Speaker’s Corner Erasmus Project

Project Title

Speaker’s Corner

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Speaker’s Corner is an interactive pedagogical tool that was created during the KA 2 Strategic Partnership project of the Erasmus + Program by the partner organizations coming from the eight countries: Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Slovenia, and Romania. The organizations are different in their work in the field of youth. Some of them are NGOs, some are youth centers, and others are field organizations. All this gave a very specific and synergic influence on the results of this project.

The exercise was tested upon more than 650 participants who gave their opinion and suggestions for the development. In all phases of the project implementation more than 1000 youngsters participated and more than 150 youngsters facing the economic and geographical obstacles were included as well.
Thanks to this, partners developed two versions of the exercise (classic and debate version). The target groups for the first version are youngsters older than 8yo (10-60 participants). Second version can be used with youngsters of 13yo and older (7-30 participants).

General goal of this exercise is to use non formal methods to develop an open discussion among participants, in a safe environment of simulation/role game that can generate reflections of their future actions.

By using this tool, the main emphasizes are on increasing the awarness of freedom of speech, respect of the other’s opinions, “standing in the other’s shoes”, as well as to encourage active listening, social inclusion, democratic participation, and critical thinking.

Advantages:
– encourages activation and participation within an already consolidated group
– facilitates interaction within a group not yet consolidated
– can mediate discussion of sensitive / personal subjects
– allows the emergence and formation of ideas and opinions by individuals
– allows active listening and avoids interruptions during the discussion

Disadvantages:
– if the participants do not interact, it loses its effectiveness
– in large groups the participation of individuals can be reduced
– those who have previous experience in debating activities can find the discussion rough or superficial.

Potential:
– it is an activity that can be repeated with the same group over time
– themes and cards can be implemented and updated
– kit and methodology can be applied to other uses related to work with young people

Limitations:
– it is not an improvisable activity
– may require a certain interpretative ability (if you want to provoke a strong reaction in the participants)
– requires facilitation skills
– requires the use of the card kit

The exercise has proven itself to be very useful to stimulate the reflection and debate on not so daily topics and/or topics usually faced in a very superficial way. Gamification and role plays, as the main methodology used in this exercise, are, as part of non-formal and informal education, more and more necessary to be integrated to the formal education, both in schools and in other youth environments, such as youth centers and associations.
Debate dynamics, whenever conflicting, become more careful and respectful and you listen more carefully the opinion expressed by the other, even when you want to contrast it.The group reaches its own balance so that inside of the activity, but also when it comes to an end, participants continue to respect time of intervention of others and let them finish their speech. In frequent occasions of use during international youth mobility projects, the exercise allowed to set a behavioural precedent, enough to orient and influence the following sessions of reflection and sharing of ideas and opinions.

All project results are available in nine European languages on the Facebook page of the Speaker’s Corner tool, throughout Dropbox link, SALTO tool portal, as well as on other online platforms for free usage of the materials.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 88736,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Odred izvidjaca pomoraca Posejdon & Country: HR

Project Partners

• Asociatia Scout Society
• ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE EUFEMIA
• Vzw Elegast Wijkwerking
• ASOCIACION PROMESAS Promotora de Metodologías Educativas para una Sociedad Alternativa y Sostenible
• Narviksenteret
• DRUSTVO TABORNIKOV ROD ZELENA ROGLA
• Produções Fixe Unipessoal Lda