How would you feel if you found out that one of the two places for Lithuania to participate in the international seminar in Cyprus went to you? Vilma Dainienė, who became the happy one, did not hide the joy of traveling to a country that has not been visited yet, the excitement of appearing in the general context of the event, and the anxiety about the worries that remain at home.
Vilma is not a newcomer to Erasmus + projects. She went on an international visit for the first time back in 2010. At that time, the activities were mainly related to students from vocational schools, and Vilma had to accompany them on trips to foreign countries. She also took part in a project that was aimed at vocational teachers.
Since this year, Vilma has been a lecturer at the adult education project # FLIGHT, coordinated by the Lithuanian NGO Versli Mama, aimed at increasing the level of digital financial literacy of women coming to live in EEA countries from Eastern Europe.
The seminar in Cyprus gave Vilma not only a great opportunity to meet colleagues from 17 countries, but also to take a close look at what other organizations involved in Erasmus + projects are doing, what their experiences are, and what ideas their representatives do have.
‘I am a trainer myself and therefore it was interesting to listen to the presentations by foreign colleagues, to know their problem-solving-level, the overall presentation of the topics, and so on. This is a great opportunity to test yourself’, Vilma admits.
Best presentation awarded
The workshop, designed to increase the involvement of people from local/remote areas in project activities, sought to equip participants with as many practical skills as possible and to rediscover well-known methodologies. ‘
There was one task in our workshop that needed a Business model canvas. I use this model myself, only in a slightly different aspect, so my visit to Cyprus provided me with new ideas on how to expand the possibilities of applying this methodology’, Vilma says.
The Lithuanian representative is also happy with the prize, a smartwatch, which she was awarded as a member of a multinational team for the best-presented project idea.
‘All participants were divided into six teams, each sitting at a separate table. The teams were organized in such a way that the country was represented by 1-2 members. Each table had to develop the idea, present it and justify it before the commission’, Vilma recalls.
In addition to the Lithuanian representative, the team consisted of two Cypriots and representatives from Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. A member of the team from Cyprus came up with the idea of organizing artistic sessions for children with autism spectrum disorders. For example, what activities to organize for them in museums or how to bring museum educational programs to such children’s groups.
According to Vilma, the colleague’s presentation was so convincing that from the very first sentence there was no doubt about the victory. ‘I tried to listen to it and evaluate it more from the position of a member of the commission, and I couldn’t find anything worth criticizing’, the member of the winning team states.
Even more opportunities for Ukrainians and Belarusians
Asked what experiences brought from Cyprus could be applied in the adult education projects carried out by the NGO Versli Mama, Vilma first of all mentions #FLIGHT, which helps Ukrainian and Belarusian females to establish themselves in Lithuania.
‘We will be able to apply the Business model canvas in the project activities, I guess. Using the methodology, we will offer project participants from Ukraine and Belarus to develop their own business idea and validate it using the above model. If it weren’t for the experience in Cyprus, I wouldn’t have come up with such use in project activities’, a Lithuanian lecturer admits.
In addition, based on the experience and observations gained during the seminar, Vilma brought back the idea that the project participants should be taught the proper presentation of their ideas, clearly highlighting the main ideas.
Vilma Dainienė’s visit to Cyprus was co-financed by the NGO VERSLI MAMA and Erasmus+ program for International Cooperation Activities (ICA).
