At the Easter weekend, the first platform ever for members of selected ESN CZ sections took place in Pardubice. Besides the representatives of the organizing ESN Pardubice, the event attended more than twenty participants. Organizers prepared a rich program for participants filled with games and aimed at getting know-each-other and teambuilding activities, useful workshops and sightseeing. The organization of such events to fully explore the possibilities and capabilities of the hosts. They took their job admirably, as will convince a few more lines.
For those interested, Friday's program of "Východočeská platforma" that has been lead to the topic of Shrek, began in the afternoon so as to catch the afternoon of surprises. This was baking gingerbread on the university premises nearby elementary school. In areas of local gyms, guests were also accommodated for the duration of the event. While some have successfully baked gingerbread, other members of the platform gradually came to Pardubice, so that in the 19 hours managed to officially start the program. After an opening speech by Martin Trpišovský, president of ESN Pardubice, the participants mutually acquainted through the game "Go if ...," the newly created team then strengthen them by teambuilding game known as the "magic shoes." Subsequently, the opening evening at the club Áčko turned into a competitive arena of three teams – Shrek, Fiona and a Donkeys. They amusingly competed in both the motion, as well as educational and creative games. Among the motion one belonged mascots handoff between cooperative members without using his hands back and forth for a time, educational games focused on network ESN and on the theme of Shrek, the evening culminated creative actors' scenes focusing on the stories associated with Erasmus, travel and international coexistence.
The main day of the program was a Saturday, which the participants spent primarily in the areas of Jan Perner Transport Faculty and surroundings. Three workshops were prepared for the morning block. Introductory, joint, named "ESN for Newbies" targeted particularly to new ESN members, who were introduced local, national and international level of ESN International. This workshop was followed by two other simultaneous tracks. One was focused on advanced knowledge of Google documents, the latter on the issue of extending visas of foreign students and other issues relating to the Aliens Police. After the lunch break, a block of afternoon workshops, focusing on communication and personality development were delivered. First, participants play to "jailbreak" seated back to back having forwarding papers through a secret message to reach a common escape. The reasons why it ultimately failed to achieve were subsequently discussed. The afternoon continued teambuilding activities focused on "ecosystems." Outdoor areas of the university were deployed by ten checkpoints symbolized particular animals forming ecosystem and their map, three teams were challenged in maintaining the viability of the ecosystem in different periods of the year, for a period of three years. "Ecosystems" more than capably tested the athletic ability and logical thinking of all participants involved. After time expired on the activity itself, discussions between trainers and participants about the way management game, its pitfalls and benefits that "ecosystems" brought were held. Last workshop called "colleage of dreams" was a more relaxing acitivity then previous. Through pictures cut out of magazines participants visualized their dreams and outline them in a few years. Everyone had the opportunity to take their vision of the future home. After a short rest after a hard day, the program continued at a restaurant in a local brewery. After the dinner, the "Pub Tour" started. This already legendary "tour" organized for foreign students was that day organized for the first time also for Czech ESN members. Part of the "Pub Tour" was also the last block of competitions, during which Shreks, Fionas and Donkeys could get some more points in the competition.
Sunday's program was focused on the announcement of the winners of platform competitions and "City Tour." Of the teams competing in Friday's competitions, "ecosystem" and "Pub Tour", the Shreks won, its members were deservedly received prizes in the form of souvenirs of University of Pardubice. After the official end of the platform,some of the participants drove to their homes, but most of them participated in tours of the castle and historical center of Pardubice.
Dozen of members of ESN Pardubice, two external lecturers and two other leading workshops contributed to the organization of "Východočeská platforma." Without their efforts, the willingness to sacrifice free time and efforts to distract quality work with this platform would have not been possible to achieve such a compact program of corresponding quality. Thanks also University of Pardubice for providing the classrooms and financial support for the event.