The Garden Association at Sofia Architecture Week 2012

The Garden Association participated in Sofia Architecture Week 2012 - an international event, which was organized from the 26th of November to the 2nd of December. Our representatives +Turkan Fırıncı   and +Georgi Stankov were hosts of two workshops and one lecture, provided in collaboration of Mrs +Elif Kayran - the head of Izmir Children Atelier. 

THE FIRST WORKSHOP

Our first workshop was held on Wednesday, the 28th of November. Its name is "My Dream Playground" and we made this workshop for a first time during Izmir Architecture Week 2012. 

Workshop's primal idea is to support the process of children's participation in today's society, and to involve children in the decision-making process regarding their own environments, spaces, and valuable places.

Methodology: 

We achieved this goal by getting together children and  professionals, who design children's environment: architects, designers, urban planners, and so on. Before the workshop we trained the professionals how to work with children, by enhancing their social competence and communication skills. Then we invited children from elementary schools to work collaboratively with the adults and to create common projects. The results were very encouraging!

THE SECOND WORKSHOP

The second workshop was a brave experiment, entitled "Playgrounds, Ideas and Ideologies", and we held it on 29th of November. We invited the participants of the workshop with the following tempting proclamation:

Is it possible that playgrounds reflect ideological concepts? This workshop will give you an open space to:
 - explore how specific ideologies, social trends, public attitudes, and concrete historical events might reflect the surrounding environments, including children’s ones
- create your own society with history and... playgrounds
- discuss and share creative ideas with others. 

Methodology:

We started with presentation on the influence which various political events, social issues, economic, cultural and even ideological trends might have on the public design, and especially on the children's public spaces. At the second part of the workshop, we formed several small groups, and each of them made a simulation of a society and created design for children's spaces of this society. The participants had very different professional backgrounds: architects, economists, construction engineer, designers, web developers, students, house wives, entrepreneurs, and this rich diversity helped them to produce incredibly creative projects!

THE LECTURE 

On November 29th, the third day of our participation, we gave a Lecture on the research "Haskovo Playgrounds: In a Transition from Communism to the Modern Times" in Hall 6 of the National Palace of Culture. We presented the research and shared our basic findings, and after that we answered questions from the audience..

* * * * * * *
We are satisfied with our participation in Sofia Architecture Week 2012, and we believe that our humble contribution will give valuable insights to the architectural community in Bulgaria and abroad.
We would like to thank to the curators of SAW 2012 - Delcho Delchev and Valeri Gyurov, and to the program coordinator of SAW 2012 +Boyka Ognyanova for their great support! 

Today's guest in Open School of Psychology - Ivan Delchev

by: Georgi Stankov

Today at Open School of Psychology we had a honorable guest - Mr +Ivan Delchev - co-founder and co-owner of Soft Consult Group. He is the head of the company's Quality Assurance department and a successful independent internet marketing consultant. 

Mr Delchev shared with OSP's students his company's experience and fundamental principles in management, leadership & co-leadership, staff recruitment and training, and the overall process of developing a new product from the initial discussion with the client, through the test and re-test procedures, to the final implementation. We also used Mr Delchev's competence and asked for his feedback on our very new Small world project.

Later we made an analysis of the interview with Ivan Delchev. The students discussed the psychological aspects of what we learned about the software development companies and their work. 

Photos in three steps:

We are very official... and stiff as trees :)
Ivan Delchev is the high man with white-grey shirt.

Here I show to students how to overcome the camera stress.

He-he... We rule!

We will upload the video from the interview with Mr Delchev in two weeks. Of course, we will inform you in time - this conversation is a worth watching!

Short report from OSP: recent deeds

by: Georgi Stankov

1st row: Seli, Yanko, and Krisi; 2nd row: Kito, Stoyo, Georgi, and Petya.

 Here is a very short report about what is going on with our Open School of Psychology.

As you already know, we started our first academic year three weeks ago with eight students. Fortunately, the group cohesion is growing. I have noticed that after three weeks of getting to know each other, now the members are more open, devoted and creative. On Sunday we were very productive. As result we built the foundation of our study of small world phenomenon via online social networks. By the way, the regular themes of the day were SWOT-analysis and smart-goals. I encouraged students to use these new tools while discussing and planning our team's next steps.

Two of our students were missing because of their SAT 1 in Plovdiv, but next week we will be together and hopefully we will work even more efficiently.

Moments from the discussion: the gents were enthusiastic and action-oriented, and the ladies were more skeptic and analytically-thinking-oriented. :)

Small world phenomenon revisited

by: Georgi Stankov

Stanley Milgram (1933 - 1984)

We are happy to present the new initiative of Open School Psychology, the psychological division of The Garden Association: Milgram's small world revisited. 

"Small world revisited" is a project, inspired by Stanley Milgram's classical social networks' experiment, known as "Small world phenomenon" or "Six degrees of separation". 

Milgram found out that between two distinct (both in physical also social terms) persons there are average six degrees of separation, e.g. John could reach Tom in six steps (1st - acquaintance, 2nd - acquaintance's acquaintance, 3rd - acquaintance of acquaintance's acquaintance, and so on). Our team of students, led by Georgi Stankov, will revisit and retest Milgram's experiment, by adapting it to today's conditions.

In the 1960s there was not internet, so Milgram made his experiment through the offline networks. The social scientists of the time did not think that in few decades there will be a powerful alternative for establishing and maintaining relationships, as well for exploration of the social bonds between people. But today the majority of people use the Internet to communicate quickly and easily, relationships became more informal, and as result locations or distances stopped having importance.  Now, in 2012, we try to research the online social networks and how they link people. 

The first graduating class of Open School of Psychology started today

by: Georgi Stankov

Today our Open School of Psychology began its first graduating class.

