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How to organise Education Action Week

Dear education-enthusiast / AEGEE antenna,

You decided you want to contribute to AEGEE Flagship Project 2007 „Education Unlimited!” (EDUN) and show students what possibilities university and education can actually offer – you want to organise Education Action Week (EAW)!
That’s great. When there’s a will, there’s a way. Here are some simple guidelines, how you can achieve that.

  1. Take a look at EDUN web site. There you can find some background information about Bologna Process, lifelong learning, non-formal education – what do these words mean, the current problems and progress, future views, etc – just to get your ideas going! In the download section we will also have some materials that can be used to distribute to the participants of you EAW. From the links you can find more information and also list of possible partners.

    2. NB! Download and links section coming up soon!

  2. Discuss the EAW with the members of your antenna. Make a little brainstorm what you can do and write down your first ideas. If you need some inspiration, check:

    3. NB! Contact EDUN team to let us know about your plan! EAW responsible: Kadri Kalle - kadri.kalle@aegee.org

  3. Research! Talk to professors, fellow students, graduates – what do they think should be done better in your university, what could be improved? Test their knowledge – are there issues they don’t know, but should? You don’t have to make big questionnaires, just talking to few people can give enough background information to give direction for the EAW.
  4. Put down some general points:
    • target group – students in your university? Also from other universities? Involve high school students? Youth NGOs? etc;
    • concrete aims – from the general aims of EAW, what are realistic for your antenna to achieve;
    • length – how long will your action last? 2 days? Few hours’ activity? The whole week? During the weekend?
  5. Find partners! Student Unions, enthusiastic university staff, other NGOs dealing with education and students. Discuss your ideas and plan with them. Maybe they have something to add. Together finalise the aims, target group, activities etc.

    6. NB! It’s not hard to find partners. University lecturers and deans can sometimes be impressed by your belief into the activities and the innovative ideas. Even if at first you don’t get the support you were hoping, you have tried. But mostly active students with spark in their eyes are hard to turn down ;)

  6. Form a concrete team – who will be main coordinator, make clear task division, put the organising time into time frame (preparations, the event, evaluation). Be precise – every action should have deadline and person responsible for that!

    7. NB! If you need any help with the content (drafting activities, defining aims, where to find more information, even speakers, etc) – ask EDUN team! We are here to make it easier for you!

  7. Search for speakers, workshop leaders, etc – university teaching staff, politicians, youth workers, drama teachers, alumni of student NGOs. Try to involve them as soon as possible (by the middle of September)! Discuss also the whole content with them – maybe they have good ideas and could give extra value to the event. Also keep in mind that they might be busy people and unavailable if you contact them too late.
  8. Funding – every good event needs resources. Even not with a long organising period you could get some funding, ask support from your university or local authorities.

    9. One idea: if you organise discussion clubs every evening of the week in one café, you may be able to get some free drinks/food or discount from them.

  9. Find a venue for your EAW. It could be in your university campus, in one big hall or in many different buildings. If you’re planning bigger conference, that could also take place out of town. If weather is good, you could use public places like town hall square or centrally located park.
    Also think of evening activities: some discussions could take place in cafés, and it would be nice to end your event with a party.
  10. Don’t forget to promote your event! Let us know about your activities and we will make it public on EDUN web site. On local level, use university newspapers, your antenna’s web site and different mailing lists to inform people about EAW already few weeks before the event. Posters and flyers in visible and popular places help as well. Just before the event send press releases and invite journalists to your event.
  11. Check the details – do you have the necessary technical support (data beamers, etc), information materials for speakers and participants, also something for the people to eat :P etc.
  12. During the EAW, make sure it is recorded - assign a minute taker, a photographer, if possible let someone film the activities, etc. After your event, send the collected materials also to EDUN team, so we can show them on our web site. Don’t forget to highlight the most important results you had – we can add them to the “True stories”. Fill in the evaluation form given by EDUN.
  13. Ask also participants (and speakers) for feedback, and evaluate your work. Maybe you could make EAW one of the annual events of your antenna, so this can be good basis for it – what could be discussed and organised next year, what things need more organising, etc.
  14. Allow yourself little afterparty and rest – you did great! For sure you made impact on many people.
  15. This doesn’t have to be the end! Probably EAW has raised questions and problems that participants and organisers would like to discuss more and take action in solving them. Try to get together the partners who helped you in EAW organising and make a follow-up event (eg within 4 months time after EAW). What could be better way to start on-going cooperation and really make a change!

Wishing you good luck and let us know how will it go!

Yours,
EDUN team