ifs youth exchange, berlin 2010 - one year later

Europe Believes in You(th)! September 12-19, 2010

Berlin [One Year Later]

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What is IFS?

The International Federation

of Settlements and

Neighborhood Centers (IFS)

is an association of national,

regional and local

organizations working to

strengthen communities

around the world. Its mission

is to build an inclusive global

community by empowering,

inspiring and connecting

people who are working

locally for social justice.

IFS members include multi-

purpose, community-based

organizations all over the

globe, from North America

and Europe to South America

and Asia. The organization

has a long and active history

as a network and as a

promoter of the Settlement

House movement since it

was founded in Europe.

Background

The first gathering of the IFS Youth Program took place in Berlin the week of September

12th, 2010 and was an excellent and inspirational event. Hosted by the

Nachbarschaftszentrum Ufafabrik and the Federation of Social-Cultural Work, 90

participants from Canada, the USA, Germany, Latvia, Romania, Spain, the Netherlands

and Great Britain shared their knowledge, experience, visions and dreams in three

youth projects.

Delegates were both young staff and youth participants from settlement houses. They

worked together and improved their knowledge in different workshops, built an Herb

Spiral in the Intercultural Generations Garden, formed a band of musicians in the music

workshop and built a roof for the clay stove at the children’s animal farm in the

Ufafabrik. Other workshops taught the participants how to communicate in very large

group settings. Site visits included a trip to Nachbarschaftsheim Schöneberg, city-tours,

visits to the German Parliament and the Office of the European Union.

The youth, defined as ages 18 to 25, all learned how important it is to work together on

a common activity. Even with language barriers and cultural differences, there existed a

commonality and mutual understanding.

The financing for the European participants was obtained from the European Union

through the project "Youth in Action". The project "Youth Diversity in Today's World"

was financed by the German Federal Ministry for Families, Seniors, Women and Youth.

Participating organizations also contributed to the travel and other expenses of the

young people they sent.

The IFS Board and member organizations are committed to creating more opportunities for such youth exchanges in the

future. The next opportunity will be in Stockholm, Sweden, in May 2012!



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The Exchange Schedule

The working groups at the conference were based

on the needs of the participants, had a specific

work topic, and consisted of professional team

coaches and motivated young people. They were

all a mixture of professionals, clients and

volunteers. Every group worked three days in the

morning, for a total of nine hours. Participants

could choose one workshop theme for the week.

Excursions and discussions were offered in the

evenings. They covered a variety of themes and

locations, offering theoretical and practical

applications on topics including culture, social

policy and history. A highlight of this section was

visiting the German Parliament and having the

opportunity to speak with delegates.

Workshop Highlights

Dialogue: A Method for Working with Big Groups

Participants in this workshop practiced skills such

as deep listening and the ability to speak openly,

with the main goal of giving participants ideas for

how to improve the “culture of appreciation” in a

group.

“The communication workshop was my favorite because it stressed, and emphasized the need for communication and depicted the different forms of communication which we can utilize.” – Amanda Johnson, University Settlement Staff, New York, NY, USA



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“Since returning to Vancouver, we have implemented five garden boxes at Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House. Next summer, we plan to build an herb spiral with our youth programs.” - Tanya Findlater, Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House Staff, Vancouver, British Columbia, CA

Herb Spiral

Participants in this workshop spent valuable time outside building

an herb spiral based off ideas from permaculture, which is a

sustainable land use design. It is an approach to designing human

settlements and agricultural systems that are modeled on the

relationships found in natural ecologies.

Personal Narratives:

As we are approaching the one-year anniversary of the Europe Believes in You(th)! Exchange, the IFS staff wanted to

collect "Where are they now?" updates and personal stories from the young people who participated in the exchange.

We were curious to find out what has happened for them in the past year, if they are still in touch and what the

exchange means to them now. We spoke with Angel Sacarello, Sasha Medero, Amanda Johnson, Tina Stumpf and

Christian Cabrera from University Settlement and The Door in New York as well as Tanya Findlater from Frog Hollow

Neighbourhood House in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to get their thoughts on the exchange. We welcome

more updates from youth participants. Email [email protected] to tell us your thoughts and we’ll

share them with the entire IFS network.

1.) Did you participate in all the workshops? Which one was your favorite and why?

