ERASMUS+, Key action 1: youth exchange
Venue: Garlstedt, Osterholz Scharmbeck, Germany
Dates: 28 September—7 October 2023
Czech team: 6 participants + 1 group leader
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: NaturKultur e.V.
Project report:
We had an amazing opportunity to be part of the project “Actions Today Impact Tomorrow”, which took place in the idyllic forest setting in the NaturKultur house, located just an hour away from Bremen City. This unique opportunity brought together approximately 40 participants from the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Turkey. The project left a lasting impact, motivating us all to become more active in our local communities and within organizations.
The program was intensive, with four workshops each day. These workshops helped us to express our thoughts and ideas more effectively and left us deeply motivated. Working in teams with other participants made the days pass quickly so we were never bored.
The primary aim of this project was to motivate us and show us methods needed to become more active at the local level. We received valuable information on how to increase our participation and how to effectively work with our ideas to plan and implement actions. As we were always working in teams, everyone had a opportunity to collaborate and contribute with their unique ideas. The project strongly encouraged us to take initiative and be change-makers in our communities. We explored the diverse levels of youth participation and also shared our experiences from our own countries between each other. More so, we explored effective methods for youth activism, even using theater activity to express assigned situations from real life and to step into them and change the whole outcome of the scene. Additionaly, we gained insights into numerous Erasmus+ and volunteering opportunities. I have to say that the fact that in almost all acitivites we worked in teams helped us to be and feel more active and not to just passively collect information.
During the whole exchange we felt safe to share and present our opinions and solutions to one another. This environment fostered a spirit of collaboration and open communication.
The project included an exciting day trip to Bremen, connected to a local action that we were actively working on during two or three afternoon sessions. We divided ourselves into groups based on our resonance with European Youth Goals and together transformed our ideas into tangible action. For example, my group created informative flyers about Erasmus+ opportunities which we shared with young people from Bremen as well as engaged in conversation with them and shared our own experience.
Cultural nights were a highlight of evenings, where we were talking about our countries and cultures. Each evening was engaging and funny, allowing us to learn more about the unique traditions and backgrounds of other participants.
Our Czech group was great, easily forming connections with participants from other countries, and actively participating in project activities. The friendly and sociable nature of all participants allowed us to exchange ideas, to explore new perspectives on various issues, and to find out more about the work and volunteer efforts of others.
Throughout the project, participants experienced significant personal growth. They developed language proficiency, honed social skills, built confidence in public speaking, ignited their motivation and creativity and left with a broader cultural perspective.
Karolína O.
