The family ready to learn and respect each other's values
Kriszta Molnar
Education and Training (Budapest)
Today, I believe the wall is breaking down.
SALTO E&T TCA was the first SALTO in the field of education and training. It arrived in a reality, where the youth SALTOs were already there for more than 15 years. It was challenging to find a place in a well-established community and balance creating something new for the education and training field corresponding the needs and properly using the treasure that was already there in the youth field.
I can recall two major challenges: one of them was, that the E&T national agencies were so happy to finally get a SALTO for themselves, that they presented similar expectations to the one single SALTO as much as the seven youth SALTOs were providing to the youth national agencies at that time. It was obviously impossible to cater for. Fortunately, within a few years SALTO Digital, SALTO Green and SALTO Inclusion in education and training were established, and SALTO Participation became cross-sectoral, so this situation was solved.
The other challenge was the ‘a wall’ between the youth and education and training fields. It seemed fully artificial to me as we work for the same goal, we share the same values, all the sectors can offer something for the other, so I hoped – together with many colleagues – that the sectors can work in a closer cooperation. Today, I believe that the wall is breaking down and we – in the SALTO family – are mutually ready to learn from each other and respect the values of both fields.
I am very glad and proud to see what the team offers today for all sectors.
Transnational cooperations of the national agencies carry an enormous value in supporting the beneficiaries in creating quality projects. The instrument of transnational cooperation activities (TCAs) was introduced in 2014 in the field of education and training, while the National Agencies did not have any support for the coordination. The need was there and was expressed by the network of NA directors to make the TCAs transparent, strategically harmonized, planned and monitored. The voice of the directors was heard by the Commission and thus the SALTO E&T TCA was brought to life.
From my subjective point of view, the SALTO E&T TCA was ‘my baby’ and I tried to support its growth with passion, with my heart and mind and with a lot of time and patience. I am very glad and proud to see what the team – with the leadership of Kata, with the dedicated work of Juli, Marianna, Timi, Edina and Fruzsi, with the support of Istvan – offers today for all sectors.
Youth and education and training sectors can and should support each other.
I am very thankful for having been part of the SALTO community as I both personally and professionally enriched a lot. We can be very different and still can be going in the same direction. Being open to different perspectives and alternative solutions, while keeping a constructively critical mindset – this approach I find helpful to bring us closer to our common European project. And I even more firmly believe that the youth and education and training sectors can and should support each other on this journey.
It was super exciting to create something new through which we could support the network of national agencies.
I’m Kriszta, originally from Hungary. I have always been a person who wanted to help others no matter in what role I was. In primary school I did homework together with my schoolmates, especially in maths, and later I became a teacher. I always interpreted the teaching role as being a supporter and facilitator and this attitude stayed with me.
After having spent more than 10 years in the world of EU development projects, in 2018, I got the opportunity to build up the SALTO Education and Training team together with Istvan Verses, the head of the Erasmus+ Unit in the Hungarian national agency. It was super exciting to create something new through which we could support the network of national agencies and via that the beneficiaries of the Erasmus+ programme.
I remained a person who wants to help and support developments. Now, in my role at the SALTO European Solidarity Corps in Vienna, I want to believe that with the work we do, we contribute to bringing all of us closer to a more solidary world.
