Soulbus project/jamk Part B: National tailored pilot Case Gloria, Soultraining, Summary Juurakko Anu, Multicultural Center Gloria Paalanen Kaisu, Jamk UAS Hopia Hanna, Jamk UAS Sihvonen Sanna, Jamk UAS 4th of May 2015
Multicultural Center Gloria Multicultural Center Gloria is an interactive forum where people and cultures meet. It offers together with visitors multicultural activities for every individual in Jyväskylä. It works for equality, against racism and prejudice by creating events and discussion on multiculturalism. For multicultural and ethnic groups, there is possibility to use the facilities for voluntary activities. Multicultural groups meet in Gloria and it offers accommodation to organize courses, events, conferences and exhibitions. As a volunteer, you can participate in existing activities or create new ideas. (Introduction to Gloria, 2014) http://www.monikulttuurikeskus-gloria.fi/portal/index.php/en/glorianesittely
Jamk University of Applied Sciences JAMK University of Applied Sciences is an international higher education institution with expertise in 8 different fields of study. At JAMK we have more than 9,000 students and experts from over 70 countries. In the field of Social Services and Health Care we offer seven bachelor s and four master s degree programmes. Degree Programme in Nursing is offered in English.
Goals of Soultraing project Overall aim: to strengthen social capital and mutual trust between JAMK and Gloria Goal of this pilot is To increase teachers, students and mentors multicultural competence To create a course of action for collaboration between Gloria and JAMK in terms of practical placements To familiarize JAMK s teachers with Gloria as a local nongovernmental organization and familiarize also Gloria s employees with JAMK as a higher education institution To offer new activities for Gloria s people, which will help their integration to multicultural Finland and possibilities for cooperation between locals and immigrants. To offer students possibility to gain experience to work in a multicultural context
Problem description Growing number of foreign students at JAMK need a suitable practical placement every year. There is a lack of practical placements and mentors for foreign students in Jyvaskyla area. NGOs are not so often used as practical placements. There might not be common language between student and mentor in practical training of nursing students. Students are Jamk s Degree programme students or the exchange students There is not an established practice in JAMK how to collaborate with NGOs to place students in them to do their practical placements.
Partners Partner pair in Jyväskylä is JAMK University of Applied Sciences, School of Health and Social Studies Multicultural Center Gloria (administered by KYT, The Supportative Association for the Third Sector Organisations in Central Finland, Funded by RAY and Jyväskylä City)
Participants There were 38 students, some interpreters and of course Gloria s staff taking part to these actions. Student did transform their knowledge into action and they did plan, implement and report health promotion activities. The clients were individuals visiting in Gloria whose background is often multicultural. People also represented various age groups and different educational backgrounds. Their length of stay in Finland varies a lot. Their level of skills in speaking Finnish is different, as well as their knowledge of English or sometimes they speak only their own mother tongue
Methods Health Promotion Project by preventative nursing Working in pairs / small groups: Local student (mother tongue/fluent Finnish) + International student(s) Work in certain groups: Finnish Language Group Kielipaja Family Café Monimessi Theme week: themes in groups + one event
Gloria s weekly groups students participated Finnish Language Group Kielipaja programme Tell about yourself Times and daily routines Being ill Wellbeing Emotions Work and professions Feel good Let s talk Family Café Monimessi programme discussion about hobbies baking professions harvest Global Peace Day flee market Grandparent s day recycling and so on
Methods: Phases of training Project started with familiarization to Gloria and participating to its actions. The Health Promotion theme week was organized by students and feedback was collected actively. Start process end I II Familiarization Participation III Theme IV Theme week V Feedback I - II III - IV Feedback Multicultucal Center Gloria in all Finnish Language Group Kielipaja & Family Café Monimessi Active role. Students worked in groups and were responsible in organizing a theme week. Video report and feedback conversation
Outputs Process model for training Toolkit for communication - Tools for Feedback and Communication - Videoclips - Links - Word lists, Vocabularies - Pictures - Working methods: wording Video report
Output WORDING Look at your environment. See what you want to learn or to be learned not only words but also what you do, speak and think about in this environment. Speak it out and make sure it will be written down step by step. A TOOL TO IMPROVE AND EASE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A MENTOR AND A STUDENT IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE Collect and learn words, sentences, dialogues here and now by using what you see around you Students do in pairs or small groups, mentors supervise Using two languages What you need: paper and pen, mobile/ camera for taking pictures and videos FOUR STEPS I Write down what you see > Post-it notes with words II Collect words connected to the environment > Word lists and vocabularies III Speak out what you do > Implementation in written form IV Have dialogues > Dialogues, phrases in written form
Outputs Students organized A Theme Week. Students had different health promotion topics, of which some are culturally unique in Finland. The topics were: importance of getting vitamin D, healthy food, the food pyramid, health indicators, the importance of physical activity both to children and their parents, first aid skills, Finnish language workshop emotional and mental wellbeing stress managements
Activities A health promotion theme evening was organized. The students were responsible for planning and supervising the program and activities. Following activities were included: informative power point presentations about different health promotion subjects posters, pictures and examples of different products, brochures to take home measuring client s vital functions like blood pressure, pulse or blood sugar measuring client s height or weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), fat percentage or waistline playing the different games, like organizing some food according to their healthiness or country of their origin songs were sang with different languages, relaxing light shoulder massaging ways of learning Finnish using cards, comics and pictures. Clients were taught phrases and words, what to use, when talking about their body, health, sickness or going to a doctor s appointment
Reflection: Feedback Peoples feedback were positive. There is always need for functional activities in which clients can take part, learn or do themselves. They were especially thankful, if they got services on their own mother language. People had different kinds of expectations. Some of them are looking for facts and information and help for one certain problem, like work application or help how to manage, when going to see a doctor. Some are just hanging around and looking for some social life
Reflection: Feedback Students feedback was that they felt they were respected as professionals, even they were students. They used worldwide accepted health recommendations and showed those to clients. That s how they were able to give reassuring information, which made clients to trust them. They found out how helpful the pictures or other visual materials are, when there is no common language between people. As professionals, they realised the needs to be aware of clients knowledge. It can differ a lot. If not noticed, the main message won t be understood. Not only language, but also all non-verbal communication is important both ways to gain mutual understanding
Reflection: Feedback Gloria s staff brought up, that this is a nice way to get to peek to University s work and life. It s easier to co-operate, when you get to know the teachers and University s staff. They were surprised how professional the students were. The most challenging thing was to make the time tables to suit to all different actors. It also took a lot of time to give feedback to students and to arrange time for those discussions. There were also some technical problems, like how to put those videos in University s learning environment, when they as outsiders can t help.
All in all Co-operation with University and Multicultural Center Gloria has strengthened. Detailed action plan is made. New tools for communication has been established. Health Promotion practical training can be done in Multicultural Center Gloria. Here is a link to video, where it can be seen students clinical training. Exploit students multiple skills in language and intercultural know-how. New activities have been tested successfully. Don t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Client/Visitor Mentor Student Win Win Win