32 EVS VOLUNTEERS PRESENT ERASMUS + TO BODRUM STUDENTS

On the 3rd of May, the 30 European Voluntary Service (EVS) youngsters, accompanied and assisted by several of their Turkish teammates, visited the Bodrum Anadolu Lisesi. The purpose of the visit was to speak with the students from the 9th to 11th grade about the opportunities that the Erasmus+ Programme provides. The volunteers were met with great attention and enthusiasm and they quickly felt the cozy school atmosphere. The students were helpful in any possible way, providing necessary materials and assisting with the terrain arrangements.
Despite the fact that some of them were a bit anxious to present in front of curious, noisy and questioning teenagers, the EVS youngsters quickly forgot every bit of nervousness, once the conversations started. On one hand and in spite of their limited knowledge of Turkish language, the attempts of the volunteers to speak in the students’ native language were highly appreciated and even met with enthusiastic clapping.

On the other hand, the volunteers were impressed not only by the youngsters’ level of English but also by their significant familiarity with the Erasmus+ Program itself. Most of the teenagers have already heard about the program and also were able to name several of their friends who had personal experience with it. They were particularly interested in the opportunity to travel and study abroad, learn about new cultures and traditions, without having to worry about significant expenses. The students asked a lot of questions during the Erasmus+ introduction and were also curious to find out about the programme also after the presentations. Deivi-Päivi Preitof from Estonia was happy to see how her class responded to the information and she stayed after the official part to answer many additional questions. The students showed genuine curiosity which filled the EVS volunteers with hope that the young people will have the same luck and chance to explore the world and meet many new friends.
The volunteers later shared that there has been ‘light’ in the student’s eyes and they felt ‘emotionally charged’ by their friendly response. Cristina Cervantes, one of the Spanish volunteers, said that her team was presenting in front of a class of 45 students. “In the beginning it was scary, however later everyone started exchanging ideas, asking questions, laughing and making jokes, so it was impossible not to relax,” says Cristina. Noteworthy, many of the students showed enviable knowledge of Spanish.

Another fellow volunteer, Michaela Šuľáková from Slovakia expressed her delight from the student’s active approach. “Even though they were little bit noisy and sometimes too lively, they were very open to collaborate and they were also courageous to share their knowledge about the programme,” says Michaela. Judit Lovasz from Hungary shared that this was one of her first public presentations and that she is grateful for this experience.
At the end of the day there was something different with our EVS team. They have received so much positive energy and smiles, they felt so welcome and appreciated that they found it hard to part with the students. The experience and memories that they took home will be for sure valued and treasured for life. This is a yet another lesson that only the open-minded intercultural communication can provide.