Business Courses and a GLOW'ing Preview

My Wednesday Class

Last week I began my first training sessions of Business in English at the Primaria.  I think it went really well.  The students seemed eager to learn and to practice English.  I introduced them to a bit of basic economic theory by playing a market simulation game.  Over the course of the next 7 weeks, they will learn the basics of what a business is and what it needs to operate, including a business plan that includes budgeting, marketing, management, and market analysis components.  Presentation skills in addition to general English communication will be a focus, as well as professional development including business communication and resumes.  That’s the hope, anyway!  

If you’re wondering how I’m hoping to pull all this off, I’m using the skills in my back pocket from my time working as a camp counselor and as a state FFA leader and combining them with the knowledge and resources I’ve gained from my ag economics education, background in business, and training from Peace Corps.  Out of the students I’ve heard from thus far or through the grapevine, they enjoyed the first class and learned new material, such as how buyers and sellers interact in the market place; how free markets with many buyers and sellers can provide information to all parties involved and establish the market price; and how this all relates to business.  This is most definitely a test run, and I really hope I hit all the important areas when it comes to business basics.  

This week?  The focus will be on SWOT Analysis.  Fun stuff!

Over the weekend, I was in Chisinau for a training regarding two Peace Corps initiatives called GLOW, Girls Leading Our World, and TOBE, Teaching Our Boys to Excel.  I’m really excited to get involved with these initiatives, because of their mission. GLOW/TOBE Moldova aim to promote gender equality by encouraging girls and young women and boys and young men throughout Moldova to make healthy life decisions, develop life-skills, and to become active members of their communities by providing educational, skill-building, and inspirational opportunities.  Its approach is to train Peace Corps volunteers such as myself to partner with a Moldovan, who can become a Seminar Leader and thus train or educate their own youth in areas such as entrepreneurship, civic engagement, leadership, communication, time management, healthy eating, gender equality, substance abuse, etc.  The idea is for it to be more Moldovan-lead at the end of the day, and not just Peace Corps.  At the end of the day (in 2 years), we won’t be here!  

I’ve been appointed as the Junior Director of Training, which is exciting given my desire to see Moldovan youth succeed and my passion for superbly facilitating learning.  The position comes with responsibility, but I’m looking forward to it and to working with other superb volunteers, who have been working hard in the last year to revamp GLOW/TOBE in Moldova.

Other Updates:

• My diet is changing into more roots (beets, carrots) and conserved produce and less fresh fruits and vegetables.
• I took a bus ride longer than expected.  Usually a rutiera ride from Chisinau to my town is 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I decided to take this old Greyhound bus, which much to my chagrin, went the long way around through a countless number of villages and stopping at them all.  It was a 2 ½ hour ride this time...  Good thing I left earlier than I thought necessary.
• It’s getting cold outside indeed.
• I had a mini-planning/dreaming session about how to spend my vacation days in the next year...  and it’s really exciting.

My Thursday Class outside to make a "frumos" or pretty photo with Doamna Lidia (on my left) and the flipcharts I made that are apparently good enough to showcase.