YEAH! – Youth Exchange on Adolescent Health

31 May 2023

Program: Erasmus+, KA152-YOU – youth mobility
Leader: Youth Association FILIA
Duration: 1st of July 2023 – 10th of July 2023
Partners:

Project goals:

-developing a positive and empowering relationship with yourself

-discovering the power of self-care and self-acceptance

-finding new ways to prioritize mental health and well-being

Project Summary:

From July 1-10, ROE delegates participated in a youth exchange in Caspe, Spain called: , “YEAH! Youth Exchange on Adolescent Health.” The exchange was part of an Erasmus+ project and was led by Youth Association FILIA. The goal of the project was to increase knowledge about mental health in young people and to teach them to talk freely about topics in this area.

Project progress:

Day One: Warm welcome at the airport

The ROE representation spent the first day traveling. After several hours on the plane, the participants from Poland found a pleasant surprise at the airport. The Spanish group had prepared posters welcoming the ROE delegation.

A long bus ride still awaited the participants. Interestingly, the “YEAH!” exchange was the first project in which young people from Poland lived in the family homes of participants from Spain. So when all the participants got to their homes to rest before the next day’s workshops, night came.

Aleksandra Piwnik

“This was the first project I took part in, it was intense, there was no time for boredom during those 10 days. Thanks to the fact that we lived in Spanish homes, I had the opportunity to learn more about their culture and traditions. I remember it very well, mainly because of the people I met during this trip.”
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Day two: Hello Caspe!

As is usually the case, the first day of the workshop began with activities to introduce the participants and build a pleasant atmosphere for work. The Spanish group prepared some interesting ways of ice breaking.

The next item on the agenda was a walk around sunny Caspe. The youngsters visited the Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor church. Then, at the town hall, local politicians working with youth welcomed the Polish guests and talked about their activities for local youth.

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After the excursion, the group returned to the community center, the permanent site of the activity. For the next hour, the participants jointly worked out the rules of the exchange. Everyone also shared their expectations for the project, which helped create a clarified schedule.

Day three: Mental health workshops

The next morning the young people met again at the community center. After a brief energizer, it was time for the workshop part. Participants divided into groups to discuss what mental health is for us and how it affects our daily lives. The groups then shared their conclusions.

Later it was time for outdoor activities. Again, participants were divided into groups to talk about a mental problem of their choice. Then, in different scenery of the city of Caspe, they recorded a video about the causes, course and prevention of the selected problems.

After returning to the community center, the supervisor of the Spanish group, Jesús, talked about ways to deal with stress and stage fright.

Day Four: Body image and fun with water sports!

The next morning, the youngsters welcomed in the fresh air. Instead of the typical energizer, the Spaniards prepared a short Spanish poem for the ROE representation. The youth repeated the Spanish sentences together, and there was no shortage of laughter!

Afterwards, the group headed to class. The first item of the class was a quiz on the Kahoot platform. The quiz was about knowledge of mental problems. Later, the participants had the opportunity to watch their recordings from the previous day and share their conclusions about them.

The next block of classes focused on perceptions of their bodies and eating disorders. They began by determining what body image is according to us. Participants determined that it is the way we perceive our bodies. Later, a discussion was held about stereotypes associated with eating disorders. To better understand the topic, the participants compared male and female characters from famous TV series, and discussed how society evaluates men and women.

On the same day, participants went on a trip to a nearby river. There, they were able to take the help of instructors and try out various water sports together, e.g. biking, surfing. After having fun in the water, it was time for another interesting activity – treasure hunting! The participants’ task was to find hidden items using a map, first come, first served!

After this long day, it was still time for an intercultural evening! Groups from Poland and Spain prepared their classic snacks, and talked about the traditions and culture of their countries.

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Day five: Working with diverse groups

On this day the task of the participants was…. taking care of children! Divided into groups, the participants went to a playground, a school for troubled children and a sports center. In each of these places the youngsters worked with a diverse group of children. The participants were tasked with taking care of and organizing activities for the children. This was one of the most interesting tasks during the exchange, it taught the participants tolerance and respect for different children, and allowed them to take on the role of caregivers and understand the responsibility of similar jobs.

