Never heard of the EU-financed educational programme for youth „Erasmus+“? Then you are in the right place to have your mind blown at the wonderful (fully-funded) possibilities it has for European youths and now also for all Ukrainian youths and youth workers residing in the Czech Republic! Unfamiliar with what Erasmus+ can offer? Watch this short video and learn what an Erasmus+ youth exchange is like.
What does an Erasmus+ funded youth exchange look like? It’s usually a week-long mobility in a European country where 4-6 different national teams of young people (aged 13-30) get together to work on a specific topic that interests them. It can be a simulation of the European Parliament, building a treehouse, developing your own start-up, creating new ways of environmental protection, developing your emotional intelligence through dance, tackling youth unemployment, … There is almost no topic Erasmus+ wouldn’t cover. Learning is done through methods of non-formal education = learning by doing, by solving problems, by teamwork. You can read what Erasmus+ youth exchanges look like from our Past projects webpage (click on any that is at least a month old and read the experiences of the Czech teams that attended them).
Erasmus+ educational mobilities are for you if you:
- are a Ukrainian citizen who has been granted temporary protection in the Czech Republic,
- are aged 13-30, or if you are a youth worker aged 18+ (no upper age limit),
- can communicate (make oneself understood) in English,
- are eager to learn and grow though international mobilities, to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes in the area covered by the project of your interest,
- would like to learn how to improve issues that concern you at a local, national or European level,
- would like to improve your competences in areas such as languages, taking initiative, media literacy, critical thinking, etc.
What does Erasmus+ cover?
- 100% costs of accommodation, food, activities and travel expenses (up to a very generous travel cost limit, e.g. €180 travel budget from the Czech Republic to Poland).
What do I need to do?
You choose the project of your interest and submit your application. For this, on the webpage of your chosen project scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and switch to the Czech language version. In the Czech version you will find the application form „přihláška“. The application form itself is in English. Then cross your fingers and wait to hear from us. If you are selected as a participant, along with the rest of the Czech team, you book your tickets (or if you do not have enough resources to book your own tickets, we can buy them for you through our EYCB Grant Programme for disadvantaged youths).
Then you just count the days till the start of the project when you can finally (!) pack your bag along with your favourite teddy bear and off you go! When you arrive at the project venue, everything is all prepared for you – accommodation, food, activities. For a week (or so) you won’t have to worry about anything but developing your skills and competences, improving your English and making friends from all over Europe. At the end of the mobility you will get an official EU-issued certificate called YouthPass. You can attach your YouthPass certificate to your CV as this wonderful piece of paper lists your newly gained skills and competences. Shortly after you return home from the mobility, you’ll also be reimbursed your travel costs (sometimes reimbursement happens during the project itself).
You can attend as many Erasmus+ mobilities as you want. Just like there is no limit to the number of competences you can improve, there is no limit to the number of mobilities you can attend. With Europe at your feet, which project will you choose?
