My name is Simone Floris, I’m 29 and I come from Sardinia. I discovered the opportunities offered by EURES TMS in the newsletter issued by the Sardinian Agency for Active Labor Policies, in the summer of 2022. It was there that I learned about the Eurodyssey program. After delving into what it entailed and pondering for a few days, I told myself it was time to step out of my comfort zone and take a risk. On that day, I still didn't know that I had made the best decision of my life.

A few months later, I found myself in Brussels, working as a marketing assistant for a local electric bike company. Despite its small size, the company boasted a multicultural and multilingual team that allowed me to strengthen my language skills and put into practice what I had learned during my studies. From the very beginning, I committed myself to make the most of my experience. Thanks to the kindness and availability of my colleagues and the guidance of my supervisor, at the end of my internship, I was offered a six-month contract, enabling me to enrich my resume with over a year of continuous work experience and kick-start my career in the field of marketing and corporate communication.

In conclusion, the experience was undeniably formative and exciting. Beyond the aspect related to enhancing my CV, international work mobility is an excellent tool for personal growth, understanding what we are capable of, and, above all, realizing who we want to become. 
I genuinely believe that the internship with EURES TMS was not only crucial for my career but, above all, was that life-changing experience for the better.

Updated on Monday, 18/12/2023

I participated in Erasmus studies last summer 2022 in Hildesheim, Germany. It was a unique experience that taught me a lot, but of course, with a lot of challenges. I was in a small city and I met people from all over the world and learned about different cultures. I met people who became friends for life no matter the distance, and travel buddies. And also I learned a lot about myself.

Living in a foreign country on my own, I became more independent and adaptable. I learned how to trust myself more, I became mentally stronger as I spent a lot of time traveling alone. The first days, I felt mostly alone as I knew nobody and nothing. Luckily, I met my Italian neighbor, Giulia, and we quickly became best friends. We supported each other every day and we realized it was normal to feel sad in the beginning, as it was something completely new for us. A few weeks later, we had a new social multicultural circle and we gained unique experiences. One year later, we feel more than grateful for the opportunity we had and all the memories we shared.

Moreover, I had the opportunity to study at a new university that provided interesting courses that were not available at my home university. And actually, I learned about an interesting specialization that made me follow a new academic path.

However, I faced some challenges, like financial. Living abroad, the overall cost of living alone was a little bit higher than in Greece, but through that, l learned how to save money, and manage my budget. Also, even though it was the best opportunity to improve my German skills, I was speaking mostly English with my friends which resulted in not being at the level I wished. But now I speak fluently English, the international language.

Finally, the most difficult part was returning back home. After spending months in a different culture with great people, coming back home and readjusting to my familiar environment was more challenging than I could have expected. But after all the ups and downs, it is an experience that I will remember for life.

Updated on Monday, 18/12/2023

My Erasmus+ journey began in May of 2022. One boring day at my university, I had a conversation with one of my classmates about how much we both enjoy traveling, but we do not have the budget. A few days later, he entered the class with luggage ready to go to Italy, as he explained to us. I had plenty of questions and the answer was ERASMUS+. It all just started to travel for free, but after my 1st participation, I realized it was more than that...I had the opportunity to make new friends with different backgrounds and cultures from all over the world, develop some skills I did not know I needed to improve, practice my English speaking and writing, and learn about different cultures. All at the same time!

You may understand that after my ‘discovery’, I got addicted to such mobilities. Currently, I am a volunteer in an NGO and a developing Youth Trainer. One of my goals is to make and facilitate my project. Erasmus+ and other European Union initiatives altered my life and helped me grow into a better version of myself!

One of my favorite mobilities was this summer, in August. I participated in a Youth Exchange about human rights in Samsun, Turkey. It was an amazing and team-bonding experience! We had the opportunity to develop multiple soft skills (for example comprehension, communication, etc.) while using Non-Formal Learning and discussing the topic. It was a unique trip, as we watched presentations from different cultures and also presented ours. My favorite activity was when we discussed for each participating country the violations of human rights and how to eliminate them.

…and as the name of the project is, "All for one, one for all"!

Updated on Friday, 08/12/2023

On my DiscoverEU trip, I travelled to Austria, Slovakia, Italy and Switzerland, partly to visit friends and partly to explore the countries myself. In addition to all the landscapes and cities, I particularly enjoyed the day trips and evenings with new friends from the youth hostels and shared flats. It's super interesting and fun to talk, cook and visit cities with people of the same age from all over the world. I also learnt what great opportunities Interrail offers us. I don't know if I would ever have bought an Interrail ticket without DiscoverEU. Now I know that this Interrail journey was definitely not my last. The feeling of travelling by train alone, as a couple or in a small group through different countries is great.

Updated on Wednesday, 06/12/2023

Our names are Alberto, Naomi and Samuele and we had the chance to participate in the Youth Ambassadors training course, funded by Erasmus+, KA1 Mobility of youth workers, and organised by ERYICA in the framework of the EU inFORM project. 

The training took place in Mollina, Spain, from September 17th to September 24th. The main goal of the project was to spread information among young people about the 2024 EU elections, and to raise awareness on the important issue of participation. That’s why, together with young ambassadors from Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, we went to Mollina and spent a wonderful week with the other participants and with the trainers. 

