The PLAY YOUR WAY! project took place between the 01.08.12 and the 30.09.13 with the aim to promote and apply GAMES as a non-formal education method in different kind of activities for children and young people from urban and rural areas in the Cluj county.
The project involved 4 European volunteers (from the left: Ieva from Latvia, Gary from France, Peter from Denmark and Helene from Germany). The EVS volunteers promoted for 9 month games and playing as a fun and joyful education method.
In the FIRST STAGE of the project (Okt. 12-Dec.12) the 4 EVS volunteers got involved in coordinating, implementing and evaluating 5 different type of activities:
- weekly activities for promoting non-formal education through playing during the afterschool program of the Waldorf School in Cluj-Napoca;
- socializing activities (twice a month) for young people from the city Cluj-Napoca (in 2 different cafes);
- monthly activities for children and young people with special education needs;
- monthly activities for children from 2 rural communities near Cluj;
- monthly activities woth High School teenagers from Cluj-Napoca.
During the SECOND STAGE (Jan.- March`13) the 4 volunteers discovered Romanian customs and traditions and presented to the target groups with whom they already interacted special cultural aspects of their home countries and regions.
In the THIRD STAGE (April-June 2013) each volunteer got support from Mirakolix in order to develop and fulfill a personal project according to their interests and needs and those of the addressed target groups.
Therefore Helene and Ieva organized a project regarding the discovery of beautiful places in Cluj and individual stories related to those places („Capture your city” – http://capturecluj.weebly.com/index.html).
Gary attracted the inhabitants form Cluj and also visitors to reflect upon the European Identity and European values inner the project „ONE knock on Europe’s door” (http://knockeuropedoor.weebly.com/).
Peter organized professional football trainings for children and teenagers from rural areas near Cluj. (http://playyourway.weebly.com/).
At the end of the project the 4 EVS volunteers organized a cycling caravan with games and playing activities in 7 different villages in the Cluj County.
Here you can listen to the EVS story of the 4 volunteers:
