From 3 to 7 November, our volunteers Aada, Dorina, and Milena took part in the on-arrival training organised by Movit, the Institute for the development of youth mobility that coordinates Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps projects in Slovenia.

The On-Arrival training is an important milestone in the experience of ESC volunteers, as it enables them to meet other young people who share not only the same engagement but also the same worries and problems. It includes them in a group of volunteers that starts the week as strangers and ends it as friends, who will hopefully continue to gather together and share their lives in the country.

This training is, indeed, meant to support and empower new ESC volunteers, giving them the chance to get to know each other, to reflect on their experiences so far, and to discuss their rights and responsibilities as participants in an ESC project. It is also created as a safe space to share and discuss any concerns or questions, explore challenges and ways to cope with them, and share practices to take care of personal well-being and mental health. 

This is, in short, what Aada, Dorina, and Milena experienced in the thermal town of Laško. There they spent a sunny week, enjoying the nice weather, while learning about each other, developing new skills, and growing as volunteers and as individuals. They also had the chance to explore the surroundings of Laško: a treasure hunt in the nearby city of Celje was the opportunity for discovering local legends, developing teamwork skills and watching a beautiful sunset together! They also took part in walking activities along the Savinja River and in a hike to the mount Hum, a circular trail that passes over the Tabor Castle and three peaks before returning to the starting point. 

During this week, our ESC volunteers meet around 60 other volunteers, some having recently started their ESC project in Slovenia, some having already spent some months in the country and attending their Mid-Term Evaluation training in the same location. The training kicked off with team-building activities to encourage exchanges and facilitate the creation of bonds. In one of them, participants had to create a map of Slovenia using a rope and then position themselves on the map according to where they are volunteering; in another one, they were asked to line up according to their date of arrival in Slovenia, discovering with surprise that, besides someone that had been here for a couple of months, there were two volunteers just arrived in the country that same morning!

Time flew by between non-formal education activities, free time spent in the thermal pool of the hotel and good food. Our volunteers reflected on the competences they are developing or willing to develop during their volunteering, by writing a letter to their future self, among other activities, and engaged in a creative project management activity to learn better how to concretely give shape to their ideas. Self-organised evenings were also an important part of the week, gathering together volunteers from different groups in learning traditional dances, playing games, singing in a collective karaoke, or simply chatting with each other, exchanging ideas and perspectives.

Here are the highlights of the week of our three ESC volunteers:

“I especially enjoyed the outdoor activities, where we could either hike together to Hum, or even more, the city game of Celje, where we could discover the city in groups and get to know each other better, outside the hotel.” - Dorina

“I really liked the whole training and all the activities we did there, but if I had to pick one highlight from the week it would be the evenings when all the volunteers from different groups gathered to spend time together talking and playing games. Especially on one evening when we learned a traditional dance together. At the beginning, nobody really had any idea how to do the dance, but with some time and practice, we all managed to complete it.” - Aada

“I really enjoyed the very beginning of the week, before the official kick-off, when we met volunteers that arrived earlier at the location, naturally creating bonds and getting to know each other. On the same page, I also very much appreciated the first walk and talk activity, where we had time and space to share in depth our thoughts and concerns about our new life in Slovenia. It always amazes me how fast you can deeply connect with people who share the same mindset!” - Milena

European Solidarity Corps (ESC) opportunities with EUSA are possible because of the support from the European Union and Movit, the National Agency in Slovenia. EUSA Institute is an accredited organisation, with the European Solidarity Corps quality label.