Leaves are falling, but motivation is growing. The autumn meeting of the Polish Network

Although grey and sleepy days will soon become our reality, there is no shortage of energy and enthusiasm in our Network, which was already evidenced by the first ‘anti-integration’ session led by the master of entertainment – David ‘The Fish’. We started the next day with a group journey through the stations prepared by our trainers – Asia Stompel and Jędrzej Szynkowski. The stations helped us to take a deeper look at our motivation, actions, and values regarding the Network. As well as being a lot of fun, wandering through the stations was an opportunity to learn new perspectives on engaging with the Network and reflect on our own EuroPeers journey.

We spent the rest of the day planning initiatives in the set project groups. We will prepare something for you on Volunteer Day and organise a special event in connection with the Polish Presidency of the EU. There will also be a new film project and, soon, the Erasmus Days event in Lublin.

However, the meeting was an opportunity to plan initiatives and share skills and talents. There was plenty to choose from; Kinga offered a forum theatre class, Veronica taught how to learn languages, Przemek explored motivation and how to stimulate it, and Mateusz shared ways to create stories that inspire listeners. The EuroPeers network is a community that gathers ideas and values. Still, this time, we could also gather around the campfire to talk, sing, and enjoy the warmth of the fire while roasting sausages, peppers, or even pineapple.

For everyone to enjoy a full and active membership, rules of operation are necessary, as reminded by our network coordinator, Magda Szykor. On the other hand, Kaja ensured smooth communication and easy access to resources by overhauling our Discord server. From now on, everyone can quickly and seamlessly report on activities, contact others and use our materials. Each member of our Network is unique, so we decided to recognise those especially involved with a special award, the scope and dimension we discussed together at the end of the meeting.

During our autumn meeting, we ensured our Network ran smoothly. We shared knowledge, planned activities and took care of relationships. We included new people in our community and strengthened friendships. As a result, we returned home confident that, although the leaves will continue to fall in the weeks ahead, our motivation for action will only grow.

text: Kamil Oleszkiewicz