Personal development youth program
BRIGHT HORIZONS
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus
ABOUT BRIGHT HORIZONS
It's a personal development program that brings together 36 young people from 6 countries for a dynamic individual learning experience in a group context.
The program is based on experiential learning and is made by processes and activities that embrace various areas of life and focus on the relation with others and with oneself.
Those are opportunities to explore inside, to identify concepts and patterns that come from culture, family, social environment, from the experiences and understand how they are supporting and how they are limiting us in specific situations and with different people; that allow the participants to broaden their horizons, to get out of their automatic thoughts and actions expanding their limits and gaining control over their life.
The approach is based on the concept that everybody is the creator of their own experience and set the limits regarding how far to go during the project.
The project focuses also on cross-cultural communication, on the topic of culture and employability in a multicultural environment.
ROOTS
The method and the approach of this program has a long history.
Coming from the late 60s and early 70s in California, then passing through South Africa - with Pat Grove - and Israel to reach European coast in several forms and shapes. In the 2000s the method was transferred from the for-profit field into the non-for-profit sector by a group of European youth workers from the Netherlands, Hungary and Greece.
Now, 15 years later, thousands of youth workers, trainers, coaches, volunteers and people interested in their personal and professional development have participated in programs utilizing the method.
Eventually, an informal network across more than 35 organizations from EU and countries bordering EU was created and programs have been organized and implemented in the Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Armenia, Austria and Denmark.
In numbers, the past 15 years look like:
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More than 3000 people participated;
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More than 100 programs organized and implemented;
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More than 15 new NGOs were established across EU.
The method is called “synergy” and equips people with tools and techniques that increase their abilities to achieve personal and professional success while enjoying life. The key is the HOW: the practice of integrity, to strive for excellence and authenticity.
Within this frame, each coordinator develops the program with a specific approach combining it with other tools.
In case you already attended an “Event Wise” or a “Basic Synergy” training as a participant, do let us know. It might be more relevant for you to join our project as co-facilitator.
Read testimonials of the Event Wise
Read testimonials of the Basic Synergy
A PROJECT IN 3 PHASES
Bright Horizons is a project made by 3 phases. Participating partially cannot be an option as by the regulations of the Erasmus Plus program.
Phase 1- Preparation: in this phase, the participants prepare for the experience together with the sending organizations, they plan the practical aspects of the international program, reflect and start to identify their main personal learning goal.
Phase 2 - International Program: it's the core experience of the project. The participants reflect on the concept of culture and go through a number of processes that are the playground to improve competencies and to identify elements that they want to improve or valorize in their life, then they have concrete opportunities to practice what learned out of the accommodation. They also plan how to create the impact they want in their life and organize a mutual support system.
Phase 3- Post program: after the the participants implement their individual action plan with the support of their sending organizations and of another participant of their choice, they have 2 support meetings (in person or through Skype) within 6 weeks after the end of the exchange.
They also fill in the self-reflection, self-evaluation form and write a testimonial of their experience.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW
Erasmus Plus projects are great opportunities to travel, discover new cultures and countries, meet different people and create international relationships without spending a lot of money. This specific program includes personal development processes and approaches that make it intense in terms of mental and physical energy required. It's also intense for the sharing and reflection moments and for the daily amount of working hours (12-13 per day).
In order to support the learning process of the participants drinking alcohol is not allowed during the whole duration of the experience in Bulgaria. If you cannot stay without drinking for 10 days this project is not for you. Also the use of any kind of drug or substance that has a psychoactive effect on the brain is not allowed. In case you are taking prescribed medications that affect the functioning of your brain let us know in the application form.
From another side, for many people who experienced the Event Wise or the Basic Synergy methodology, it has been an illuminating and liberating experience which brought immense joy, fulfillment and created authentic and deep relationships as you can read in the testimonials.
In case you are interested in travel, discover new places, meet different people and create international relationships in a cheap way but not in the topics of the exchange, you can not actively participate in all the phases of the project or you are not willing to go through self-reflection activities doesn't matter, it's perfectly fine and we don't get offended. We ask you then not to apply for this program - it may become a not pleasant experience for you - but go for what you really want and make it awesome!
In that case, you may find useful tools like Couchsurfing, Blablacar, traditional hitch-hiking, to get inspiration from other travelers through blogs or groups like this one or this one.
