Youth exchanges
The joint stay consists of group activities based on non-formal education (workshops, debates, role-plays, simulations, group works, visits) as well as leisure activities such as excursions, film evenings or cooking. This contributes to the fact that the group of participants, in addition to exchanging opinions, experiences and attitudes, develops friendly relations, curiosity and respect for other cultures, ways of life and identities.
The topics of the exchanges are very diverse: from environmental protection to animal rights, social inclusion and human rights, health and healthy lifestyles, learning about the history and culture of a region or place, art and culture (in the form of music and other festivals and events) , intergenerational solidarity and much more.
Prior to the exchange, the group of young people participates in the preparation of the content and program of the exchange: this makes all content not only interesting but also in accordance with the needs, interests, knowledge of young people, who will be more motivated to explore this topic.
Given that such exchanges are intended for young people, the age structure of such projects is usually from 14 to 25 years, with the fact that in one exchange the group of participants will usually be close in age (ie. 14-18 or 18-25 ). What is common to all participants, except for the age, is the interest in a particular topic that youth exchange deals with.
In addition to the participants, each group travels with a youth leader(who can be over 30 years old) and who has the task of providing logistical and pedagogical support to young people during the trip and activities.
Exchanges of this type are most often supported by the European Commission, as part of the “Erasmus +” program, as well as by the French-German Youth Office OFAJ: in this case, exchanges usually involve young people from our region, France and Germany.
Accommodation, food, as well as travel expenses are covered. Accommodation and food vary from exchange to exchange, which means that accommodation can be in campings, but also in hostels, mountain lodges, etc., and food can be prepared by participants or provided by the host. In any case, all the necessary information is always provided in the description of the exchange. Invitations to participate in youth exchanges can be found here.
