"What I have learnt is to develop better - we are developing. And not to be a coward or shy, but to stand up for myself - for ourselves. And that I can make sure that others don't experience what we experienced when we were little." (Dzsinó, programme participant)
What connects young Hungarians, Spaniards, Latvians, Romanians and Germans - volunteering in a difficult field
Over the past year, nearly 70 international young people from difficult backgrounds have taken part in an 18-day international training course, during which they have learned a lot about themselves and the world through volunteering. The participants in YOUTH+ - From Us To You were young people from difficult backgrounds - foster care, colony, migrant and rural youth - who, under the mentorship of trainers from the Experience Academy and its partners, were given full responsibility for planning and organising multi-day volunteering programmes.
During three 5-day volunteer actions young Hungarians and Transylvanian volunteers organised playful activities for children in difficulty in Ózd, Eger and Târgu Mures (RO). Spanish volunteers held workshops for a group of young migrants to help them find their way in their new home country. Latvian young people gave training on addiction prevention to their peers, while German young people strengthened intercultural dialogue through music in Kleve (Germany). The training series ended in mid-August with a youth leadership training in Latvia and the YOUTH+ International Youth Forum and Professional Conference, where young people gave a WS in front of an international professional audience and discussed their future plans.
This process was a first step towards young people discovering that they too have a superpower inside them, that their actions and thoughts have
"We have titled the exhibition FACE-TO-FACE - EVERYDAY SUPERHEROES because our aim is to bring visitors closer and give them an insight into the lives, challenges and thoughts of young everyday superheroes... And who are these superheroes? They are young people from all over the world, often growing up in difficult circumstances, who have carried out 6 voluntary actions across Europe last year to make the world a better place, even if only a little bit", said Erzsébet Czinger, the staff member of the Experience Academy Association, which organised the exhibition.
During the documentary-style exhibition, visitors can learn about the details of the programme and the young people involved - while they themselves can reflect on questions such as: what are the signs that the world is changing for the better, what connects us as human beings, or what the future of youth work will look like?
The YOUTH+ programme aims to develop participants' initiative and creativity, to support their successful self-reliance and to promote their transition to adulthood through experiential and non-formal education.
An exhibition about this process opened on 13 September 2023 in the House of Arts Veszprém. The exhibition will be on display at the Dubniczay Palace until mid-October.
The programme is funded by the European Union.