PROGRAM
The activities of the program are lectures, simulations, games, reflections, sharings, bodywork, guided visualizations, assignments. We use music to focus on the topic of the previous or next activity. The first part of the program happens inside the accommodation, the second part happens mainly outside and it's meant as a first playground to practice what learned.
In order to don't spoil the participants' experience and keep the surprise impact of each process we are not going to describe in details the program, we give you a general idea of what we will work on each day.
DAY 0 * 3rd October
ARRIVAL OF PARTICIPANTS:
Participants arrive at the accommodation and settle down, the registration happens and the organizers give practical information about the program
DAY 1 * 4th October
JUDGEMENT:
This first day focuses on identifying how each one of us judges, considers and weights situations and people and on the impact it has.
DAY 2 * 5th October
PATTERNS:
We will reflect on the automatic responses that we have towards life events and how they are affecting our life
DAY 3 * 6th October
SELF-LOYALTY:
Raise the ability to keep our first intention and not discourage or give up because of unexpected events
DAY 4 * 7th October
SPONTANEITY:
To liberate ourselves from the limits that we build to feed our public-image
DAY 5 * 8th October
OPPORTUNITIES:
Transition day to the outdoor part. It's there to provide space to reflect on the insights and new understandings gained in the previous days, how they are connected with each one's life and what do we want to change
DAY 6 * 9th October
CREATIVITY:
Participants have concrete opportunities to express their creativity out of nothing
DAY 7 * 10th October
CONFRONTATION:
Be confronted by reality and improve the ability to respond to events
DAY 8 * 11th October
FREEDOM:
We focus on creating the state where we always have a choice
DAY 9 * 12th October
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND LOOK FORWARD:
The last day of the program focuses on planning how to create each one's desired life change and take agreement about creating a support system to make it happen
DAY 10 * 13th October
DEPARTURE:
Participants and organizers leave the accommodation place
DAY -1 * 2nd October
ARRIVAL OF THE LEADERS:
Leaders and coordinators travel to Ravnogor and start preparing for the beginning of the program
OUTCOMES
The program embraces a variety of topics and different areas of life, therefore an individual while going through the program can identify different areas of improvement and choose to work on them according to their needs. Nevertheless, the possible outcomes connected with the topics of intercultural sensitivity and cross-cultural communication are:
- To foster intercultural sensitivity meant as the development of the skill of recognizing and living in contact with difference.
- To look at people and at situations as opportunities instead than obstacles.
- To raise the competencies needed to choose consciously different cultural lenses according to the situations and to the people, to allow access to Bright Horizons of understanding and connection.
- To provide concrete opportunities to meet and interact with diversity in order to overcome stereotypes and prejudices, to create empathy, openness, positive vision, cooperation and support in everyday life.
- To increase competences relevant for the employability in a multicultural environment, to empower cross-cultural communication skills, facilitate the access to job opportunities abroad and to youth international mobilities.
- To provide safe space for the participants to share ways to combat discrimination, to promote and disseminate a culture of inclusion and cooperation beyond borders with a sustainable win-win strategy.
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WHEN & WHERE
2nd October 2019: Arrival of the leaders
3rd October 2019: Arrival of the participants (meeting around 16:00 in Sofia, then travel together by bus to Ravnogor)
4th October 2019 (morning): Program starts
12th October 2019 (night): Closing of the program
13th October 2019: Departure to Sofia
The program will take place in Ravnogor, municipality of Bacigovo, Bulgaria, from the 4th till the 12th of October 2019. The travel days are the 3rd of October and the 13th of October, it's not allowed to arrive later or leave earlier. You can travel for a maximum of 2 extra days.
The facilitators and co-facilitators need to arrive on the 1st of October in Sofia for the preparation. Participants will meet around 17:00 in Sofia to travel together to Ravnogor by private bus. More precise information about the travel will be provided to participants and Team members after the confirmation. Don't buy your tickets before receiving the confirmation letter!
The main accommodation of the exchange is "Boryka Hotel", located in Vtora Street â„–35, 4582 Ravnogor, Bulgaria.
Boryka Hotel is an oasis of peace and calmness, a safe place very suitable for reflecting and focusing on oneself surrounded by mountains. The facilities we will use count on a wide activity room, a relaxing area for the coffee breaks, a kitchen, a dining room, double and triple bedrooms with private toilets, grasslands, forests and mountains surrounding the main building.
