Blog: a 'toolkit for the unexpected' by alumna Eszter Boros
The initiative 'Careers in the Common Good', founded by alumna Eszter Boros, was growing and growing. Applications for this year's edition were coming in, everything was up and running... But then, in March 2020, all plans changed due tot the corona crisis. Luckily, the team members could focus on their initial challenges and the toolkit they used to overcome them. With the help of this toolkit, their upcoming (virtual) events will be even more inspiring! Eszter shares the tools with you in her blog.
Before: ''Should we cancel? Postpone? What to do?''
''In November, I was asked to be the guest speaker at an event on non-formal education and talk about my recent project: Careers in the Common Good. I chose to focus on our initial challenges and the toolkit we used to overcome them. I did not realise how soon I would have to return to that toolkit myself...''
''Careers in the Common Good started off as the idea of a couple of Hungarians to give something back, to share the knowledge, experience and network we accumulated around the world in our 20's. The concept crystallised early: a 10-day event in summer with non-formal education, interactive workshops, energisers and icebreakers, hike and city tours, and, most importantly: young adults from across the region. Our network yielded a wide and wild mix of facilitators, many of them Maastricht graduates. In August 2019, the first edition of CCG took place, with enthusiastic and engaged participants from Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Serbia and Kosovo. Their feedback gave us motivation and inspiration to keep going and start growing.''
''Of course, there were challenges at almost every step. We were alone in this new field, we made beginner mistakes and we lacked resources - time and money. But three tools helped us through it: 1) talking to friends, 2) asking for help and 3) focusing on our mission. The second year seemed to be a much easier ride. The core team grew. We developed closer ties with our partners and new organisations. We received high quality facilitator applications. Administrative and financial hurdles seemed to smoothen. Applications were coming in from the target countries and beyond. Time to put that champagne in the cooler, right?''
''And then in March 2020 our plans - as those of all of you - changed. Spring plans were cancelled, and summer and beyond became tentative. A huge question mark. Uncertainty. We could not plan our day-to-day activities - how could we plan a 10-day event across six countries with so many unknowns? Should we cancel? Should we postpone? What could we do? We turned to the above-mentioned toolkit and...''
Tool 1: talking to friends
''First of talked. We talked within the team but also to our friends. Everyone has had to adapt their daily habits and change their plans. We got inspiration from those who dedicated their weekends to a hackathon on COVID19. We got reassurance from those who switched to learning or teaching online. We got confidence from those who had to adjust their events at the last minute and could adapt on short notice. We are fortunate to have plenty of time to adjust our concept, to coordinate, to gather best practices, to redirect promotion and to solve technical hurdles.''
Tool 2: asking for help
''Then we asked for help. We turned to our facilitators for flexibility and openness. We turned to friends who give or take courses to share which apps work best and how they stay engaged in a virtual classroom. We turned to other organisations to help reach a wider audience. We were once again grateful for all the helping hands, ears, keyboards and video cameras that came to support us. We discovered how platforms from Google Classroom to Kahoot can be used for our purposes. In this context and with open-minded facilitators, we started working on a new schedule.''
Tool 3: focusing on the mission
''But, above all, we kept our focus on our mission. Our goal is to inspire young adults to reflect on their path and pursue a career that suits their skills and passions - we achieve this by showcasing various career trajectories and sharing personal tricks and tips. We encourage them to explore their skills and start their own projects for the betterment of their communities.''
Eszter Boros graduated from Maastricht University College in 2011. She is Project Coordinator and Founder of Careers in the Common Good, which 'aims to inspire the young adults of Central and Eastern Europe to apply their passion for the enrichment of their communities'.
After: ''We are exploring new possibilities''
''We are aware of the new challenges we are facing. This platform presents difficulties for those without a stable Internet, those without a quiet corner in their room, and those who do not like the digital platform. Our competition is not just another course, or a summer camp, or a week by the lake. Oh no. In an online course, we compete with YouTube videos, Netflix parties, push notifications, the reflection of sun on someone’s screen or the lure of sleeping in. And if connection breaks on a webinar, there is no game, attention-grabbing exercise or shout we can do to get someone’s attention back. No, they will be four windows and three swipes gone, and will not return to our webinar.''
''Now that we are exploring the possibilities of virtual solutions, we are more than convinced that a series of webinars contributes to our mission. The in-person aspect might be lost- or, better said, postponed. We will dearly miss the late-night talks, the shared looks during a workshop, the energisers, the spontaneous laugh attacks, sour cream with every dish and warm goodbye hugs. Nevertheless, we see this as a new opportunity to reach more people!''
''We are not limited to 30 participants as we would be in person. We are not limited by location: anyone can join as long as they have Internet and a phone or computer. People who work, people who cannot afford to travel, people who cannot take time off - those barriers are gone. We can reach those who need more convincing to open up to others’ stories. We believe we can inspire young adults virtually now and, once it is possible to meet in person again, use the best of what we learn this year to come out of this stronger than ever!''
Do you want to learn more about Eszter? She will give the workshop 'Shoot for the moon, start on the roof: bring your dreams to everyday life' on Monday 7 September 2020, at 12.00 CEST, during the online UM Alumni Week! For more information and registration, go to the UM Alumni Week web page.