Day 1 LevelUp: Ready4Work

New faces, fresh energy and excitement filled the mountain village of Vatra Dornei as participants from multiple countries arrived for the program.

Our first morning kicked off at 9:00 AM with a well-deserved breakfast that was a moment to fuel up and prepare for the day ahead. By 10:00 AM, the fun began with an energizer game: one person led a series of movements while everyone else copied them, an outside participant had to guess the leader. By the end of the round, we were already starting to learn each other’s names, faces, and even a few dance moves.

Afterwards we moved into our first official ice-breaking activity. Each participant introduced themselves (name, country) helping us attach stories to faces right from the start. We then played an inclusion game: one person stepped into the middle of the circle and shared a statement like, “I have siblings” or “I know more than three languages.” Anyone who related stepped in, held hands, and shared a brief conversation. This instantly revealed surprising common ground.

A coffee break at 11:30 AM gave us a chance to relax and chat informally. At 12:00 PM, we jumped into another ice-breaker with a ball: whoever caught it shared something funny or interesting about themselves. We discovered secret talents, amazing abilities and who among us had the quickest reflexes.

Before lunch, we focused on two crucial project moments. First, we collaboratively set the rules for the project, ensuring a respectful, open and safe environment. Ideas included listening actively, respecting differences, being punctual and being active. Then our facilitator handed out papers with a backpack drawing. Participants filled their “backpacks” with expectations, contributions and fears for the project. It was a simple exercise with powerful results, helping everyone articulate what they hoped to gain, what they planned to offer and what worried us inside.

We also took a quiet moment to reflect and write down our current feelings, hopes and first impressions on post-its. These notes will be kept until the final day as a small reflection to track our growth and changing perspectives.

Lunch at 1:30 PM was a treat we had warm chicken soup, beans and Romanian dishes that offered us energy. After lunch, we enjoyed a siesta from 2:00 to 3:30 PM to rest and recharge.

The afternoon brought deeper teamwork. From 3:30 PM, small groups discussed the project’s five main objectives, exploring why each was important for both personal and professional skills of this project. Conversations were thoughtful and enriched by diverse perspectives.

A coffee break at 5:30 PM provided a quick recharge before a creative exercise at 6:00 PM. Each participant received a shield drawing to fill with dream jobs, hobbies, values and things they love. The result was a map of who we are and who we aspire to be.

The activities day closed with a reflection session for participants and a leaders’ meeting, helping us process experiences and prepare for the days ahead.

Dinner at 7:00 PM featured traditional Romanian dishes, the right energy boost for the evening ahead. At 9:00 PM, we began the Romanian-Polish Cultural Night.

The Polish team opened with energy, teaching us handy phrases in polish, sharing a short video about Poland and presenting fun facts through a friendly competition. The Romanian team followed with a quiz, where mixed country teams answered questions about culture and history. We also played an art game recreating famous Romanian places and artworks and volunteers led a storytelling round that turned into an improv show. Both teams showcased traditional foods and drinks, and the night ended with folk dances from both countries .

Day 1 is complete and we are so happy that we achieved so many things: expectations written, rules agreed, backpacks filled, names and dance moves learned.

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