DAY 1 #EmplyAbility - 03rd of June 2025

The day began with a beautiful surprise: the breathtaking mountain landscape surrounding our venue. Energized by the fresh air and a delicious breakfast, we gathered for our first session.

We had a nice welcoming kit from Initiative Sociale.

We kicked off our first energiser – “Follow the Leader” to get our bodies moving and spirits lifted. With energy flowing, our facilitators introduced themselves, feeling very comfortable because of their good vibe and presented the main objectives of the project, helping us understand the journey we’re about to embark on.

To break the ice, we played a light-hearted "Fun Facts" game, where each participant picked a random number of slips of paper and shared the same number of fun facts about themselves. Laughter and curiosity set the tone for the rest of the day.

To help us connect on a deeper level, we took part in a series of interactive games: Toilet Paper Game – Participants took as many pieces as they wanted, and for each one, they had to share something about themselves.

Clock Dating – A speed-meeting activity where we had short “appointments” with each other to discover fun facts.

Name & Fun Story – A creative way to remember names through personal anecdotes.

Name & Favorite Animal/ Food/ Color – To learn more about each other's preferences and personalities.

After coffee break we started the session, A different kind of icebreaker game: Personal Coat of Arms.

We explored identity and storytelling through the “Coat of Arms” activity. Each participant created a visual representation of their personal and national identity. Through this, we discovered meaningful stories, shared values, and surprising similarities between us.

After lunch, we reflected on our:

✨ Expectations

😨 Fears

🤝 Contributions

This was done through the interactive “Backpack” session, where we symbolically “packed” everything we are bringing into the project: emotionally and mentally.

After this, we created our GROUP CONTRACT.

We closed the day with the “Wow, I Got That!” summary activity, where we reflected on what we learned during the day. This was followed by our Daily Reflection session, offering a moment of pause and self-awareness.

In the end we had also the leaders meeting to discuss the feedback of the day.

 

In the evening, we had informal social time. Some participants played the guitar, others joined in conversations about our backgrounds, cultures, and hometowns. It was a beautiful start to building a strong, cohesive group: one laugh and story at a time.