sound funny, but no one wants to work with an empty stomach. Free snacks and beverages help to keep volunteers’ energy up. It may be also interesting for them if you provide some traditional food. It was a common practice used during SocialErasmus Week in: Hungary, Norway, Estonia, Romania, Greece and many other

countries. 0 Offer letters of recommendation to your volunteers or give them diplomas. They can use these things in a number of ways: finding employment, getting accepted into a school or special program. We have a SocialErasmus certificate, why not to use it? 0 Give positive feedback every day. There are many projects organised around Europe. You can share information about SocialErasmus projects with other sections or countries so people know what is going on and how great SocialErasmus is! 0 Give out awards to those volunteers who go above and beyond your expectations. It can be something as tickets, coupons or gadgets. You don’t have to spend money on this if you contact partners or sponsors. During the “Go green Flashmob” in Hungary, a teacher offered extra grades for participation. 0 Make it fun! Bring your sense of humor to the project. Bring a bowl of lollipops or something for them to share. Get creative. You can also prepare some energizers such as slogans, songs and dances. 0 Recognize each volunteer. You can write on a group “who will come”, but the best thing is to contact directly to people with whom you hold closest. The truth is that it is the best way we are able to encourage students to take part in projects. Direct contact is priceless. 0 Encourage Erasmus students as soon as they arrive. The most important thing is to have a plan of SocialErasmus actions at the beginning of the semester. If you have such a plan it is essential to present it during Welcome weeks because if you let them know in the beginning, then it is easier to encourage them afterwards. “No one can do a great event without having even a little support from others. Please share your ideas and ask for as much as you can.” Nana Antidze, National SE Coordinator, ESN Georgia On the following page you can see the SocialErasmus Certificate.

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CERTIFICATE GOES HERE FLIPPED 90 DEGREES, FILL WHOLE PAGE

Sponsors and Partners Most SocialErasmus activities do not require many financial resources. It is, after all, volunteering. Even so, having resources, partners or sponsors can really allow you and your section to achieve high impact activities which leave a mark on local communities and on exchange students. Attracting partners is not always easy. Some may be kind and give donations without asking for anything in return, others will require some publicity. Keep in mind that partners may have a lot to offer other than direct monetary sponsorship. Cutting costs can come through provision of goods which you would otherwise need to pay for. Others may offer services at low or no cost in exchange for some promotion. When looking for partners you can bring with you or send a list of goods and services you need and let them choose what they want to cover. Also remember to have a promotion plan, let them know where they can expect to see their name or logo, for how long and who is the target audience. Here are some tips on what you can offer and ask from a partner or sponsor:

WHAT YOU CAN OFFER TO PARTNERS? 0 Partner logo placement on posters, advertising leaflets and brochures and on ESN websites 0 Stands and rollups placement during an event 0 Promoting Partners on social networking sites 0 Opportunity to distribute flyers and Partner gadgets during an event 0 Invitation to participate in the action as the guest of honor and have the opportunity to speak 0 Promotion in media (you can mention them as sponsors) 0 Participation through their business in the achievement of noble goals

WHAT CAN YOU GET? 0 Partners and sponsors can contribute through financial contribution and the provision of goods or services. Here are a few examples. 0 Food and beverages for the participants 0 Gadgets, toys, board games and / or computer games 0 Equipment and accessories for fun 0 Attraction during an event and / or financial support for it 0 Pay bands and PA equipment 0 Pay for the cost of printing posters and flyers 0 T-shirts for volunteers 0 Honor partnerships (ex. Ministry of Education) 0 Media promotion 0 A venue to host the event

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ATTRACT PARTNERS? 0 Write a partnership agreement or project presentation in which you have to: t Highlight the purpose of your offer (what you are organising, where, when) t Give some information about ESN and SocialErasmus (who we are, what we do) t Tell them what is your event about (event, other partners that you have already attracted, purpose of the event, who you will invite and how many participants you expect) t Tell them what you can offer to them t Tell them what do you expect to get in return t Provide them with contact details 0 Send an offer or arrange a meeting. Call potential partners 1-3 days after they got an offer - it is important not to be forgotten. 0 Ask also your friends if they know some potential partners. Be aware that everyone can help - many private traders may be interested to assist the action). You can not get close to the offered help!

0 IT’S ALSO GREAT TO: 0 Make an action plan, a cost estimate and a preliminary description of the project 0 Ask for money to the Treasurer in your section or National Board 0 Inform the International Relations Office at your university Here is an example of ESN KAPA Athen’s partnership with the Make a Wish Foundation.

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SocialErasmus Week Partners Here is a list of what hat partners were attracted during the International SocialErasmus Week

TYPE OF PARTNER

PARTNER (COUNTRY/SECTION)

European Institutions

European Commission, Direction General Education and Culture, Lifelong Learning Programme

Universities

ESN Norway - ESN Aas ESN Macedonia - ESN FON ESN Turkey ESN Slovakia ESN Czech Republic -ISC MU Brno ESN Czech Republic - ISC CTU in Prague

National Agencies

ESN Bulgaria

Foundations, associations (charity, ecology, health, foreign languages)

Red Cross (Macedonia) Organisation for Aid to Refugees (Czech Republic) Korean Culture Exchange (Czech Republic) Let’s do it world! (Estonia) La Maison de l’Europe (France) Make a Wish foundation (Greece)

Media

ESN Bulgaria Georgia - ESN Tbilisi ISU and ESN Tbilisi UNI ESN Turkey ESN France ESN Poland

