StepEurope ry is organizing a photo competition during the September. The winner will get 2 MOVIE TICKETS to Finnkino! You may participate the competition:
Use hastags #amazingturku #photocompetition #movietickets
What: Not just Numbers training
When: 7.-14.12.2017
Where: Borea Turku, Finland
StepEurope ry is organizing an international training called Not just Numbers. The training will be held on December 7-14th, 2017 in Turku, Finland. Not just Numbers is an international youth worker mobility project aimed at strengthening cooperation and developing capacity of youth organisations in dealing with migration and asylum issues.
What the project is about?
This eight-days training will bring 30 youth workers and youth leaders from seven European countries: Finland, UK, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Hungary and Romania, to Turku, Finland. The project is a training of trainers, based on non-formal methods and experiential learning. The project aims to improve the quality of local activities in the fields of migration and asylum awareness conducted by consortium members in their countries.
Who can participate?
Interested person from Finland or a member of StepEurope ry’s partner organization in UK, Romania, Italy, Greece, Hungary or Croatia. You may contact the coordinators from each partner.
A participant can be a youth and youth or community worker/trainer/educator who is interested to increase the knowledge about the migration and asylum seeking issues and working with young people from different backgrounds. Good command of English skills. Must be able to attend the whole programme.
About the practicalities
The project is funded by the Erasmus + programme, accommodation and food will be covered 100% for the international participants. We will reimburse up to 100% of your actual travel costs, but only up to the amounts officially approved by the Finland NA. You need to pay the tickets first and will get the payment back during the training. For participants from Finland all the meals will be covered. Participation fee 50€ for the international participants and 20€ for Finnish participants.
About the training place: Laivahostel Borea is an old boat in the river side of Turku. Note that there is no elevator and a lot of stairs and small aisles. Check more information about the accommodation place: http://www.msborea.fi/english/www/
Apply to the training latest 20th of October 2017: fill the membership form and the Application Form and send it for us by emailing info@stepeurope.org
More information info@stepeurope.org or +358(0)45 2219008
INTERESTED OF VOLUNTEERING? SEND US THE Application form Volunteers (1) BY 18TH OF SEBTEMBER!
StepEurope ry’s partner organization, Integration för alla, is looking for two participants from Finland to take part of Ecological and Local Food for Thought project. The project will take place in Örkelljunga, Sweden on September 13-15, 2017.This project with incorporate the use of local foods which can support local, national and international development while creating inter-cultural meeting environments with food. As a result, this will open up the creativity and cultural awareness of the young people.
What the project is about?
The local-food movement has been gained a lot of attention in developed countries as well as many developing countries. Local foods are claiming many benefits and are motivating health and environment-conscious consumers to seek alternatives to the industrial agriculture system whose products dominate supermarket store shelves. But it raising the question; Do young people know enough about local foods?
The objectives are; – To raise awareness of the benefits of local vs migrated foods. – To increase knowledge of the local, national and international benefits of local foods. – To raise awareness of young people’s carbon footprint and how they can reduce it/be conscious of it. – To create an environment for inter-cultural foods. – To inspire and motivate young people to be creative with food ideas and develop their own recipes. – To increase young people’s active participation and entrepreneurship.
About the practicalities
The participants of the project are coming from six European countries: Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Italy, Hungary and Romania.
The project is funded by the Erasmus + programme, accommodation and food will be covered 100%. The travel tickets will be covered also up to 275€. You need to pay the tickets first and will get the payment back later.
The project is looking for participants who are interested of the topic. And from each sending organization should come 1 youth leader/worker and 1 youth.
More information info@stepeurope.org or +358(0)45 2219008
You can apply to the project by emailing asap, latest 31.8.2017!
This is my story of ”how I became an active citizen and got the desire to make the difference around me”.
I was a young girl living in a small town called Hyvinkää, Finland. I wanted to gain new experiences and see the World! Guy called Ossi was working in the youth department. He was part of the Youth in action program and said to me: ”Saila, why don’t you do EVS?” I was unsure and I didn’t know the program, but anyway I didn’t have to think twice and answered: ”Yes, why not.” I applied and got my #EVS place in Stuttgart, Germany. I was really lucky, even I was the first EVS volunteer in that organisation (#Jugendwerk der Awo e.v). They treated me so well and I had a chance to do and learn many different things during my 10 months volunteering.
