Hello hello 
This is Malena. I joined Quest on 19 May, so June was my official first month. During this time, I familiarised myself with how Quest works, its current projects, and EU policy. The team has always been extremely supportive. I finished writing an article about negotiated curriculums and started working on a project, which I am really enjoying.
During the first week of June, Pamela took part in a training course on human rights advocacy with the Council of Europe, deepening her understanding of rights-based approaches and sharpening her advocacy skills. Through interactive sessions and case studies, she explored how to promote and defend human rights in policy and grassroots contexts. This experience has further strengthened her commitment to championing inclusive, democratic practices in education and beyond.
Also that week, Fabi attended the ESC onboarding training, which she found really enjoyable! The training took place in Halle, a small town near Brussels. During the five-day programme, she met 20 volunteers from across Belgium, learnt about their experiences and enjoyed activities such as karaoke and outdoor sports.
Rachna finally joined the QUEST team in person in the middle of the month, after working for us remotely for some time. We are so happy to have her!
Pamela and Mathilda gave us an interactive presentation about policy and advocacy. We deepened our knowledge of the EU institutions, decision-making processes, and advocacy channels.
The Saras facilitated QUEST speed dating, which is part of the QUEST Summer Writing Camp. The aim of this event was to help our members find project partners. Thank you to all who participated: Ťahanovská záhrada, Slobodna scola, Association For You, GIED and Casa Verde!
On 18 June, we held a general meeting of the IDEC@EUDEC Conference. It was great to meet all the partners and see the amazing progress that has been made.
Andreia had the preparation call for the decolonise advocacy training organised by ICYE. Sara A worked on making the DECUS survey available in more languages and in the overview of the answers. She joined the communication circle, where she worked on DECUS social media.
At the end of the month, Sara B, Rachna and I travelled to Bulgaria for the ‘Youth Going Back to Nature’ project. We took part in, and also led, various outdoor activities, such as treasure hunts, climbing, hiking and horse therapy. We learnt a lot from our partners’ expertise and had a great time.