Wednesday, January 30, 2008

VILLAGE PROGRAM







What better way to teach the important skills of democracy than to have the children design their own miniature community? When problems arise in the village, students are encouraged to form a government. They learn to listen, how to argue effectively, to think as a group, and how to vote. They also learn what it is like to live with the consequences of bad decisions.


TEACHERS` TRAINING WORKSHOP

From June 2-9, 2007 twenty-four teachers form the cross-border regions of Bulgaria and Serbia participated in the VILLAGE workshop to prepare them to run this after school program with students between the ages of 10-15 years old.
VILLAGE is a project which in a very concrete and real way teaches self-government, social responsibility and common fund management.
The program involves:
Introduction to the VILLAGE program
Basic rules of the program
Physically building a village of their dreams on a scale of 1 to 25
Group decision making skills
Development and planning techniques
Budgeting and financial management of community funds
Self-government and responsibility
Small-business development and its role in rural communities
Closing festival and program evaluation

The workshop was run by MTO consultants Alicja Derkowska and Julie Boudraux. Participating teachers experienced first-hand the entire process just as their students aged would during the after-school or summer camp implementation.
The primary school teachers were incredibly involved and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. In a mere 8 days we managed to build a village on a scale 1:25, choose its government and leadership system, open a bank and store with building materials, hold a call for tenders for public works in adherence with EU regulations, as well as to start private enterprises such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, an art gallery, and health clinic. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to actually ``live in`` and enjoy the village as much time was devoted to the methodology and the practical side of running program with children.

At the workshop’s conclusion teachers received all materials necessary to immediately begin the program in their communities. At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants made a list of necessary steps to run a program and a list of things to remember so that they can easily continue the program in their schools and communities as the new school year stats in the autumn.
At the end of workshop, certificates were awarded at a ceremony attended by local communities’ representatives, schools` principals and colleagues of the participants.
In an ever-changing world, the Village Program was designed to empower children in grades with the ability to adapt as well as influence the communities around them in a proactive way. It teaches them that they have the ability to effect what is going on around them by encouraging them to use many different and creative skills in the process of problem solving.

To achieve this, the students create miniature villages, starting with „peeps”, miniature people to represent themselves in the miniature world. In order to achieve a common goal, the students naturally find themselves faced with many of the same problems they may find in the real world as adults. With only a loose framework (and minimal or no decision-making) provided by the teachers, students are encouraged to come up with solutions that enable the community as a whole to survive.

SKILLS

Mathematics: The children must create a 1:25 scale village, requiring a working knowledge of geometry. They must also divide the land appropriately among its mini-citizens, and between the public and private sectors. Many aspects of urban planning are considered, including how to estimate property value, the need for traffic lights, public transportation, and telephones. Bank accounts must be maintained at the mini-banks, salaries negotiated, and building materials ordered and paid for.

Writing: Both creative and practical writing skills are utilized. Each child must write a description of their ``peep``, giving it a personality and a history. More practical forms of writing are required for record keeping and drawing up contracts, agreements, and laws.

Art: In addition to creating their ``peep``, which includes sewing clothes for them; each student designs and creates their own home, including landscaping if they want it. The children create the whole town and every building in it, such as parks and business districts.

Technical skills: The students learn how to safely operate various tools such as saws, hammers and glue-guns.

Other skills: Of course, every group of students exhibits a unique set of dynamics, and therefore each project has a different outcome. Teachers may also decide to adapt the Village program to a particular subject, like history or science.

TEACHERS’ THOUGHTS ON THEIR ROLE IN THE VILLAGE PROGRAM

The teacher should create an atmosphere in which students don’t treat the teacher like a teacher, but as a partner who can help build the city.
To act as a role-model.
To listen to and provide answers to the children.
The teacher must keep an eye open for the ‘invisible’ lessons, for the children.
To keep an eye on the security of the children.
The teacher must try to do everything with rules.
To give the children new information which they can use.
The teacher must be a good observer.
The teacher must be very flexible.
He has to listen to his students.
The teacher needs to respect the ideas of his pupils.
He provides information.


TEACHERS’ THOUGHTS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS GAINED BY CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAM

They learn how to spend money wisely.
To learn how to specify what is needed.
They learn how to make decisions as a group.
To think logically.
It helps to develop an understanding of laws and responsibilities.
It provides knowledge of democracy.
It gives children the chance to put their theoretical knowledge to practice.
You learn manual skills.
You learn that private interests must take into account the public interests.
They learn how to convince/promote their ideas to other people.
You learn how to think abstractly.
You develop a respect for yours and other people’s work.
They learn to compromise.
To know how to make laws, a constitution and regulations.
You learn how to organize local people.
They learn to listen to each other.
They learn how to discipline themselves.
They learn the relationship between private and public property.