EVS experience is something excellent for a human mind! You got chance to explore totally new country and culture, meet new people, learn things about yourself and of course, at last but definitely not the least, you learn professional things for your future and maybe even a career.
I have been so lucky to get the chance to do EVS (thanks to EU and Erasmus program). After I returned home, I had the feeling that I want to make the similar experience to be possible to someone else. I just didn’t know how… Years later I decide to apply to #HUMAK inspired by my EVS experience and got a place from youth work and civic activities degree. When I graduated I also got a super titel ”Community Educator”. I love it! 🙂
Several years after my volunteer experience, I had the feeling that it would be great and fruitful to be part of an youth NGO. By an accident I got to know #StepEurope. Now I am part of the board and actively involved to the local and international actions of the organization. I have actually come to an conclusion that the great things in life mostly happens by accident. So happend now as well!
StepEurope has been giving me a lot! I didn’t know the founders before I came to the organisation. It is great to be part of the team. I have been part of the board since 2015 spring and the last 2 years has been full of learning.
Some examples about the good experiences in StepEurope ry:
Overall my point is that, if you want to make a change in people’s life, start from yourself. Be active and do things that you have always dreamed about!
While writing this text I have come to conclusion that it has been great to take part of creating a small piece of history by creating the ”StepEuropeans” 🙂
-Saila
Biking, grilling and outdoor games. the island of Ruissalo is known by the rich and versatile nature and culture history. Now you have a brilliant possibility to explore the area by biking with a good company 
We start to bike together from the main library of Turku to Ruissalo. From the main library is possible to rent a few bikes for free, if you have the library card. You may participate even if you don’t have your own bike.
Attention! The event will be during the week 33. We will inform the exact time a bit later (the weather affect to the event).
Sign up for the event:- https://goo.gl/211wwB
The summer holidays are done and now is the time to plan the autumn together with any one interested. Feel free as a new person or an old stepeuropean to bring your ideas on the table.
We have just a few ideas, so there is quite a lot space for new ones.
StepEurope ry is offering some small snack, coffee and tea.
Sign up for the event:- https://goo.gl/NePf1G
At the end of June group of 21 eager seminar participants gathered together in Renteria, small village next to one of Bass-country’s capital San Sebastian. Participants came from six different countries around Europe, from Poland, Latvia, Germany, Estonia, Sweden, Spain and of course Finland. We had seven days ahead of us, time to learn, to share experiences and get to know each other.
Topic of the seminar was divided in two parts – celebration of Erasmus program that is turning 30 years and non-formal learning. Most of the participants had participated in Erasmus+ program and they had lots of stories to tell about their time spend abroad studying or participating seminars. Others had experience working with education and learning – formal and non-formal.
During the seminar everyone was active part of the program. Participants led some of the sessions, and in others they chose the direction by participating and sharing their own point of views. We learned about education systems in other countries, what is non-formal learning and how is it different from formal learning. We shared visions of future – what could be done differently in our countries, and in Europe in general so that learning and education could be more effective and beneficial. And while doing all that we also got to know each other’s and our home countries a bit more, new connections and friendship were made, some seeds planted for future projects and co-operations.
Between all the learning, talking and exercises we had some time to explore as well. Organizers of the seminar did their best to tell us a little bit about where we were – about Bass country, its culture, history and even language. We did some trips to explore the village we were living and also the beautiful city of Saint Sebastian.
Considering the common image of Spain – pictures of long beaches, palm trees, tourists all around and long sunny days, area where we spent out time was something completely different. Northern Spain, Bass-country, has lots of hills, unsteady weather, beaches with beautiful (and huge) waves. Everywhere where you look at you could see green – not palm leaves green, but a real forest green. San Sebastian is an old city, with beautiful beach line, own set of hills and viewpoints and old stone buildings. Well worth of visit, though you might need a raincoat with you.
All in all, our seminar was a good experience. It was full of laughter and encouraging words, it offered things to learn and things to think thru and then think again. It offered us a chance to get to know a different side of Spain than I expected and to meet people, I might not have met in another case.
-Johanna