The term agile originated from software development while lean business practices started with a car factory. What binds the two? The need for people working in those settings to be better at coping with change. 3 hours are not enough to get deep into the practices of Scrum or the full history of the Toyota Production System, but in this workshop, we’ll talk through the motivations and train the most important part of it: the mindset.

In this workshop, we will have a proper look at our role models. From body language to the message presented. How do they influence us and make a change? What qualities do they have that make us follow them, and are these qualities the same for everyone? We will discuss different leadership styles and skills and how effective these are. In the second part, we will consider leadership as a natural or learned skill. We will reflect on our values and skills and consider how to utilise them to become good leaders.

We will start with working both individually and in small groups about what leadership and governance are for us, their definition, and what it takes for them to be good and toxic. Then from our point of view, we will transition to traditional definitions, research, and developments about the topic also throughout history. To change the game a little bit we will try to vote for our politicians. Then opening a discussion about the great resignation we are living and how we should act: tools, actions, and transitions. 

Every day, we take unconscious decisions or let our intuition decide. There’s just too much going on to always have an informed judgment. However, our intuition and the ways we perceive our surrounding is often flawed. We all have biases: some we become aware of when we think about it, and some are unconscious. Sometimes, they make us jump to the wrong conclusions. Sometimes, they let us treat fellow humans in ways we don’t like in hindsight.
In this workshop, we will look at different (unconscious) biases, distinguish them from stereotypes, reflect on how they impact our behaviour, and come up with strategies how to deal with them.

One thing that AFS does not provide sufficiently during the AFS exchange is psychological support. Therefore, there is a need for creating a scheme in which such help would be given to the students without creating an atmosphere of stress and worry that the exchange could be ended due to them experiencing a crisis during their programme. This workshop would give volunteers basic definitions of psychological crisis and psychopathological symptoms, provide them with simple ways of giving support to students and create an environment in which basic project planning could happen for a wide volunteer-led initiative that would result in AFS being able to give proper support to the students in crisis.

In this intermediate-level workshop, we are going to answer the most important questions regarding leadership and global citizenship education’s connection. We will be looking at necessary skills and leading techniques to become the best leader with high competencies in global citizenship. You will be able to learn about these two topics through role-play and different types of case studies.

Participants develop attitudes and skills which enable them to respond effectively to 21st-century challenges. These attitudes and skills are equally applicable in the workplace, the community in which they live, and the home. This process generates increased confidence, increased value for difference, improved understanding of local and broader communities, improved strategic thinking, and increased employability.

This is a basic workshop about Project Management, organization, implementation, and project management tools. One part is theoretical input and the other part is working on own ideas, so don’t be shy and bring along a project idea.

It’s hard to align members of any organization – much less a volunteer-based, geographically spread apart one like AFS. Different solutions tend to revolve around three simple concepts: setting up a vision, objectives, and metrics. And it sounds simple enough until you start wondering whether everyone has the same understanding of that vision, whether the objectives you set up are really moving your organization towards that vision and whether the metrics are promoting the fulfilling of those objectives rather than harming them. How do we do our best then? Bring your own experience and let’s find out together how to do that better.

Can we really be “united by diversity”? Or is it only utopian to think in this way? Or maybe are we repeating it, hoping this sentence will transform our current situation? We will start with working both individually and in small groups about identity for a global citizen: qualities, pros, and cons. While building a mental map with the outcomes. To rock the boat, the all group will be involved in a challenge. There will be a balance between theory and practice. We will talk about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Then, we will briefly move how each continent puts it into practice. Afterwards, the main focus is the European Union’s work, and we can learn to live in peace together while balancing out our national and European citizens at the same time. We will finish our reflection if this balance can be found also globally. 

Imagine you have to work with someone from another team. Everyone is ready to achieve the same goal. But somehow, things are going different than planned. Aaarrgghh! Feel like you experienced something like this during your exchange?
Cultural simulations are a full-body experience. They help participants to experience and talk about challenging intercultural situations. Have you always wanted to experience a cultural simulation? Or do you want to implement one at an orientation? Then this workshop is for you! Come join a workshop you will never forget 😉

This is a 6 hour workshop, therefore if you select this workshop on Wednesday (10.8.2022), please also select it on Thursday (11.8.2022). It is not possible to select only one part of the workshop.

