Learning to learn.
One of the main reasons I choose to volunteer with Argonauta was because of its non-formal learning approach to environmental education. It aims to foster children, teenagers and adults’s acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes towards their environment and ecological issues outside of the structured (rigid?) school system. Since I arrived in Murter, I have seen workshops for children on marine biodiversity, that followed in particular the story of marine superheroes. In March, as Sarah mentioned in her post, we had the chance to take part in the kick-off meeting of a European project whose goal is to develop a manual and e-game to help youth workers addressing environmental topics with youngsters aged 14 to 18. And I am currently in the process of planning and implementing an escape game for 11 to 14 years old’s students.
Volunteering is also all about learning through a non-formal approach. By actively participating in activities, because you decided to do so, with the support of other people and by placing your needs and motivation at the heart of the process : you are learning, I am learning. To make it more efficient and to really embed in yourself the knowledge, skills and attitudes you are gaining, certain requirements must be met such as setting realistic objectives, understanding your strengths and weaknesses in learning, motivating yourself, adjusting to changes… (all of this is inspired by Salto videos on this topic, that I find relevant: https://www.youthpass.eu/en/about-youthpass/video/). Disclaimer : it is not always easy and this process, also, needs to be learned – learning to learn.
A month ago (already…), I was writing that I hoped to leave Murter with a few certainties about myself. Now, I think I can say that I want to be an active learner throughout my entire life. It seems absurd that we don’t explicitly learn this in school, but I now see it as a prerequisite for finding purpose and enjoyment in personal and professional activities.
Rose, volunteer from France
About the ESC : The European Solidarity Corps is a program of the European Union to strengthen solidarity in various areas: from helping the disadvantaged and providing humanitarian aid to engagement for health and the environment in the EU and beyond.
The program offers young people the opportunity to respond to the needs of the community, make a concrete contribution to society, and in the process gain invaluable experience and develop new skills. The program is also intended for organizations active in the field of solidarity that want to involve young people in their activities.
