5 good reasons to organize an Erasmus + youth exchange

1. Work in a European setting

First, organizing a youth exchange means you will work with people from all over Europe who share your values. Creating and implementing a youth exchange involves finding partner organizations from other European countries with whom you will collaborate at every stage of the project (project writing, finding participants, implementation, sharing the results). Working with people from different countries is very fulfilling, as you can discover other people’s points of view and ways of working! An international setting allows you to broaden your perspectives, challenge your opinions, and develop your cultural awareness.

2. Create projects on topics you love

Organizing a youth exchange is also an opportunity to create a project that address topics you are interested in and make an impact. In fact, youth exchange topics are very diverse, and if there is a theme you want to work on, it is very easy to do so. Your project must align with the Erasmus+ programme’s objectives, which include inclusion and diversity, digital transformation, environment and climate change, and participation in democratic life, common values, and civic engagement. However, many topics can be linked to these objectives, so you can work on almost anything: sport, art, ecology, mental health, intercultural dialogue, and more. Through youth exchanges, you can act on your values and beliefs and create something that resonates with you.

3. Develop your skills

It is also a way to gain experience. Indeed, organizing youth exchanges means working on a European scale, with different partners (partner organizations, national agency, participants and others). It also comes with a lot of different tasks, from planning through finding participants to writing the final report. In fact, by organizing a youth exchange one has to take care of the planning, logistics, marketing, advertising, accounting… A youth exchange gives you the opportunity to take care of all stages of the project, from the idea to the implementation. Through that, one can improve his management skills, but also his social, spoken and written skills. Indeed, you have to speak with other organizations, write project proposals, manage your team and participants. Organizing a youth exchange is a very complete task, but also very fulfilling in terms of developing new skills.

4. Participate in European action

By organizing a youth exchange, you also participate directly in a European action, by implementing Erasmus+’s objectives and helping shape the next European citizens. If you are interested in the European Union, working on Erasmus + projects offer you the opportunity to be part of it. While European politics may seem far, youth exchanges allow you to have a real impact on life of Europeans, and on European youth. Organizing youth exchanges means organizing projects that support European values and beliefs in a fun way.

5. Make a real impact on young people’s lives

Finally, through youth exchanges, you can make a real impact on young people’s lives. As explained before, youth exchanges help shaping the future European citizens, but it also gives young people the opportunity to learn more about the world, develop their critical thinking, promote open-mindedness and good practices in a lot of topics. Youth exchanges also have a multiplicative effect, as they are made in a way that helps young people have an impact on their community. Thus organizing a youth exchange means impacting the youth, but also the local communities. From ecology to sport, through mental health, social inclusion and democratic life, youth exchanges offer young people the opportunity to learn more about a topic, and to share their knowledge with their communities.

Organizing a youth exchange is very fulfilling, and you now have all the reasons to do so. You just have to have an idea and find other young people and an organization to organize it! If you need support or advices, contact Team SOYA at soya@squareofyouth.eu or through or social media.