Greet our first students: Dimitria, Kristina, Selime, Galya, Petya, Milena, Yanko, Kito, Stoyo, and Atanas.

The class' contents include (but it is not limited to):

• Personality psychology and personality types; 
• Social psychology and interpersonal relations; 
• Cognitive psychology, creativity and creative thinking;
• Organizational psychology and team work; 
• Positive psychology and Health psychology;
• Forensic psychology and antisocial behavior; 

Additionally, through various activities and techniques from psychodrama, art therapy, and encounter group's approach, students will have opportunity to:

• achieve better self-understanding via self-exploration and self-discovery 
• improve their competencies for social adjustment and public performance 
• increase their abilities for effective communication and assertiveness 
• overcome hard times in their lives 
• experience a new and exciting approach for teamwork 

The Garden Association at Izmir Architecture Week 2012

A short photo reportage about our participation at Izmir Architecture Week 2012: with +Turkan Fırıncı, +Georgi Stankov and our partner from Izmir Children's Atelier Mrs +Elif Kayran. Our workshop and presentation took place on the 4th and 5th of October.

We are very thankful to Prof. Hikmet Sivri Gökmen from Dokuz Eylül University for her kind invitation and hospitality. Also we thank to her team of young and beautiful students, who attended the workshop and the presentation.

With Prof. Gökmen and her students

Meeting the kids. Most of them were from a disadvantaged
Roma community in the suburbs  of Izmir. This was their
first contact with psychologist and architects

And her ewe are already arkadaşlar.

Our team - Turkan and Georgi - with the kids and their tutor.

Training for the architecture students from Dokuz Eylül University.
We taught them how to work and effectively communicate with children.

THE WORKSHOP ITSELF:

Me with several kids

 These are the products of the collaborative work of children and students of architecture: great projects for playgrounds!

Exhibition 

We recruit teenagers for a new group at our Open School of Psychology!

by: Georgi Stankov

The Open School of Psychology at The Garden Association starts in October with a new training group!

The group is suitable for young people (16-19 years old) who want to: 

• achieve better self-understanding via self-exploration and self-discovery 
• improve their competencies for social adjustment and public performance 
• increase their abilities for effective communication and assertiveness 
• overcome hard times in their lives 
• experience a new and exciting approach for teamwork 

In a calm and homelike atmosphere the group leader Georgi Stankov will  facilitate participants' personal growth by training their communicative and creative skills, by using psychodrama techniques, art-therapy techniques, team-building activities, role playing, and case studies.

Our goal is to support the strengths of the youths, rather than to focus on their deficits!

The group will begin work in October. Exact date to be announced. The amount of participants is up to 12. Participation is free of charge!

For more detailed information and registration, please contact Georgi Stankov: 

e-mail: dunyata [at] gmail.com
Phone: +359 886 824918 

Open School of Psychology - the new division of The Garden Association

The Governing Board of The Garden Association decided to establish "Open School of Psychology". 

What is the Open School of Psychology? 

It is an initiative for non-formal education, existing as division of The Garden Association. The school is not registered or accredited and does not exist under any law or regulations about education (and we intend that it will always be like this!). 

Conceptual framework of Open School of Psychology 

1. Purpose 

Open School of Psychology works in the tradition of Life-long learning concept.

As an institution for non-formal education its purpose is to develop psychological knowledge and skills at local, regional, national and international level. The school aims to present to its trainees the psychological processes and phenomena in people's daily life and to help them build competences in the filed of psychology through which they could improve their lives at any level.

2. Basic Principles 

• Learning by doing - the experiential learning, combining theoretical and practical approach for developing of knowledge and skills, lies at the center of School's philosophy and methodology. 
• Tolerance - respect for and openness to different cultures, traditions, and opinions. No violence! 
• Ethnic, Religious, and Gender equality - no discrimination! 
• Democracy - participation of the trainees in the decision making process regarding their education (for instance: choose topics for training, topics for discussion, and so on). 
• Community - sensitivity to the presence and needs of others, encouraging the spirit of togetherness as an alternative of selfishness.

3. Organization 

The Open School of Psychology works thanks to professionals who volunteer for the fulfillment of the School's basic principles. The main lecturer and trainer is Georgi Stankov. Additionally, guest lecturers and trainers will participate in the project too. 

4. Certification 

In order to response to the European trend for validation of the non-formal and in-formal education, The Garden Association will provide certificates to all students who successfully complete our courses. They will receive certificates signed by the lecturer/trainer/instructor. 

Our great logo is here!

With pride and joy we present the logo of The Garden Association!

Its creator is Lydia Staikova - the chairman of the Association, who is also a very talented artist.

The graphic processing was done by our friend Dessislava Delcheva.

Team building for the Probation service in Haskovo

by: Georgi Stankov

On 31th August and 1st September 2012 we conducted a team building for the officers from the Probation service in Haskovo district. Totally 14 officers took part in this event near Ivaylovgrad in the beautiful Eastern Rhodopes. 

In the wild nature we created a soul-nurturing atmosphere, in which the probation officers worked with a great enthusiasm to improve the quality of their professional performance. 

Here are some photos from the outdoor exercises. 

One of the teams is building his strategy...

The game begins.

Yes, we can! 

Be quick or be dead...

Overcoming obstacles...

...is not an easy thing!

On the other front the battle continues with lacrosse-like game.

Fast and furious!

It is time for the next test!

I tie the wrists and ankles of the participants.

Before the wild run...

In a moment of a strong pressure, the guys held their hands...

...and then they went through the challenge together.

The gentle presence of the ladies.

Natural born winner.

Part of the team.

Time to think...

Thinking deeper...

We think too!

The winners? They all were winners!

And this is me, relaxing after the team building and waiting for my deserved dinner!