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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