Pre-Qualify IT — Bulgaria

The youth exchange called “Pre-Qualify IT” took place from 10 to 18 September 2022 in the city of Uzana, Gabrovo, which is located in the mountains right in the geographical centre of Bulgaria. Young people from six European countries (the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Italy and Bulgaria) participated in the project.

The organizing team made sure that we learned as much as possible about the chosen topic through fun activities and informal learning. We focused on artificial intelligence, digital marketing and literacy and also mental health well-being related to usage of social media. We learned about how fake news can spread and how to best identify it. We also discussed digital detox and its pros and cons.

But we also had a lot of fun together! We got to know each other during games and icebreakers. We organized two intercultural evenings, during which we not only got to know the culture of other countries, but also food and drinks. Moreover, we experienced a lot from local Bulgarian culture. We learned traditional dance, we tried local meals and visited Etar, architectural-ethnographic complex located near the city of Gabrovo.

Since we were located in the heart of the Bulgarian mountains, we spent a lot of time in nature. We undertook a “mountain treasure hunt”, during which we had to complete fun tasks in small groups. In the middle of the week when the weather was very nice, we climbed the highest peak in the area called Ispolin. The complementary program also included a visit to the local non-profit organization YMCA. On the last day, we visited the museum of humor and satire in Gabrovo and also a nunnery in the middle of the mountains. After that we bought the last souvenirs and headed home!

Thanks to the project, we learned a lot of new things, got to know a new culture and great people. Thanks everybody involved, it was an amazing experience!

Eliška Filipová