The accommodation is in the heart of the village Ravnogor, it's required to reduce to the minimum loud noises and don't disturb the life habits of the villagers. It's possible to spend free time outside the accommodation.
3 meals per day will be provided in the accommodation plus coffee breaks. Participants will take part in simple house duties to make the whole accommodation system work and foster team building (preparing coffee breaks, arranging and cleaning the dining area, cleaning the common spaces and their own rooms etc.).
Boryka Hotel
Vtora Street â„–35,
4582 Ravnogor
Bulgaria
EXPENSES
This program is supported by a co-funding of the European Union allocated by the Erasmus + program
through the Bulgarian National Agency.
We ask each participant to contribute to the development of the project by investing the amount of 50€
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT
It is available a reimbursement for the travel costs for the participants who take part in all phases of the project and provide the required travel documents (flight itinerary and boarding passes, bus and train tickets).
The reimbursement is done after the project, when follow-up activities are completed, up to the amounts stated below:
BULGARIA - 160€
GREECE - 250€
ITALY - 250€
LATVIA - 250€
LITHUANIA - 250€
SPAIN - 340€
THIS PROJECT IS FOR YOU IF:
° Your age is between 20 and 28 years
° You are committed and focus on working on your personal development: you want to work on yourself to make the difference that will bring you forward.
° You are not expecting that somebody will change your life and solve your issues but you want to create the change that you need! (it requires efforts and determination)
° You are interested in developing your attitudes, skills and knowledge in the areas of personal development, cultural awareness, cross-cultural communication and employability.
° You are willing to take part in the whole program and in all the activities
° You are ready to be challenged
° You are ready to get involved in non-formal activities for a duration of 12-13 hours per day
° You are able to freely communicate in simple English
° You are officially resident in one of the following countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Latvia Lithuania or Spain
COORDINATORS
PARTNERS
ABOUT US
Synergy Bulgaria is a youth worker organisation founded in 2014. Our focus is on creating lasting change and transformation in society and the environment around. We work with young people and through our work we empower them to bring positive change in our society. Our main field of work are trainings, group and personal
coaching, non-formal education and mentoring.
We organise public events, regional and international conferences, trainings, seminars and workshops. We use a diverse range of methods in our activities in order to develop competences like: entrepreneurship and
creativity, emotional intelligence, social inclusion, accountability, tolerance, empowerment, active participation and solidarity.
CONTACT:
Ina Todorova
Mail: info@synergybulgaria.com
Fabiano Bruno
Fabiano is the main coordinator of the program, he got in contact with the core elements of Bright Horizons method in 2009 and since that moment he started assisting and delivering similar programs in different countries in Europe, adapting the method to his own style and to each project and group.
He has a degree in Cross-cultural communication, a field he deepened in more than 10 years of youth work in international environments. He got the practitioner and master level in NLP from the International NLP Institute and he attended different coaching courses.
Fabrizio Gallo
Fabrizio got in contact with non-formal education and with the specific methods of this project in 2015 during his European Voluntary Service. After that experience he assisted and supported in similar projects, now it's time for him to take new roles facilitating part of the program.
Fabrizio believes in the power of learning through the body and he loves to combine movement and self-development.
He delivered programs in the field of coaching and bodywork in Croatia, Italy and Austria.
GREECE
Solidarity Mission Accademy
Contact person: Anna Cheimona
training@solidaritymission.org
Web page
Facebook page
ITALY
Associazione Vagamondo
Contact person: Giovanni Marino
info@vagamondo.info
Web page
Facebook page
LATVIA
Piedzīvojuma Gars
Contact person: Paula Ūdriņa
international@piedzivojumagars.lv
Web page
Facebook page
LITHUANIA
Synergy LT
Contact person: Aringa Balkaite
aringa@synergylt.lt
Web page
Facebook page
SPAIN
Ticket2Europe
Contact person: Ana del Valle
ana.delvalle@ticket2europe.eu
Web page
Facebook page
For more information or clarifications about the project contact the organization based in your country or contact us:
MAIL: brighthorizons.bulgaria@gmail.com
PHONE: +306945460567
Bright Horizons Team