Closing time...

The next lines set out to examine and evaluate how my EVS experience has reached the objectives I had at the beginning throughout a description of the key competences pointed by the "Youthpass" which describe best the experience and the learning outcomes gained during the project.

The educational benefits of the Key Competences are linked with the set learning objectives I made at the beginning and integrating them with my volunteer learning process.

Communication in mother tongue

My mother tongues, Catalan and Spanish, have been both present during my EVS experience.

First of all, during my conversations over the phone or Internet with my family and friends I have been speaking in my mother tongues, fact that has made me feel closer to my family and, in some way, still close to my traditions through using the humour, the language, the expressions, etc.

On the other hand, the several trips that friends and family made to visit me in Dublin have helped me also to communicate in my mother tongue. I have used my mother tongues to translate into them from English when friends from my country could not understand, helping them to be more integrated with the culture.

Moreover, I have taught many times different songs from my country and explaining and sharing the meaning of their lyrics.

Finally, I have used my mother tongues in several times and it has been useful for me to show to some natives and young people how rich but sometimes difficult it is the process of learning and understanding a new language.

Communication in foreign language

Since the first day when I arrived in Dublin I needed to develop and comunicate in a foreign language, in this case, in English. I had to develop my own skills and abilities to built up my learning on a daily atmosphere with native people, fact that involves other related abilities.

This learning has provided me with a global understanding of other aspects around the culture and the language. In this sense, I had to change my point of view in several points and understand the general use of the language through, for example, the use of the humour in the Irish culture, the different expressions used specially in a specific area, or the use of the slang in a youth environment.

Related to the last point, it needs to be said that working with young people in a specific area in the North of Dublin has not been easy for me sometimes in terms of understanding how they speak and the use of the language in this specific environment. That's why, since the first moment, I had to develop the capacity of a really active listening in order to understand and be aware of what was being said in every moment.

In reference to the more academic learning of the language, I took some lessons at the begining of my EVS with a native teacher and, several months later, I took a specific course to prepare myself for the Cambridge Exam in Advanced English.

Last but not least, I would like to point how rich has been the opportunities that I had to listen Irish and speak about how the Irish language has been used during the history in the country. I had some interesting conversations to understand the reality in this country, at the same time that gave me the chance to speak about my country and my nation, Catalunya, where we also have our particular language, the Catalan, and our cultural identity and expressions.

Mathematical competence and basic competence in science and technology

The EVS experience in its global understanding has been constantly a challenge and the chance to develop the logic thinking both sorting daily issues related with the youth work that requires immediate solutions and the daily organization of my life and all its aspects in general.

Organizing  and planing my monthly allowance in order to cover all my expenses with no problems but also managing the money to have enough to enjoy the experience has been something that I have been doing during my whole EVS. In this sense, I have improved my capacity of solving problems finding always the best solution and I feel I have learnt a wide range of abilities that now I am able to use in the future.

The use of the new technologies in the organization I have been working with has given me the chance to develop this skills also in this context. I have been helping the young people on how to use the computer and graphic programs to create new materials. For instance, I have been helping young people in the use of different programs to create a poster or some material for a competition entry.

Digital competence

The digital competence is something that has been greatly present in my EVS experience. The use of the Internet in various fields and different ways, and the specific initiative taken as the creation of a blog to reflect my experience are just some examples.

The email has been something needed to develop my work experience that I used to communicate and exchange informations with my mentor, youth workers, colleagues, and to recieve training opportunities. 

I have been involved in the CITY project of the organization, where we have been developing several digital projects and providing the young people with access to Internet and different technical equipment, 

such as Apple Macs, video cameras, digital cameras and some basic graphic design programmes. The collaboration in this area has meant for me the opportunity to participate in digital projects as the creation of a short movie with young people from Ballymun, short movie that was projected during the Otherworld Festival for Halloween 2009.

In addition, during my whole EVS I created and managed a personal blog where I have been uploading all the relevant information and experiences that I have had. Linking this blog to the website of the organization made this blog and my general experience not only more accessible and understandable to the young people and everybody interested in it, but it has also become a way to promote the existence and the numerous advantages of the EVS as a programme. https://manelsole.blogspot.com

Last but not least, the personal use of Internet and the computer in my personal environment has been essential to develop these skills and keeping in contact with my family and friends using tools and implements of the net in order to contact them.

Learning to learn

Before starting the EVS I already thought and formulated what my objectives for the experience were. Some of them were improving my English, contrasting and complimenting my work experience and reflecting on my working skills.

At the end of my experience I accomplished most of them. However, this is not just a fortunate end. The reason is because of the revision and evaluation process I have been doing during the whole experience thinking how the things could improve and looking for the reasons of my succees or frustrations.

