This project is aimed at people who are interested in discussing the European project and its future. At the same time, it will provide participants with an overview of five youth goals, for example: diversity, human rights and inclusion of young people in society. He also helped us better understand youth policy, their transition to the labor market and equipped us with skills and competences to be able to effectively participate in democratic life.
1 day
We left Slovakia together with the Slovak team only in the evening after 5:00 p.m. During the trip, we received a not very pleasant message from the airline. Our flight was 2 hours late, so we left at night. After arriving at the hotel, we jumped into bed tired after a hard day, because we knew that a day full of activities was waiting for us in the morning.
2nd day
Early in the morning we met people from other countries. Through the first activities, we had the opportunity to get to know each other and socialize. We received more information about what awaited us in the following days and we created the rules. We were part of a presentation about the EU. In the evening, the first three countries (Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia) presented their countries. We got to know their cultures, had the opportunity to taste their traditional food or dance traditional dances. As part of the cultural night, we brought sweets (Mila, Horalky and Crumky…) for tasting.
3rd day
After breakfast, a workshop on human rights awaited us, which expanded our knowledge, and later it was time for an activity in which we, together with our team, tried to use pantomime to indicate and explain individual human rights. We continued with the second part of the cultural night, the presenting countries (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania) offered us excellent traditional food, described their traditions and culture.
4th day
This day was devoted to the theme „17 sustainable development goals“. We discussed their importance and tried to come up with new ideas on how we could contribute to their achievement. After lunch we visited the city of Varna. First, we fulfilled simple tasks, which included presenting our project to young people living in Varna. Once fulfilled, we were able to enjoy the afternoon in the city. Some were attracted by the sights, others by the local gastronomy. It was a pleasantly spent time getting to know the city with new international friends.
5th day (last day of the program)
It was dedicated to the Erasmus+ program. They explained to us how this entire program works, what its goal is and various other useful information. We also had the opportunity to come up with our own Erasmus+ project, which could be implemented in the future. My group came up with the project „AMBITIOUS ENTREPRENEURS“. The project was aimed at ambitious young people interested in entrepreneurship. The organizers really liked our project and its presentation and appreciated our work. At the end of the day, we received certificates of completion of the project. Symbolically, we all met at one big table and said goodbye to the participants who were leaving early in the morning.
6th day
There was no program waiting for us on Saturday. Most of the participants traveled back home. We had to stay one day longer because of connections between Varna and Vienna. We used this day to relax by the sea and explore the surroundings.
7th day
We packed our things in the morning. We still had a little time, which we decided to use and go to the beach one last time to catch the last rays of the sun. Another unpleasant surprise awaited us – our plane was delayed again, so we didn’t return home until early Monday morning.
The project helped me become more independent. The whole time we communicated only in English, so it was a great opportunity to transfer my knowledge from school to practice. I mastered my communication skills and became more confident in communication. I am not afraid to make mistakes because I have understood that I can learn from the mistakes made. I learned many new things about the EU, I understood its importance for young people. I learned about many things that the EU offers us and how I can use them. I met a large number of interesting, ambitious people who helped me to create new perspectives on the world, made international friendships and gained interesting contacts. At the same time, I learned something new about different cultures.“ Radovan“
I participated in the My Youth Goals project, which was implemented in Varna, Bulgaria. The topic of the project was the European Union and its function. I wanted to learn more about how the EU works and what benefits it has for young people. The program consisted of various presentations and workshops, where we learned about its individual functions and goals. My favorite part was when we worked in groups, because I got to know people from abroad better and, after all, more heads, more brains. Between activities during the day, we had breaks and so-called ice breakers, which were short games focused on movement and thinking, in order to get in the mood for the next program. During some evenings there were international cultural nights where different countries were presented. They talked about their culture, traditions, where their country is located and offered others their traditional food. At our cultural night, everyone praised Horalky and Mily. One day we went to Varna, where we were divided into groups and had the task of finding and approaching young people and explaining to them what kind of project we are on and what its goal is. We found several people who were from abroad and studied in Varna through Erasmus+. We learned what NGO (Non Governmental Organization) means, several project participants were NGOs themselves, which means that they created various Erasmus+ projects and exchanges. I was very interested in this job, I didn’t know about it before and maybe I would like to do something similar in the future. On the last day, we were again divided into groups and our task was to come up with our own Erasmus+ project. We could do a youth exchange, which are shorter exchanges or voluteering, which lasts from a month to a year. My group and I decided to do a weekly exchange, the topic of which would be entrepreneurship. The project would be intended for people aged 15 and over from five countries in Europe. At the end of the day, we presented all the projects and received feedback from the organizers as to whether such a project would really be realistic. Most of the participants left on Saturday, our Slovak team had to leave on Sunday evening due to flight schedules.
I am personally very glad that I decided to participate in the project. Although I’ve only been to two youth exchanges so far, and I think that each one has changed me in some way, and every time I go home, I’m a better person. I am always fascinated by how people from other countries live, how they behave, how they think and how they see things. I definitely improved a little in English, as the entire project was conducted in English. Although I am only 16 years old and most of the participants were adults, we were expected to behave responsibly and independently, which suited me because I like to handle personal challenges. I learned that even if something doesn’t work out the first time, you don’t have to give up, but you have to look for new solutions. At the end of the project, we had to choose a motto that would characterize the entire project. I chose: „More points of view.“ Problem or asset?“, which means that multiple views of the situation can be a problem and an obstacle or an advantage or a benefit and it’s up to us how we decide. “ Michaela“
