Empower Myself 2025 – The First Weekend Workshop Took Place
In October, we held the first weekend of our training program withing the project called Empower Myself. This is our four-session developmental program for young people. The venue was the Mission Center Bethlehem in Jelka (Slovakia), where 20 young participants – from villages Tomášikovo and Jelka – spent a meaningful and experience-rich weekend together.
The aim of project Empower Myself is to support young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in becoming more self-aware, responsible, and confident as they take steps toward their future, the labour market, and independent living.
Participants arrived on Friday afternoon and began the evening with introductions, group games, and setting the framework for teamwork. From the very first moment, it was clear that an open, curious, and enthusiastic group had come together.
Saturday focused on self-awareness and cooperation: in the morning, various exercises deepened the participants’ self-knowledge, while in the afternoon, outdoor educational experiences helped them test themselves in new situations, develop teamwork and self-expression skills, and experience what it means to create and overcome challenges together. The evening was dedicated to career orientation – through playful and interactive activities, we explored future planning so that participants could envision their personal development paths.
The weekend concluded with self-reflective exercises, giving everyone the chance to look back on their progress and identify areas for further growth. Our goal was to help participants recognize their strengths and face the future with confidence.
This first session was a promising start – an inspiring, experience-filled weekend during which a real community began to form.
We thank all our volunteers for their background work and support, without which this weekend could not have taken place. We are already looking forward to the next weekends to continue the journey together!
The training was implemented with the support of the European Union.
More information about the project is available here.