Kindergartens, Schools, Orphanages

ESN Slovakia Czech Republic - Int. Student Club CTU in Prague, ESN France Poland - ESN Cracow United

TYPE OF PARTNER

PARTNER (COUNTRY/SECTION)

Government Institutions

Local Public Spaces Administration - Romania - ESN Iasi Tbilisi City Hall - Georgia - ESN Tbilisi ISU and ESN Tbilisi UNI Ministry of Education - ESN Turkey The City of Brno - Czech Republic - ISC MU Brno City Hall - Czech Republic - Int. Student Club CTU in Prague

Event Agencies

Czech Republic/ISC MU Brno

Private Companies

Google - Czech Republic - ISC MU Brno, ESN VSE Prague

Celebrities

ESN Bulgaria ESN Poland

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Epilogue This guidebook has now come to an end. Many things have been written, many good ideas, practices, many creative and innovative activities have been shown. In the end, one may ask: What can we really achieve by encouraging and supporting the realization of such activities? What do such activities offer to Erasmus students, to local young people and local communities, to ESN members? The answer is quite straightforward and simple: to show them, as well as remind ourselves, that there is an entire world full of wonders, amazing cultures and people waiting to amaze us. Each of us has an opportunity to do something good for somebody else, even if that somebody is a person from another country. Commune with nature, work together for a more ecofriendly world. And if we get rid of our inhibitions and superstitions, we will discover a world of wonders, consisting of different, yet wonderful people. And mostly, inspire and be inspired!

INSPIRING WORDS “It is possible to confront stereotypes with reality when Erasmus and local students meet. Such encounters may often change the attitude of Poles towards some nations” Magdalena Pawelczyk, SE project co-initiator, Poland “What was the best part of participating in the SocialErasmus week? To feel the unity while feeling the diversity. Seeing many different events from all over the Europe shaped by local cultures.” Salih Odabasi, National Representative of ESN Turkey “Getting to know the children in person and seeing what positive influence Erasmus students have on them. Many pupils can’t wait to see international students again, want

to learn languages, get to know more about their countries.” Mirka Svabova, National SE Coordinator, Slovakia “I remember that when we were leaving the orphanage, children started to throw their arms around our necks because they did not want to let us go.” Karol Ślusarski, former National SE Coordinator, ESN Poland “What was the best part of participating in the SocialErasmus week? “Demonstrating that we can make something good for the community in a short time and also have fun doing it.” Dana Oanea, SE Coordinator, ESN Iasi, Romania “It was an amazing experience. Sharing such moments and experiences with people who realize their dreams, is very hopeful and makes you wanna keep trying...and dreaming!” Nefeli Katchimicha (high school student), Greece “I am very proud that I could help this little girl that had a dream - a new room in her new house. That day I felt good about her, even though I couldn’t see her smile. I saw how happy her father was and that was enough for me, this and all the help we gave to this little girl and her family!” Diego Domínguez Carrizo, Erasmus student in Athens “It never matters how stressed we were only a few hours ago, when it’s over, when the good deed is done, when Erasmus students thank us for this event and tell us they are very happy to be part of it and to help, then, we are the happiest people on Earth!” Eugenia Zachou, National SE Coordinator, ESN Greece “We gave an example that even such a small gesture can greatly contribute to the improvement of quality of

life of those in need, give others hope that they are not alone and helpless. Their happiness is only possible when shared with others. We can only expect that others will follow, that the project will swing into action and become a weapon of mass creation!” Slawek Babicz, Erasmus student in Slovakia

of this project.” Vignesh Sundaram, Erasmus student in Estonia

“Even though I only attended a few of the SocialErasmus events, it was definitely a positive and memorable experience. It felt great to be able to give back to the community around me instead of only being involved in student life. My experience has also made me more open to volunteering at similar student/community projects elsewhere, and I would definitely recommend it to others. “ Timothy Anderson, Erasmus student in Estonia

“Not really knowing what to expect we met a lot of Estonians already working really hard. We thought, let’s join them and get our hands out of our sleeves for some real work. Working for the nature, enjoying the presence of friends and watching strangers share the same feeling while listening to some music. That was worth a lot more than those eventual few hours of more sleep we could have had that morning. Strolling back home after the work, with our minds and hearts settled in a good mood, the rest of our Saturday could not be wrecked anymore.” Sander Vantomme, Erasmus student in Estonia

“At the beginning I was nervous but when I opened the door, I saw many little friends looking at me with wide eyes and mouth open wide! They were excited and so was I. We played together, we laughed together, we shared together. I had chance to know so many different life stories and I was amazed because some of those children were stronger than me! They were like little men and women. We did so many events with them and in the end I saw how they were looking at us. Those looks made me feel that I’m doing something really true and pure! It was priceless.” Barış Demir, Erasmus student in Estonia

“It’s amazing how ESN activities and other aspects of your life can meet and benefit from each other.” Marco Cazzola, ESN Trento, Italy

“Just think about moral benefits: if I can improve a social situation with just one section, think about how many needy situations the whole network could improvs if all the sections would get involved. “ Alessia Musillo, National SE Coordinator, ESN Italy “It was always an awesome feeling when you knew that there was something you did that helped them enjoy every moment of it, which eventually brightened your world, and this feeling kept reverberating every time I was a part

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A PROJECT OF: Erasmus Student Network is a non-proÍ¤t international student organisation. Our mission is to represent international students, thus provide opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of students helping students.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.