February 27th – March 4th, 2013 Oriolo Romano (VT), Italy

Testimonies ED.HO.C .Training Course

Iulia Paraschivescu, ROMANIA

Two weeks have passed already since I participated at the training organized in the

framework of EDHOC – Grundtvig project, but I still keep in mind the wonderful days

spent in Oriolo Romano at the holiday centre of CEMEA. From the first moment we

arrived the beauty of the place was a blessing for our eyes and for our soul. The roman

pins were the masters of the center’s garden – amazing place for spending a dream camp.

During the training we discovered the methodology used by CEMEA in organizing a

camp for children. We happily discovered games played also with enthusiasm by children

also in Romania, but also other activities: music and popular dances set out by people so

dedicating when working with children, that their soul remains always young. We

worked together with passionate Italian young people who, after participating years in a

row as participants in the holiday camps, now they want to become holiday camp

educators. Their initiative and sense of involvement would be a lesson for every young

man.

Apart from the days when in the morning the songs were heard all through the camp and

in the evenings the dances were closing the day in a cheerful atmosphere, we had the

opportunity to get to know the other organizations – partners of the project EDHOC, to

open discussions regarding the activities each of them develops, considerations that will

be the starting points for the next study visits of the project EDHOC.

Vitalina Santana, PORTUGAL

For me it was very important to do this training course for my day to day activity. Meet

new working methods and exchange experiences, learn new activities and learn how the

various summer camps work. I loved the group activities because they forced us to

interact with each other. I congratulate the entire team for their excellent work.

Lúcia Filipa Oliveira, PORTUGAL

This course was held in Italy, by CEMEA del Lazio, in Oriolo Romano.

For five days I had the opportunity to acquire new knowledge exchange experiences and gain

new very important educational concepts. During this training I have learned various

recreational activities, with the educational aspect always present, both in outdoor games, as

well as in traditional dances, songs and crafts.

In this course there was always the attention of showing us that we have to choose carefully

the activities to develop well with the children, giving them the opportunity to enjoy not only

games, but also cultural activities. All the dances we learned have a rhythm that captivates

attention, as well as the songs.

In the outdoor games I have found very good especially the fact that there is no exclusion of

players: when one participant loses, he/she is not left out, (can go to the other team) or the

teams have the opportunity to save their participants.

In the activities of artistic expression (manual activities), although we had the opportunity to

choose and realize just one activity by group of participants, there was an explanation of how

to perform the manual activities experimented by the other groups.

In terms of activities undertaken by the small groups, preparing a presentation in a short

time, sometimes only with material or using the imagination, I found very interesting, and

again, in each work there was the care for joining together the playful cultural.

This motivational level training was very important, and all the knowledge I have gained

through activities, also the exchange of experience with other monitors was very important.

The whole experience was very rewarding and in many of the activities I felt like a child, I

think there is a positive feeling this shows not only because we like the themes but also when

working with children is easier to understand their difficulties because I already experienced

them. It was a very interesting course which matched the level of activities developed.

Cristina Gómez Girol, SPAIN

I was very enthusiastic about the meeting in Oriolo. I live in a small village of 500 people, in

the rural Aragon area of Spain, where winter is very long and difficult and the work is

reduced to studying, planning and training activities at a laboratory level. Going out, meeting

new people and working together about education in holiday centres was very motivating for

me. I have been working in this education field for a long time and, as a volunteer, knowing

the methodology and how other associations and countries work is very useful.

My travel partner was also new to me, though we both work in Telecentro de Ayerbe

Association, but we are involved in different projects and work in different parts of the

territory.

I am a very organised person, I need to have all the information and to prepare things in

advance, to know where I am going and what the aim is. I was prepared before the training

course, about its objectives and the EDHOC project in general, but only after I discovered

with pleasure the beauty of the place, the sun that accompanied us, the moments as a tourist

in Rome and Bracciano, and the great time I had singing, dancing, playing games and

laughing with youngsters from other countries.

I had the chance to observe the working method of the hosting organisation and I got to

know a little bit better the other partner organisations of the project.

I shared the room with the Portuguese participants, lunch and dinner - with youngsters full

of illusions, exchanging moments - with members of the other organisations, smiles - with

almost everybody present at the TC.

Arriving back home I had to prepare a training session about the importance of teamwork

for a training course for holiday centres monitors. There were 25 youngsters participating,

very much similar to the Oriolo context. Starting the session, I stood in front of them and I

told them about the Oriolo experience. I also told them that I had a present for them: some

dances and songs. So, to start the working session, we danced the “Tarantela Napoletana”

and we sang “Moretto, Moretto...”.

It is so very simple and rich, at the same time, the way exchanges happen; we always come

back with something new.