Another interesting task was to conduct surveys with the residents of Caspe. The topic of the surveys was, of course, mental health, and the perception of mental problems among people of different genders and ages. Residents answered various questions about their opinions on mental health, education on the subject, and their own experiences. Thanks to the surveys and the large group of respondents, several conclusions were made, including that people lack education in schools on mental health issues. According to the surveys, there is also a lack of awareness on the subject and a lack of courage to undergo therapy.

Day six: TRIP!

The youth spent the sixth day of the trip in Zaragoza. Along the way, the group stopped at several interesting places. Among them was a youth center. Volunteers told what their work at the center consists of, and how they help youth and children in need.

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W centrum Saragossy młodzi mieli dużo czasu na zwiedzanie. Głównym puntem wycieczki była zjawiskowa Bazylika Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Dzień siódmy: Self-esteem

Tematem kolejnych warsztatów było poczucie własnej wartości. Młodzi porozmawiali o tym, czym w zasadzie jest poczucie własnej wartości, co ma na nie wpływ i jak poprawić ocenę o sobie. Przytoczono przykłady sytuacji z życia, które pomagają zbudować dobrą opinię na swój temat.

Następnie na grupę czekało kolejne ciekawe zadanie. Każdy miał przygotować plakat na którym zilustrował 5 sytuacji ze swojego życia: sytuacja w której świetnie się bawiliśmy, nasze ulubione wspomnienie, kiedy byliśmy szczęśliwi, kiedy mieliśmy satysfakcję ze swojego życia oraz kiedy byliśmy z siebie dumni. Następnie chętni podzielili się swoimi pracami w innymi.

Kolejną aktywnością było przygotowanie w grupach plakatów na temat zdrowia psychicznego. Zadanie było o tyle ciekawe, że zostawiono młodym pole do popisu co do tematu plakatu. Każda grupa przygotowała więc pracę, skupiając się na najistotniejszych dla nich kwestiach.

Dzień ósmy: Walk in the scorching sun

Na ten dzień wymiany zaplanowano spacer po pobliskich górach. Trasa młodzieży liczyła niemal 10 kilometrów i stanowiła nie lada wyzwanie, biorąc pod uwagę temperaturę zbliżającą się do 40 stopni! Oczywiście jednak uczestnicy dali radę i z uśmiechem na ustach pokonali dystans.

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Po spacerze na uczestników czekał już ciepły obiad w postaci hiszpańskiej paelli, przygotowany przez rodziców grupy hiszpańskiej. Młodzi wraz z rodzicami cieszyli się posiłkiem i zaciśniali więzy.

Dzień dziewiąty: Free time with families

Dziewiątego dnia młodzi cieszyli się czasem wolnym. Rodzice i rodziny grupy hiszpańskiej przygotowały dla polskich podopiecznych różne aktywności. Niektórzy wybrali się na plażę, inni zaś zjedli rodzinny obiad. Był to zdecydowanie dzień poświęcony odpoczynkowi, ale także budowaniu bliskiej relacji między uczestnikami i ich “host-rodzinami”.

Dzień dziesiąty: Evaluation

Ostatni dzień wymiany był poświęcony podsumowaniu wymiany. Wszyscy podzielili się swoimi wnioskami, co było świetnie i na długo zapadnie im w pamięć, a co można w przyszłości poprawić. Każdy powiedział także czego nauczył się w trakcie projektu.

Ewaluację zwieńczyła ceremonia rozdania Youthpassów.

Potem nastąpił ostatni wspólny wieczór uczestników, następnego dnia rano bowiem Polska grupa z walizkami już czekała na autokar mający zabrać ich do Barcelony.

Nigdy nie zapomnę chwil, które przeżyłam w Caspe. Był to projekt inny niż wszystkie -w końcu pierwszy raz mieszkaliśmy u hiszpańskich rodzin. Zawsze będę wracać z sentymentem do nagrywania filmików, przeprowadzania ankiet, zabawy ze sportami wodnymi… I wielu innych wspomnień

Olga Cukierska

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