MIND.TS – final transnational meeting, Naples, Italy, 16 – 17 June 2011

From 16 to 17 June 2011, the Italian partner Think Thanks hosted the 8th and last transnational meeting in Napoli.

The meeting started a few minutes later due to the fascinating city-sight seeing, which showed all the beauty (and the ambiguities of the city).

The participants are met by Think Thanks staff and by Alessia Sebillo and Maria Maggio of Associazione Campi Flegrei (ACF), Think Thanks’ partner in the Third Sector  incubator project, that hosts the meeting in its premises.

After an official welcome and introduction to Think Thanks activities, with a focus on the Incubator project and on the Documentation Center, also hosted by ACF, the works continued with a discussion on the last project back-office work, on the real project outputs and on how to give to the project the lagrest visibility according to project aims.

On the second day, the partners decided to keep on working on the definition of the project final steps, in order to be able to work more effectively in the two next months. This was also useful because some of the partners have decided to submit to their national agencies a second step of the project “MIND.TS”, including ACF as Italian partner. So the proceedings of the seminar continued with a discussion on how to improve the second step of the project (if approved) according to this experience, a discussion on how the partnership reacted step by step, meeting after meeting, finding the most suitable methodologies (the most successful one being the division in working groups); and on the importance of the support of an expert in methodology from CEBS to lead the group.

The last part of the work was lefet to the partnership agreed on he last part of the project dead-lines. All the partners agreed that the partnership worked effectively and in harmony and that it managed to obtain good results and meet the project expecations. They all welcome a second step of the project, also under the umbrella of Leonardo Porgramme. Last let us express our gratitude to CEBS (especially to Beata Partyka) for the Project coordination activity, always very kind, punctual and fruitful.

Info-training course on mentoring in Slovenia

In the framework of the MIND.TS project activities, the Slovenian partner in the project, CPZ-International, Centre for Knowledge Promotion, organized an info-training course on mentoring in its country.

The course was carried out on the 2^nd of April 2011 at CPZ-International, Centre for Knowledge Promotion. It was participated by representatives of all three course target groups – members of the CPZ-International team, external collaborators of the CPZ-International and members of selected non-profit organizations.

 In the first part of the course, participants were introduced in mentoring. In this framework they also presented to each other their experiences in mentoring and their understanding of mentoring. The second part of the course was dedicated to learning on mentoring, on mentor programmes and relations. In this framework the participants also studied and discussed different examples of good mentoring practice. The third part of the course was dedicated to transferring knowledge into practice. In this framework the participants also wrote a simple mentoring plan.

 As the analysis of participants’ feedback on the course showed, the course was sucessful and the course activities achieved their goals.

Info-training course on mentoring in Slovenia – a report

Experimental Training Course in Italy

The experimentation of the Mentoring info-training corse has been conducted by Think Thanks srl on the 30th of March 2011 at Associazione Campi Flegrei premises in Napoli, Italy. The test took approximately 4 hours and a half, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Participants: 8 (7 woman + 1 man), avarage age 32. No expertise in mentoring, but almost all of them with experience in training processes.

Conductor: Alberto Corbino (Mind.TS Project Manager for Think Thanks) – maybe a mentor, not an expert in mentoring.

Recruitment of participants: given the failure to involve a sufficient /really interested number of participants from neapolitan third sector, we decided to change the approach to the whole revision process, and we involved Think Thanks and Associazione Campi Flegrei staff in a session of evaluation where a sort of SWOT analysis took place.

This is the reason why the approach to the experimentation changed into waht we can call a “supervision by a staff of experts”. Associazione Campi Flegrei (www.acfbagnoli.it) is Think Thanks partner in the Third Sector incubator project; it works in the field of vocational training to fight social exclusion in Bagnoli neighbourhood, once an industrial area.

Results. From the experimentation of training materials we noticed that the first and the second modules are easy to explain and understand. We only notice, in the first module, that it would be better for the participants to prepare the materials of selfpresentation at the moment. Instead the third module shows a higher level of complexity and it might be optional.

At the end we find that the tests should be led by an export in mentoring.

Report on Info-Training Course

Experimental Training Course in Lithuania on the 28th March, 2011

On the 28^th March Demos. Institute of Critical Thought organized an experimental Training Course “Mentoring as a training method for non-profit organizations”.

The course purpose was to help non-governmental youth organizations to find the answer how the leader or more experienced workers can transfer their knowledge to inexperienced staff to ensure quality and continuity of active organizational work. By the new course we want to encourage personal development and progress of the third sector organizations. At the same time, the DEMOS organization itself was used to test modules of the course and make some remarks what should  be changed.

„During the course, we wanted to give more information to workers of youth organizations on the benefits of mentoring, its potential applications and the first steps which might be taken to apply the approach of mentoring method“, said the course manager,  Martynas Norbutas.

At the info-course, practical mentoring examples from different countries (Poland, Malta, France, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Lithuania) were presented to participants. Using that experience, young people tried to solve some typical, often in their work environment occurring organizational problems.

„Members considered that this course was helpful. I hope, this new knowledge and experience which participants gained through the course will be effectively used in their further practice”,  said Martynas Norbutas.

Report on Info-Training Course

Experimental National Training Course, in Spain on the 22nd and 29th March, 2011

As part of the activities of the MIND.TS Project, FASE organized an experimental National Training Course on the 22^nd and 29^th March, 2011.

The trainer Vanessa Aventín led two sessions of the course held at the Faculty of Social Sciences at theUniversityofZaragoza. And where participants shared and actively participated in scheduled activities.

The debate and the sharing of experiences and skills, improved understanding of the potential and actual profits of the implementation of mentoring in the Third Sector. Also it helped at deepening the need for a plan of action for the development of this technique.