SM: I participated in mostly all of the workshops; my favorite

workshop was doing the herb spiral that Henry Chief oversaw. It

was my favorite workshop because it was very interactive and dealt

with the outdoors. Most importantly, it was really the epitome of

how we can all come together no matter how different people are

or geographically where people are located.

TF: I was responsible for facilitating the

communication/teambuilding workshop. I applied a group

development theory by Tuckman to the overall dynamics of

working in groups and our experiences in the youth exchange

program.

mailto:[email protected]



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TS: I participated in the improv theater workshop. It was a great

experience to create something original with people who aren’t

from my country. They provided us with exercises that allowed

us to bond with each other, and build a comfort level with each

other that allowed us to execute whatever was thrown at us

while we were performing. The instructors I had were so

helpful, patient, and fun. I learned a lot about my ability on

stage which has helped me with my current theater

experiences.

2.) What was the biggest lesson/new idea that you took away

from the exchange?

AS: I think one of the biggest lessons I learned was to slow down. Being in Berlin was a total culture shock. I think

because I was born and raised in New York, I have a somewhat uncontrollable need to keep moving and get as much

done as fast as I can. If I’m not working, then I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Just seeing people in the streets

taking their time, and the workshops and meal times we had in the program, showed me that you get more done when

you take a minute to slow down and even stop.

SM: The biggest lesson I took from the exchange besides

being environmentally conscientious was most importantly,

how to slow down and enjoy life, especially around people

that I could learn so much from. Being a New Yorker we are

always so fast paced. When I got to Berlin and was finally

able to slow down I realized I was missing so much of the

beauty in the world as well as myself.

TS: While at the conference I felt like life was really

happening to me instead of it happening around me. I was

able to really digest every experience, and every person

around me.

CC: That we’re all the same, especially in dealing with resources and problems, I learned different solutions to these

common problems.

3.) How have you implemented what you learned in Berlin into your daily life?

AS: I think I take more time and try to examine things from all sides before I rush into them. The quality of things I

accomplish has gone up.



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CC: Programmatically I do think more about the participant

experience, as opposed to just the funders’ expectations.

TF: When I returned from Berlin, I biked more to work. The social

planning there with the bike paths already built into the sidewalks

inspired me! Since our trip, Vancouver has developed more bike

paths, especially in the downtown corridor.

TS: I try my hardest to maintain that mind frame I had while in

Berlin. I took a lot of my experiences and exercises I learned there

back to New York, and back to my program. I know that in Europe they definitely appreciate time more. New York is so

fast-paced it is a day-to-day struggle sometimes to maintain that concept. But I try my hardest.

SM: Berlin was like a glue to help me patch something together that I felt was missing. After Berlin, I decided to take

more interest in myself.

4.) Are there any specific projects that you have started since returning from Berlin?

AJ: Since returning from Berlin, I have started the Word a Day project in some of my classrooms. Children learn a word a

day from seven different languages. Once they learn these words, they get to pick their favorite non-English language

and make up sentences from this language. I have also started doing Pen Pal Projects within the classrooms to help

children strengthen writing skills and written communication skills.

SM: I have started my cooking program and my Girls Group which is similar to a rite of passage for female middle school

students into womanhood. I am also trying to put something together where the students are doing outside community

service activities such as fixing up gardens or being involved in the beautification in their neighborhood.



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TS: I started school where I am studying art and theater

education. The most important, and life changing project I am

currently involved with is Play Tank through University

Settlement. I had the amazing experience of working with

eight other youth workers, and within eight weeks and a lot

of exercises and confronting fears, we came up with an

amazing original show, and we are going to be working

towards another show later this year. I am very proud of this

project, and I believe we could even take Play Tank to

something like IFS and it would be a success.

AS: I also participated in The Play Tank. We use the arts to express ourselves and learn new ways of helping kids express

themselves. We also help teach staff who work with youth to do the same. I have also started a video editing program

at my particular site. It’s the first one we have ever had, and now our summer camp theme is based around it. It makes

me very proud and excited that I get to teach youth and adults new skills.

5.) Has the exchange changed the way you view your future goals and the impact that you can have on others?

