International encounters, new friendships, sports, fun and, above all, knowledge were the focus of the INVEST congress week in Niederöblarn. From 4 to 10 September, volunteers from six federations (OREL, FSCF, DJK, CSR, NBA Aquila and SPORTUNION) were warmly welcomed by steering group member Claudiu Roznovszky and coordinators Alexandra Hoffmann and Sebastian Immler.
A wide range of workshops for personal development
The programme for the congress week was varied and served to further the volunteers’ formal and informal development. The topics for the workshops were chosen in a participatory manner and were intended to serve personal and professional development: stress and time management. Event management, sponsorship, Erasmus grants and Youth Pass were the relevant topics.
Practical exercises and project preparation
Other important topics such as recognising one’s own limits, teamwork, gender equality, communication and cooperation were incorporated into the practical exercises as part of the icebreaker games, sports night, sports fun tournament and quiz night. Another focus was on preparing for the practical training in 2026. Key tasks were discussed and the volunteers divided the tasks according to their interests and ‘already set to work diligently’ (Alexandra Hoffmann). The previous workshops helped to keep the relevant points in mind and to proceed in a structured manner. The evaluation of the project was also started this week. Mag. Dr. Rosa Diketmüller accompanied and observed the progress of the volunteers on site.
Experiencing community and making friends
The volunteers’ desire to share many moments together, engage in sports activities and take breaks between workshops to recharge their batteries was also taken into account. New friendships were formed and unforgettable moments created during the joint hiking trip, self-organised sports games and campfire. The final game night was prepared by the volunteers and started with an exciting escape room game they had created themselves. All the volunteers agreed: we are looking forward to preparing the 2026 Youth Congress together for the next volunteers and, above all, to seeing each other again.
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