It is needed to be said the fact that in a new environment and a foreign country, the expectations are significantly different than the ones that I would have in my country. In that sense, continuous reflections have had to be done in order to be aware of the reality of where I was involved and how it was affecting me, both in my daily life and routines and the work environment.

The weekly meetings with the team have been the opportunity to discuss about our job and how we were doing the work, at the same time that was the place to organize the coming week and make suggestions.

On the other hand, the meetings and revision with my mentor have had a wider significance than just the work done in the organization. That was the place where I could give and recieve feedback about my perspective, expectations and frustrations about the general expereince such as the money allowance, social life, impressions in and out of the organization, level of understanding of the language and the culture, etc.

Social and civic competence

The EVS experience has raised my awareness of the European Policies in terms of young people specifically, and my awareness of the European reality in general.

Firstly, I learnt and was involved in a youth organization, where I could observe, understand, and work with the standards of the youth work in Ireland, Dublin and, especially, Ballymun. This fact has provided me with a general view and understanding of the main issues that the youth work in this area needs to cover and deal with, and the way the youth work face its daily challenges.

At the same time, that brought me the opportunity to compare all these aspects with my own background and experience as a social worker in Catalunya, having reflections on how the whole structure and specific needs of a country influences its social policies and their work perspectives.

On the other hand, I met lots of people from other European and non-European countries with whom I could sahre experiences and develop interesting conversations and reflections about the main issues in the different European countries and Europe in general.

Finally, trainings as "Engaging Youth and the World", "Creativity Unlocked" and the "On-Arrival and Mid-way trainings" provided me with a better understanding of the different options and possibilities that the Youth in Action Programme has. In this sense, I could share this knowledge with other youth organizations in my area that could benefit from them.

Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

The youth work is developed in a team and based on group decision making. Under this perspective, I have actively participated in the group work in different ways such as making reflections, giving ideas and advice on how to manage or improve some specific situations, giving my own opinion or sharing my knowledge on how a similar issue would be solved in my country.

One specific example is how I prepared, managed and gave a presentation to a group of young people in Ballymun about the Christams festivities in my country.

Another example can be found on the way on how I have been thinking on my training needs and interests. Some of the trainings I have attended have responded to a particular interest that I have. In this sense, I have been doing all the process of researching, applying and being involved in these trainings. After these process, I could bring new ideas to be developed in some of the groups in my organization and manage some of them. 

One example of this would be the use of material I collected at 'Engaging Youth in the World' training with a group I work with, the Animation Group. I planned and implemented teamwork activities based on young people resolving a fictional conflict in their group.

Cultural awareness and espression

The cultural awareness and understanding of the Irish culture already started before my arrival in this country. Through guides, books, films, music, Internet, etc. I had already a general idea of its particular cultural expressions.

However, thanks to the attitude of knowing people and my interest about different cultures and persons, I have had repeatedly the chance to have rich conversations and reflections not only about the Irish reality, but also about different cultural realities, both in Europe and the rest of the world, at the same time that I could participate of their costumes as dancing, food, traditions, humour, etc.

On the other hand, one specific example on how I have showed my particular culture was the opportunity I had to prepare and give a presentation to a group of young people in Ballymun about how we celebrate Christams in my country and the significance of this festivity for us.

Therefore, taking part of the festivity of Halloween in my organization and the community, I could learn how and why this party is celebrated in Ireland, at the same time that I could explain and show how the same dates are differently celebrated in  my country.

Other specific skills

I also volunteered with other local groups in Ballymun, working with young people, including the Aisling Transition Project and the Holy Spirit Summer Project.

These opportunities meant I got the chance to see different approaches to how the youth work is done and developed in different organizations that are still in the same area. At the same time this gave me a sense of the community and the context of working within it. Through my participation in these projects I could see and understand how the brotherhood among youth organizations works in Ballymun and what it really means.

In Oct and Nov 2009, I also supported BRYR's involvement in 2 events to promote volunteerism among students. In Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University, I took the opportunity to get to know the college environments and other volunteering organisations in Ireland and Dublin.

At these events, I learned how the organisation promotes volunteerism. I interacted with the students, bringing my experience to those interested, explaining what EVS is, and the steps involved. I told them about the activities I was involved with in BRYR and how they could get involved too.

Training activities

• Child Protection Awareness Training - 14 Oct 09
• Leargas (Irish National Agency) On Arrival Training 16 - 19th Oct 09
• Introduction to Youth Work - 23 Feb 10
• Leargas Mid-Way Training 26 - 28th Mar 10
• BRYR In-Service Training 12 - 13th Apr 10 (including Young People & Sexuality, Youth Work Code of Practice and Youth Leadership)
• Youth Mental Health lecture 13 Apr 10
• Engaging Youth and the World  29th - 30th Apr 10
• Challenging Behaviour 11 May 10
• Creativity Unlocked, Salzburg 12 - 18th July 10