The use of materials generated during the project and analysis of case studies helped the participants to consider, in a practical way, the concepts developed in the first session of the course.

At the end of the second training session the participants were consulted through a questionnaire on the development and content worked. They appreciated the participation and activities, expressing a favorable opinion on the importance of the usefulness of mentoring in Third Sector.

Report on Info-Training Course

Experimental Training Course in Poland on the 29th of March, 2011

9 partners, 7 European countries, 2 years of common work and 1 ambitious goal is numeric summary of the project “Mentoring as Vocational Training Method for Third Sector Organisations”, at the last stage.

Center for Education and Social Research and Foundation of Support for NGOs „Umbrella” are Polish organizations involved into implementation of this partnership project. It’s aim is to disseminate the mentoring method among non profit organizations, workers and volunteers. The main approach of this method is the relation between “master” and “learner”.

The implementation of this project follows step-by-step approach. At the beginning Good Practices concerning mentoring fromEuropeand all the world were collected. Than the partnership have elaborated training guidelines including training materials and training tools.

The next step was to implement experimental version of info-training course in each partner country. InPolandthe training was tested 29th of March2011 inCenter SEKTOR3. The participants of training were members of non profit organizations fromWrocławinterested to get information about mentoring. The training course has permitted to them to learn about particulars of the method and to know how to include it into own organization. The training was leaded by Piotr Czekierda, experienced tutor and trainer.

The results of evaluation, conclusions and feedback were presented by each partner organisation during the partnership meeting inMalta 5th-6th April 2011. “I’m very glad for effects of experimental training inPoland. Thanks to collaboration of participants we were able to present strong recommendations for the final version validation.” – says Beata Partyka, the MIND.TS project coordinator.

All materials elaborated within MIND.TS will be available after the project’s end.

Link to Polish version of this article: http://www.ngo.pl/x/636424 

Report on Info-Training Course

Experimental Training Course in Pavia, Italy

The experimentation of the Info-training took place in Pavia in the office of Porta Nuova Europa on the 23^rd of March 2011 and took approximately 3,5 hours. Representatives of Porta Nuova Europa organized a Focus Group with a limited number of the participants. All participants were referents (collaborators or responsible) of local non-profit organizations.

Important goal of the focus group was to evaluate not only the content of the info-training but as well the material. Is it written clearly? Are the terms used evident for an external user?

The material used during the experimentation has been either translated in Italian on forehand (PowerPoint presentation of the definition of Mentoring) or vocally during the realization of the Focus Group.  All 3 parts of the training path have been discussed and evaluated. The outcome has been summarized in a table.

The Feedback received from the participants of the experimentation can be summarized as follows. Voluntary Organizations on one hand expressed the need to have more expertise in the organization about various subjects. On the other hand, the info training path seemed to be rather challenging. 

Since the objective of the course is to create awareness among staff of third sector organization about what mentoring is about and if there could be a need to use mentoring within the organization, the third part: “How to implement Mentoring” and to develop an example of a Mentoring plan, has been evaluated as rather complex. According to the participants part three should need more time, more expertise of the moderator, certainty of real need for mentoring within the organization and full understanding of the Mentoring method by each participant.

Report on Info-Training Course

Experimental National Training Course, in Malta on the 5th March, 2011

As part of the activities of the MIND.TS Project, the Geminarie Group organized an experimental National Training Course on the 5th March, 2011.

Dr. Cynthia Tomasuolo welcomed the participants and speakers for the one-day training seminar on Mentoring, that was held at the premises of the organization in Hamrun, Malta. ’This is an opportunity for all participants, as well as the organizers, to learn how mentoring can be used as a positive tool in third sector organizations”,  said the Geminarie Group’s President.

The seminar proved to be very lively and interactive, where the participants interacted elaborately to get befitting answers to their queries. Team Building Activities & Exercises were used to stimulate reflection and discussion and enhance the learning process.

At the end of the seminar, the participants responded to a questionnaire, in which they rated the programme as “very positive, practical and focused”.

For further information about this experience, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Cynthia Tomasuolo or Mr. Robert Tomasuolo on info@geminariegroup.org.

Report and Evaluation on National Info-Training Course

7th Transnational Meeting in Malta: 4th – 7th April, 2011

The 7th Transnational Project Meeting was held in Malta between the 4th – 7th April, 2011, and was hosted by the Geminarie Group. The meeting brought together all the Partner Organizations, coming from: Poland (4),  France (1), Lithuania (1), Spain (1), Italy (6), Slovenia (1) and the team from Malta (3).

The MIND.TS project is now nearing the end of its developmental life. The main objectives of this meeting were to (1) report on the Experimental National Training Courses held by the Consortium Organizations and to (2) finalize the training material for the Info-Training Course.

To be updated shortly…

Transnational Meeting France, Toulouse 29-30 November 2010

The 29 and 30 November 2010, an international seminar took place in Toulouse the headquarters of CRP Consulting. It was attended by 10 NGOs from Poland, Italy, Slovenia, Malta, Spain, Lithuania partner on the European project Leonardo da Vinci MIND TS. The project’s aim is to develop mentoring in NGOs.

For two days, participants worked together on the construction of training and educational tools. In particular the participants worked on the case studies to future mentoring training. Participants agreed that case studies must have a main problem with different points of view. Also, the case studies must have a manager, a coordinator, a mentor and a mentee and moreover, the context of organization, situation and dialogue between persons.

Cynthia from Malta presented the questionnaire to future mentee. During this discussion, several topics have been addressed and the points validated. After a lot proposition, the group decided to propose open questions.

A guided tour allowed participants to discover Toulouse: the Capitol, the Garonne, the typical streets of the city center. Local specialties, foie gras and wine provided a good overview of traditional cuisine!