Top 5... Things we learned at briefing!

Second briefing was last weekend, and Team Estonia is starting to recover. The weekend focussed on skills and information for our GOLD project, but it is also relevant in our roles as Guiders.

Here are our top 5 lessons of second briefing (which are also helpful to local Guiders!)

1. WAGGGS has some amazing resources

We are one of 10 million members of WAGGGS, and our world association has a huge variety of badges and resources available. Whether it is information on World Thinking Day, or an environmental challenge, there is an activity pack to help! You can check some of them out here: 

2. Facilitation techniques are all around useful

The training we had on facilitation was really interesting. We were discussing how we can facilitate the creation of ideas and the sharing of knowledge without the traditional one person lecturing at the front. This will be useful on project, but also in the rest of our Guiding lives and beyond!

3. A photo can tell a thousand words, but a good photo tells so much more

Whether it is nailing the exposure, or setting up the perfect composition, Alyson has received specialist training in how to best photograph our journey. Stay tuned for a blog post for top tips.

4. Translating is an art

Katie went to a specialist translating on working with Translators, an essential element of working in country. She is now armed with top tips on dealing with a translator and what to do if you have a rogue translator! We will soon be sharing a blog post with some helpful Estonian phrases as your team is learning them.

5. Guiding friendships don’t need translating!

We are all part of a global friendship, and as always, we spent the weekend filled with fun, laughter, and friends. Our whole journey will be sharing this friendship, so stay in touch by following our blog, facebook, and our new Twitter!

The Briefing... in Brief

Team Estonia met for our second briefing weekend over the 22 - 24 of April. This weekend was a chance to prepare and run our first activities as a team, and do some more of the essential planning. It is only just over 2 months til we leave for Estonia, so we needed to get off to a flying start!

Bringing it All Together

This briefing was held in London, and we mostly travelled by train to get there. Kudos to Charlotte for travelling the longest to reach us on Friday night. On this weekend, we were joined by the other 7 GOLD 2016 teams, and it was good to catch up with other guiding friends. 

Team Time

Throughout the course of the weekend, we had plenty of time to work together as Team Estonia, and find out more of our specific project. Charlotte has been working closely with the Estonian Guide Association to develop the specifics of the project, and we were eager to find out more. As details are confirmed in coming weeks, we will be sharing them with you as well! 

WAGGGS Resources - Part of our training session from WAGGGS

Leaning From the Best

We were fortunate over the course of the weekend to have specialist trainers from GOLD, Girlguiding, and even WAGGGS to help prepare us for the tasks ahead. Each of us was trained in our specific roles, as well as in general areas to assist our project. We had a chance to test out our own training skills by running an activity for the other teams, gain feedback, and then learn more about improving our own training skills. 

Not too serious

Spice Girls Ready! (Complete with Alien from Spice World Movie)

Throughout the weekend, we enjoyed ourselves, although one highlight had to be as Saturday night's entertainment. Of course it was St George's day, and although he is but one patron saint of the United Kingdom, it was a chance to celebrate with a Royal Variety Performance (Of course, we were also commemorating the Queen's Birthday!) Team Estonia had been asked to prepare an item from the 1990's, so we dressed as the Spice Girls, danced to the Macarena, and played giant Tetris! The tetris game was a lot of fun for the participants, and you can try it with your own group with our instructions here. 

Where to now?

The next few weeks are critical for the success of Team Estonia 2016. You can play a part by supporting our events around the country, or making a donation towards our fundraising efforts. 

Please also follow us on Facebook to keep up with the latest news. 

Bring on the Briefing

This weekend marks the next milestone in our GOLD journey. While things may appear to have been quiet, the last month has been a flurry of organising, fundraising, and making decisions. Our badges are due for delivery this week; have you got your order in yet?

We have also been planning for this weekend. As well as receiving tons of information and training, as a team we need to deliver two short sessions over the course of the weekend. Our activity on Estonia is drawn from our challenge badge pack, and our 90s themed game is based on the classic Tetris. While 'games' may seem trivial to outsiders, they are a core element of the guiding method which underpins our project. Effective use of games in training can not only deliver content, but engage learners as active participants, and readily respond to the needs of different learning styles. Stay tuned to this blog for our feedback on how well it went, and for full copies of the activities.