The world around us might seem to be on fire. International conflicts and the collapse of the structures we have known for years make many of us stop in our tracks and ask a question: how to do intercultural learning in times of crisis? How do we, AFSers, go on and build a more peaceful world from the ground up when people on top seem to seek chaos. This workshop does not aim to answer the questions. Let’s meet and talk in a safe space where all of our doubts can be expressed, where ideas can be discussed and developed, and in which we can grow stronger as change-makers.

While the world may be increasingly interconnected, human rights violations, inequality, and poverty still threaten peace and sustainability. Why and how Global Citizenship Education can be a response to these challenges? How are NGOs, UN agencies, inter-governmental organizations, and UNESCO’s Category 1 institutes helping to achieve milestones? What can one person do to achieve (social) impact and what are the toolkits for teaching others on this topic?

Conflict, in any setting, is frustrating and uncomfortable. I wish we lived in a world of complete peace, compliance, and agreement but unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Do you know about the different conflict management styles? Which one are you?
Every conflict is different, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to solving each one. Each style has its own strengths and weaknesses that make it effective depending on the conflict it’s used in.
Let’s analyze them all together and act accordingly!

Commitment vs. FOMO. Why do we volunteer, what are the benefits we’re getting out of it. What do we need to stay committed and motivated? Volunteer retention is difficult, why so?

In this workshop, we explore some theoretical input about motivation in general, the Volunteer Life Cycle, and of course basics of leadership. We combine this with some elements of commitment, empowerment, and how to delegate in order to formulate your own next impact (for more committed and motivated volunteers). This workshop suits participants like camp counselors, local chairpersons, and other people that work with volunteers. Some volunteer experience is helpful for the personal reflection process.

A non-formal education workshop is a lot like telling a story: you set up participants to embark on their own adventure, find something new and intriguing and hopefully return home with new learnings. So let us embark on an adventure and find how to build a workshop with flavours for every tastebud.

This workshop focuses on exploring different methods, understanding when and how to use them, and preparing a workshop flow that is engaging while promoting the best learning experience for participants. I like to think it’s very akin to preparing a show or writing a story. A workshop is a journey but it’s also about timing, pace, environment, and a flow that binds the learning experience from a starting to a conclusion point.
Do you have workshop ideas but are still thinking about how to convey them? Great! Come to this workshop! You don’t, but training is something that interests you? It’s the right place for you as well!

Climate change is threatening us. Still not enough to take it seriously. Nothing is as easy as it should be. This is why I want to explore, with the help of the Climate College, how it could be complicated, interconnected, and sometimes overwhelming. Also to be aware of our role as individuals, communities, and active citizens. With the hope of giving new impetus to an important topic.

We all know almost everything there is to know about culture shock. As exchange students, we hear about it before and during our time abroad. As volunteers, we talk about it all the time. But reverse culture shock is a phenomenon that is much more ignored in the AFS context, yet it might have some severe consequences for students. This workshop aims to create a space in which the theory can be explored and practiced so that we will be better equipped to talk to the students about what they might experience after their return home.

After the two-year lockdown, Europe had to face some long-unseen problems, and nowadays a lot of organizations are helping to solve them. It has become hard to stand up for something individually and it is even harder to achieve great milestones during this challenging time. This is where advocacy comes into the picture – by learning advocating tools you (as an individual or as a group) can aim to influence important decisions.

The world has been shaken by many wars over the last years and it seems we still have to learn about how to create new bridges and peaceful ways of diplomacy. We will discuss what is still missing and what we need to live in peace as well as how propaganda affects our behaviours and our feelings.
Is propaganda a tool for promoting human rights, democracy, and peace or it’s used to drive radicalization and violence through disinformation campaigns?
Let’s discover together!!!