- What was the most valuable thing you learned during the training course, and how do you plan to use it in your work with young people?
It may sound obvious, but for me, the most valuable thing I learned was the concept of gamification, something I had heard about before but never really explored or fully understood. When interacting with young people, I would often include some form of game without giving it much thought. However, having the opportunity to truly understand the meaning and the theory behind using games as a teaching tool was both fascinating and eye-opening.
- How did the use of escape rooms and board games change your perspective on peacebuilding and conflict resolution education?
Escape rooms are very logical games that require different types of thinking and reasoning, sometimes even out-of-the-box thinking, in order to solve their complex mechanics.
In a similar way, peacebuilding and conflict resolution involve a wide variety of situations, some of which we might not even immediately recognize as such. Learning to identify these situations and approach them with a different mindset is one of the key takeaways that escape room games have given me.
- Can you describe a moment during the training that had a strong impact on you, either personally or professionally?
This is a difficult question for me to answer, simply because this was my first Erasmus experience! That means there were many moments that had a deep impact on me.
The environment I found myself in was intriguing, enriching, and full of excitement.
The structure of the training course was truly rewarding and gave me the chance to return home with something concrete and meaningful.
And the ideology behind it all… genuinely inspiring.
- Have you already started applying any of the tools or methods from the training in your local context? If yes, what was the response?
It’s a work in progress!
I haven’t had the chance to fully apply what I’ve learned yet, but I’ve already started working on something for a festival being organized by my cultural association, which will take place at the end of the summer.
I’m planning an activity aimed at introducing young people to the concept of active citizenship and helping them understand just how important it is to be engaged and aware members of their communities.
It’s still in the early stages, but I’m excited to put these ideas into practice.
- What would you like to see as a follow-up to this training – additional resources, networking opportunities, or something else?
Anything that can help me go deeper and learn more!
I believe that the concept of gamification still has many unexplored paths and possibilities. There’s so much potential in it, and I’m eager to keep discovering new ways it can be applied.
