EU is our superpower!

17 March 2010

Program: Erasmus+, KA152-YOU – Mobility of young people

Project leader: DreamTeam, Greece

Duration: March 8-March 17, 2024

Partners:

• Poland – Association Reflections on Europe
• Spain – Rumbo A Europa
• Italy – ETV EuroTreviso
• Romania – AVR Association
• Czech Republic – Formation et Sensibilisation Česka Republika

Project goals:

-To understand the concept of European identity and our common European values

-Increasing our awareness of EU policies and initiatives

-Strengthening young people’s EU citizenship attitudes, their sense of belonging to society and the European Union’s pride in being Europeans

-Commenting on the EU’s role in managing major crises such as COVID19,

environmental challenges, migration, etc.

-Promoting democratic and social values such as social inclusion, equal opportunities through non-formal education activities

-Raising awareness of socially relevant topics, thereby stimulating the involvement of

youth and active participation in digital media

Summary:

From March 8-17, ROE delegates participated in the “EU is our superpower” youth exchange, which took place in Athens, Greece. The exchange was part of the “Erasmus+” program, funded by the European Union. The aim of the project was to broaden the knowledge and awareness of participants from several countries about the workings of the European Union and its structures, and to exchange experiences on this topic.

Project progress:

Day One: Long trip to Athens….

After several hours of traveling by plane and then by train, most of the group arrived in Athens. Hubert from the Polish team was already waiting for them there. He decided to go earlier than others to meet the participants.

Everyone had dinner together and went to their rooms to rest before the upcoming workshops.

Day Two: Let’s get to know each other better

After having breakfast together, participants from Poland, Greece, Romania, Spain and the Czech Republic met together to wait for the first activities. The first point of the activity, which also spread over the following activities, was getting to know the participants. The organizers had prepared a number of interesting energizers that helped the youngsters to build ties and undertake fruitful cooperation.

Another important point was to establish the rules of the project. Through brainstorming, participants created a list of rules that made everyone feel comfortable and safe.

Later, the organizers prepared a presentation about the Erasmus+ program, and the European Solidarity Corps. This was a great idea, because the youngsters understood the idea of both programs and saw the differences between them. They also learned how to apply to both programs, how long they last, who they are for. In addition, the participants learned the procedure for correctly filling out the Youth Pass.

There was also our favorite game – SECRET FRIEND. Everyone drew a person who was to be their secret friend for the entire duration of the exchange. Participants prepared their envelopes, into which another could drop interesting gifts or letters.

Day Three: Workshops in the amphitheatre

The morning’s activities took place in the amphitheater, where the youngsters were tasked with preparing short scenes about types of education.

Another workshop involved distinguishing the characteristics of citizenship and nationality. The youngsters discussed how the above concepts are different. This was followed by a lively discussion of various occasional events such as birthdays. The youth debated whether such an event could be subsumed under culture, religion, or perhaps both?

The day culminated with an intercultural evening of Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece. Participants learned about the traditions and cuisines of other countries to the accompaniment of great fun.

Day Four: Simulation of parliamentary elections

The day began with a short energizer. Then a very interesting task awaited the youngsters. They were divided into groups: government, Party A, Party B, media and public. In the assigned groups, participants prepared a simulation of parliamentary elections. The parties developed their campaigns, chose a leader and a candidate for the vote. The media group interviewed party candidates. This was followed by an election debate, in which candidates answered questions from the public. The final point of the activity was the vote, which selected the future president. This activity helped the young people understand the parliamentary elections and what factors influence the election of a particular candidate.

Another class also concerned parliamentary elections. An expert of the European Union on Union strategy shared his experience and gave a lecture on the Union’s operation and elections.

Day five: journalist roleplay

The morning began with activities to show the youngsters how to build teams, work effectively in a group. The principles of good cooperation were presented.

The organizers then prepared a lecture for the participants by an expert from the Ministry of Culture on youth projects on culture.

After the break, divided into national groups, the participants were tasked with playing journalists and recording interviews with the citizens of Athens they met. Each group was assigned a different topic. The Polish team was given the topic “citizenship.” Other groups dealt with gender equality, European projects, European values and the Europarliament elections. At the end, the groups edited short videos, which will be shown on the organizer’s social media in the future.

Day six: Free time in Athens

On the sixth day of the exchange, the participants were able to manage themselves. Most of the group went on a tour of the Acropolis and nearby tourist attractions.

The participants spent the whole day having fun and relaxing

Day seven: How to record a podcast?

On this day, the group met again in the amphitheater to participate in another amazing activity. Their task was to act out scenes about the goals of European youth. Another workshop was held in the form of a word cafe. Young people discussed important topics such as inclusion, diversity, the EU framework for dialogue with youth. At the end, the participants presented the conclusions they had developed.

The next activity was about recording a podcast. An expert who also runs his own podcast was invited. He talked about the principles of creating this type of content, how to reach the listener, what topics are worth covering. This was to prepare the youngsters to create their own podcast the next day.

Day eight: We’re recording our own podcast!

From the morning, divided into international groups, the participants worked on creating their own podcast. First the youngsters prepared a strategy, came up with a theme and a logo for their podcast. Then it was time for recording. There was no shortage of great fun in the process.

Day nine: See you again!

The last morning in Athens was marked by evaluation. The participants exchanged their experiences from the exchange, as well as the knowledge they gained. They discussed what topic the next international project could address. There was also a Youthpass awarding ceremony.

Of course, there was also the reveal of secret friends. It was a touching moment and a great summary of the project.

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