Hallo zusammen! Here I’m going to share some impressions on the interesting (and funny) opportunities provided by the Arrival and Mid-Term Seminars of the European Solidarity Corps.
The arrival seminar, as the name hints, takes place right at the start of the project. I attended the one hosted in Würzburg, Bavaria (or Franconia, as a local lady made clear to me in the tram) in October. Then came the mid-term seminar, which took place in the city of Weimar, Thuringia. As I write, I’ve just returned from there.
These seminars have two key purposes: one, to help deepen our understanding of the European Solidarity Corps and of all the initiatives supporting young people provided by the EU and the hosting country, and two, to give us space to reflect on our personal journeys, the relationships we’re building, and, of course, the ESC projects we’re working on. Plus, these seminars are a great resource for meeting other volunteers from all corners of Europe, creating a network of amazing contacts, today here in Germany, tomorrow far beyond.
Through non-formal education, I explored topics like Europe, democracy, sustainability, and inclusion—not just in theory, but in a way that made them tangible. Beyond that, I also learned about opportunities in Germany, strategies for learning German, self-organization, and problem-solving. The approach was practical and engaging, proving that structured learning isn’t the only way to gain valuable knowledge.
Visiting Würzburg and Weimar turned out to be a nice chance to discover new parts of Germany. Würzburg has really nice vibes, with a scenic bridge over the Main River, where people gather for a glass of wine, so different from the highway-surrounded river of Stuttgart (Rest in peace, Neckar!). Then there’s Weimar, a Mecca for people interested in History. This city, though not huge (sizes don’t matter) has played a central role throughout history, from Goethe&Schiller to the Weimar Republic, the Bauhaus movement, and, sadly, the Buchenwald concentration camp. Today, Weimar is a vibrant university city, packed with German and European school groups, a wonderful city center and a huge park crossed by a beautiful river (now that I think about it, I really give a lot of importance to rivers in cities).
One of the best parts of the mid-term Seminar was reuniting with some of the people I met in Würzburg (and getting to know new ones). It’s not always easy to catch up with everyone in the cold German winter. Leipzig or Berlin are not known for their January Blue skies…You know, not every German city is as sunny as Stuttgart… But we’ve made some promises to meet again soon—maybe when spring finally brings some colors.
So weit, so Gut, bis bald…