AS: The experience didn’t change my goals but I feel like it strengthened my decision. I love working with kids, and

having a chance to interact with so many people from around the world that have the same feelings made me feel

empowered. We learned so many things from each other, and not just about working with youth. I got to experience a

little bit of everyone’s culture and they got to experience mine.

SM: The exchange didn’t change the way I viewed

my future goals or the impact I can have on

others, however it did motivate me to want to

achieve my goals with more vigor than before. This

exchange was a much needed reflection of the

direction I want my life to go and if I am cut out for

this type of work. This exchange validated that I

can be successful.

AJ: Well, now I think about the way that my goals

can possibly help or affect my community in a

broader sense.

CC: It helped me see that the way we engage with young people is so critical. We have to approach it as a systemic issue

not just a singular event.



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TF: The exchange made me realize that work can be created in

partnership with just about anyone you meet! I am excited to

work closely on more projects with other staff under the

umbrella of ANH (Association of Neighbourhood Houses of

British Columbia).

TS: It has definitely made me a more aware and imaginative

individual.

6.) Do you keep in contact with the friends you made through

the exchange?

AS: I keep in contact with 21 of the participants, through

Facebook, email and phone. Some of the participants have visited me in New York, and I have plans of going to see them

in the next few months.

TS: It’s great to know you have people all over the world who can relate to the experience you had, and it excites me to

continue friendships with them, and hopefully see them in the future.

TF: I have exchanged emails and photos with Christian Cabrera from The Door. I have also created new contacts with

other staff from other neighborhood houses in Vancouver.

7.) If given the opportunity, would you participate in another exchange program?

AJ: If an opportunity arose for me to participate in another

exchange program, I would. It was a good learning experience

for me.

AS: I would love to participate in the program again. I took so

much away from the opportunity. I learned new skills and made

great friends and contacts around the world. There is definitely

no other experience like it.

TF: The experience was amazing; it would be wonderful to

connect with the same people five to ten years from now by

hosting a conference in another city.

TS: If I was ever blessed enough again to have the opportunity to participate in another exchange program, I would drop

everything and go. It was such an amazing experience, and I would love to take the things I have learned since then to

another conference, and just be able to see other parts of the world.



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Evaluations from Participants

After the exchange, staff from Nachbarschaftszentrum Ufafabrik conducted a brief survey of all the participants.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Worst

Bad

Neutral

Good

Excellent

How did you find the workshops?

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Not at allRare

NeutralGood

Amazing

How intensive was the contact with other

participants?

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44

No

Yes

Did you learn more about other cultures during the

project?

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44

No

Yes

Did you learn something for your life and future work?



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Participant Breakdown

Recent Developments

With the success of last year’s exchange in mind, the participating organizations are continually looking for new ways to

connect their youth and staff with additional exchanges on the horizon. This month the Nachbarschaftszentrum

Ufafabrik will host 30 youth workers and social workers from Sweden where they will have the chance to see the Youth

Center Spirale where the Berlin Exchange was held last year. We’re excited to announce that youth participants from

Latvia were inspired to organize the next Youth Meeting titled “Stand Up for Your Values” which is also taking place this

month, and youth from Nachbarschaftszentrum Ufafabrik will be in attendance. Currently the Nachbarschaftszentrum

Ufafabrik is housing musicians from the band “City of Glass” from Vancouver, who were recommended by Canadian

participants in last year’s exchange. Finally, this past summer, The Door hosted Christel Schultz from Mäster Olofsgården

and Ewa Melin Larsson from Fritidsforum for extended exchanges while they learned about The Door’s various programs

for young people.

In conjunction with the International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers’ upcoming conference

hosted by Fritidsforum in May 2012, the Swedish settlement will have their annual youth festival of democracy titled

“Life is a Party” with approximately 600 participants. Combined with the youth in attendance for the IFS Conference,

“Democracy, Inclusion, Youth (DIY!)”, both events will draw a sizable crowd of enthusiastic young people ready to create

new friendships and international connections.

How Do You Identify Yourself?

British

Spanish

Latvian

Romanian

Dutch

American

Latin American

Asian American

Canadian

Puerto Rican

Filipino

Other

ifs youth exchange, berlin 2010 - one year later

Documents

youth participants

youth exchanges

youth projects

ifs youth program

european participants

project youth diversity

ifs members

ifs board