Autore: paolo

A few months ago, in one of the activities during an Erasmus Plus training in which I participated, I stopped to reflect for a few minutes and mentally relived some stages of my trainings from the primary school onwards. I wanted to understand if there were some traits in common throughout this “journey”, the characteristic elements linked to the most representative stages. And here emerged in my mind: games played during physical lessons and during intervals between lessons at the elementary school, the endless game afternoons in a yard, Christmas recitals, music workshops in the middle school, football training sessions and tournaments, physics experiments in high school, practical activities at the University… Have fun, grow, experience new situations and meet new people, make mistakes, get hurt and start again and learn new skills. Beautiful memories, clear in my mind even after many year, related to people, situations, times and places. Memories, indeed, related to experiences… Thinking about the most representative moments of my personal development to my mind continued to come precise episodes, particular situations and specific facts. In those months, talking with people close to me and with education professionals (trainers and teachers) I have had the opportunity to get numerous feedback on my vision, as if there was a thin thread that connects MEMORIES, EXPERIENCES and PERSONAL LEARNING.

Which of you doesn’t have strong memories linked to certain moments of his childhood? Who doesn’t remember passion and enthusiasm of their favorite professor? Who wouldn’t want to go back to the times when everyday going to the courtyard was an unforgettable experience?

Well, I think if not everyone, at least most of you would. I believe this is where something very important resides, something that more and more educators are understanding and that each of us (father, mother, grandfather, sport instructor) should take into consideration: the importance of EXPERIENCE. A practical activity (playing, reading, dancing) that becomes an experience when inserted into an educational path, considering appropriate time and space.

Experience as a fundamental part of learning (what we will soon see), has an immense power to allow a learner (child, boy or adult) to acquire much more than what is visibly taught.

And you, what experience did you stamp into your memory?

I came across the Erasmus Plus program almost by accident. It was October 2014 and during an international sport conference in Rome, talking to some of organisations’ representatives, I discovered the existence of a series of activities, initiatives and projects financed by the EU, aimed at improving skills of youth and youth workers (educators, coaches, teachers, etc.).

And so, a few months later, I was selected to participate in a training course in Poland, focused on team building and outdoor activities, training tools for children and teenagers. The experience was inspiring and allowed me to start, a quality, fun and engaging training path.

A world has opened up to me: a world in which for the L’ORMA, always dedicated to the training of children, teenagers and teachers, the possibility of comparison and growth was real; a world where the L’ORMA, always unique in the field of sport associations, has been able to meet European “cousins” with similar characteristics, with which to share methodologies, educational tools and best practices; a world in which the L’ORMA, always characterized by a methodology based on “learning by doing”, has been able to find a European reference, recognized and certified, focused on experiential training and non-formal education.

Since the beginning of 2015 there has been a succession of emotions. I participated in five one-week training courses in 5 different countries and in a two-year sport project. In March I will go to Peru and in July to Cameroon. But the greatest satisfaction was that of being able to propose some training opportunities also to the members of our staff. Just as I’m writing in fact I am together with 2 L’Orma’s couches, Elena and Daniele, in Scotland at the “Life Story to True Glory” training course. In recent days, Sara and Federico participated in the training course “InsideOut: Let’s be your guide”, and next week will be the turn of Lorraine and Ombretta who will take part in the project “Promoting Sustainable Living” in England.

I’m sure that they will be fantastic and unforgettable experiences, as they have been for me; opportunities to grow and chances to acquire new skills and incentives to bring back into our daily work with children and teenagers.

We are there, in a constantly changing world and we turn our eyes to Europe!

Yes, for the work that we have done last year, L’ORMA received a recognition from the Provincial Scholastic Office of Milan. A thank you, above all, should go to prof. Giuliana Cassani, who for many years has been following us and supporting at the institutional level our educational activities in the area of Milan. It’s a recognition that makes us proud because it doesn’t only concern the projects we carry out and the activities we do, but above all the way we conceive our work and desire to “connect”, network and always search for new synergies.

Very often, when we think about a new project, or when we have to conduct one of our many activities, we find ourselves having to make some CHOICES. Very often the choices go from one extreme to another, with no way out. And it’s exactly in these situations that we are guided by our values, hopes, beliefs and expectations. All these aspects aim at an active involvement of the highest possible number of “actors”, who are all different and can contribute to the common cause. Take opposites, put them together, enhance what is good in each of them, and allow them to bring their own input. This way the most beautiful and most rewarding projects are born, that really start from needs of the parties involved and find innovative, synergistic and sustainable solutions.

It’s exactly with this principle that years ago the educational paths were born in schools, that represent private projects promoted in a public reality – examples of the non formal education fulfilled in the “formal” context par excellence, aimed at the union of sport and theatre activities. Characterized by a multidisciplinary (exercises, dance and acting) involvement, puts kids in a playful mood which helps them to get out of their comfort zone. And in these conditions are integrated also the L’Orma’s summer camps and afternoon theatre and sport activities for children / teenagers – initiatives that take place in schools outside regular, curricular activities. And so on for all our other activities: training courses for teachers, sport events, social promotion projects and everything that we will do in the future.

This is what we do and how we do it… Namely who we are is a reality that seeks daily to combine the profit with the non-profit: to make the institution dialogue with the private sector, to reconcile the formal with the non-formal, to develop entrepreneurship and enhance volunteering, look towards the future and act in the present, operate in Lombardy and plan projects in Europe… All of this and much more make our organisation unique in its kind, ready to receive an extraordinary recognition… This drives us to continue growing every day with passion and professionalism.