A SoftSkills4Democracy (SK4D) mobility hosted by CGE Erfurt e.V.
As part of the SoftSkills4Democracy: Developing Key Competencies for Active Civic Participation project, CGE Erfurt e.V. hosted a two-week job shadowing mobility in Erfurt, Germany for four participants, two from Poland and two from Germany. The project is implemented by Logos NGO (Poland) and CGE Erfurt e.V. (Germany) within the Erasmus+ Program, youth Participation, funded by the European Union.
The mobility was designed as a practical learning experience that helps participants understand how civil society organisations operate, what professional roles inside CSOs look like, and how civic education activities are planned, delivered, and adapted in real working contexts.
When hosting the mobility, CGE structured the learning journey around Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, moving from experience to reflection and then to active experimentation.
Concrete experience: observing and participating in a Social Hackathon.
At the start of the mobility, participants actively shadowed CGE staff and joined the preparation and implementation of a community event (Social Hackathon hosted in the premises of OMA e.V. Weimar on the 27th-28th of September).
They observed facilitation in practice and took part in key steps: design, coordination, and facilitation, gaining a close view of how participatory methods are turned into inclusive learning spaces.
Reflective observation: guided reflection with the mobility coordinator.
After the Social Hackathon phase, CGE facilitated a structured reflection with the mobility coordinator.
Participants reviewed what they observed, discussed facilitation choices and group dynamics, and connected practical experiences to the SK4D competence framework.
Active experimentation: designing and facilitating their own event.
Building on the reflection, the participants moved into the active experimentation stage by creating and facilitating their own community activity: “Bake and Paint.”
The event focused on creativity skill development, using a friendly, hands-on format that encouraged open thinking, creativity, and community building.
The job shadowing mobility in Erfurt gave participants a meaningful hands-on experience of civic engagement in action. By moving through observation, reflection, and practice, they gained insight into the daily work of civil society organizations and strengthened key soft skills for active participation.
The project SoftSkills4Democracy (Pr. nr. 2024-1-DE04-KA154-YOU-000234648) is funded by the Erasmus+ foundation.#