ADDITIONAL TEACHER COMMENTS

``I am very pleased with the manner of realizing this program. Most important is the fact that the presentation of problems and in particular the solving of them is the responsibility of the students``.

``We had the opportunity to experience how to apply mathematics in practice. Through a lively discussion we learned to make decisions, as well as to listen to others. These are very important things, which children should possess``.

``This is an extremely absorbing activity that leads you to the next stages. Problems come up to Village inhabitants because you aren’t just building your own house but living a complete life``.

``The majority of us don’t know parliamentary procedure, and I think it’s something everyone should become acquainted with``.

``I discovered that this game has had an effect on my thinking in real life. I’ve come to see that people, between themselves, can write a contract, agree to it and then live up to it. Or that a group of people can pick their own leader and write a contract that spells out what the leader can do and what the group can do``.

COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPATING CHILDREN

I liked building houses and making money. I also liked the mini-fair.
I like my peep. I like building Village and painting. It’s hard to cut windows and to put the house together.
It was difficult to count the area to scale.
I leaned that it is difficult to make a house.
I learned a lot of things. I learned how to make a small house with furniture.
I understand how hard life is when you have no money, how hard it is to earn money.
I improved my English.
It is hard to build houses out of wood. Maybe we should use something else.
Village must be longer.
I liked Village because it was fun. If I do something and I am not interested in it, or it isn’t fun, I usually don’t enjoy it.
I learned how to work with other people. I love Village.

All of the teachers and children who have been able to experience the construction of a Village would agree that the Program is a useful learning tool, sometimes in unexpected or intangible ways. Not only do the children and teachers learn the technical aspects of constructing a small-scale town; they also learn a new way of working together as equals in a society where everyone’s opinion counts.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Youth Camp: Agenda

January 14, Monday (Day 1)

Arrival and Participants Registration
Introduction, Program Presentation
Who are we? - Poster Activity
Topic of the day: Values
Crisis of values in the world
What`s valuable for you, what`s valuable for me?

January 15, Tuesday (Day 2)

Topic of the day: Identities
Types of identities
The Balkans and European identity
Who am I? / Forming of identities and young people
Universal values and ``open minded`` identities

January 16, Wednesday (Day 3)

Topic of the day: Youth within local community
Youth initiatives in the local community
Mapping
Problems
Participants` presentations I & II

January 17, Thursday (Day 4)

Topic of the day: Problems solving
Cooperative game: Who’s going to the concert?
Conflict resolution
Personal conflict management styles
Putting it all together

January 18, Friday (Day 5)

Topic of the day: Building skills
Facilitation
Building skills 1: Advanced listening, Reflective listening debate
Building skills 2&3: Re-framing and non blaming language, Questioning
Building skills 4: Effective Speaking
Prticipants`Presentations
Integration activities

January 19, Saturday (Day 6)

Facilitation Workshop
Evaluation
Closing ceremony
Certificates
Participants’ departure

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Youth Camp: Participants from Serbia

Community Works
YOUTH CAMP

Organized by the Denizen Center for Civic Activism of Svrljig, Serbia and Vocational School ``G.M.Dimitrov`` Dunavtsy, Bulgaria

48 young community leaders from the cross-border region between Bulgaria and Serbia are expected as participants of the Youth Camp.

Here is a list of participants from Serbia:
  1. Jovana Nikolić
  2. Vladan Rašić
  3. Marko Simić
  4. Monika Damnjanović
  5. Milica Sibinović
  6. Emilija Stanisavljević
  7. Dušan Filipović
  8. Stefan Mladenović
  9. Jelena Aleksić
  10. Ivana Božić
  11. Miloš Božinović
  12. Ana Nedeljković
  13. Nemanja Nikodijević
  14. Nina Petrović
  15. Milena Stefanović
  16. Bratislav Videnović
  17. Jelena Kostić
  18. Marija Krstić
  19. Ivan Marić
  20. Milica Mitrović
  21. Tamara Spasić
  22. Ivana Knežević
  23. Ana Dimitrijević
  24. Milan Todorović
  25. Martina Jovanović
We are really pleased with their endevour.

The camp will link up groups interested in meeting others, train actors such as youth promoters and help the promotion of grassroots initiatives by young people and at the same time, to enrich the opportunities for youth to learn about themselves, their peers and to promote mutual understanding in the cross-border region.