During this week, not only did we learn a lot about the EU, how it works and the importance of youth participation, but we also had the opportunity to know lots of awesome people from other countries of Europe and the world. Yes, the world, because our training course took place in the wider framework of the University of Youth and Development: hundreds of young people from dozens of countries joined together to participate in different projects about Youngsters, Climate Change and Peace. 
At first it was a little difficult to set in, but then in a few days, thanks to all the other participants we had no difficulties in making friendship and everyone left us a precious memory. Recording the videos for the social campaign pushed us to get involved and to spread the important message of citizens participation.

It was definitely a wonderful experience, that we highly recommend to everyone who want to know other cultures and new great people with whom forging deep friendships.

Updated on Monday, 18/12/2023

Being there for the second time after EYE2021, this was an even more incredible experience at the European Youth Event - EYE2023 in Strasbourg! As the leader of a group of 20 awesome young people representing the “GO Alive” organization from Kozani, I want to express my gratitude to the European Parliament, to GO Alive, and to the Municipality of Kozani for securing our participation. The discussions on AI in education and businesses, along with the focus on the Year of Skills 2023, were captivating and eye-opening. It was an honor to be part of this event, connecting with passionate young individuals from across Europe. 

Let's continue working together to create a brighter future!

Updated on Wednesday, 06/12/2023

My first Youth Exchange came as a surprise! I was chosen for a project on traditional dances after being rejected for many others that were closer to the causes I supported and for which I thought I could contribute insights.

As some of you may know, traditional dances are a cornerstone of Greek culture; kind of our pride and joy and the type of “medicine” that makes us heal and celebrate through hard times. The main issue was that I hadn't danced anything traditional in almost a decade...

To make things even more complicated, I was chosen to be the Group Leader for this project and I - unaware of what a group leader and youth work is - had through trial and error to see how I can offer my fellow participants the best experience possible.

To make a very long story short, in the end, I realised that I didn’t have to know about traditional dances but actually, I had to enter into a such participative experience. I learned about the traditional dances of an endless number of countries and met so many amazing, kind-hearted, and supportive people who made this experience more life-changing and intriguing than I could have imagined.

As I could not just say “goodbye” to such an experience, it was at this moment in my life that I knew I wanted to work with young people and help establish a more inclusive and happy youth community in Europe through active participation and involvement, as well as through the use of fun. 

I could write a very long list of all the things that happened after but let’s just say that in a very short period, I became a volunteer at two youth organisations, attended a variety of training courses that helped me grow professionally and personally (honorable mention for EQuip!, a training course for emotional intelligence in Hungary), enrolled in my university’s Teachers Training Program, and very recently founded my own youth organisation in Greece. 

I am also currently co-writing, with some curious young people, a Youth Exchange named Glow which is a project near and dear to my heart that aims to help young adults learn the basics of gender identity, and sexual orientation and research on the challenges that LGBTQI+ persons face in their countries and beyond.

It has been one and a half years since my first Youth Exchange, and if someone asked me to look back at where it all started, I wouldn’t believe that through such an experience I managed to get a ticket to a holistically better quality of life and a career change! If you are reading this and wondering if you should join in your first project, I only have two words for you: Do it!

Updated on Friday, 01/12/2023

Even when I was still at school, I knew that I wanted to go abroad after my A-levels. I always dreamed of Scandinavia but after many rejections from various sending organisations, I had to rethink my plans. At relatively short notice, I applied to the Protestant volunteer services in Hanover, Germany and was invited to an interview. I was told that I would fit in very well at the multi-ethnic youth centre run by Diakonie Kosova in the town of Mitrovica.

I thought about it for a few days, talked to my family about the opportunity and did some research. My grandparents in particular had doubts and were afraid that I would be going to a country characterised by poverty and the Kosovo war around 25 years ago. But my parents encouraged me to discover a new foreign country. So I decided to go to Kosovo with the Protestant Volunteer Services.

Before I left at the end of August 2019, my organisations organised preparatory seminars. I got to know my fellow volunteer Max, other current and former volunteers and was given lots of information about the country of assignment, the field of work, medical precautions, funding, etc.

On site, I worked in a multi-ethnic youth centre with young people aged between 13 and 21. From Tuesdays to Sundays they came to play table football, pool, table tennis or just to chat :). On certain occasions, the team and I also organised parties, discussion groups, concerts or film evenings. I also had contact with journalists, donors, soldiers, student groups and politicians from various countries who visited the Diakonie and therefore also the youth centre.

In my free time, I did a lot with Max but over time I also got to know more and more friends with whom I travelled to more distant cities in Kosovo and neighbouring countries. I was invited to traditional meals on various public holidays, to Albanian concerts and to engagement parties. However, my everyday life was mainly characterised by walks together and visits to cafés. Hospitality is clearly a top priority in Kosovo!

Most of my friends spoke English, some also German, but many only spoke Albanian. I took two Albanian courses organised by Diakonie so that I could get involved better at work and in friendships. I was able to learn the language particularly well in everyday interactions.

Updated on Monday, 20/11/2023

Just before Christmas, the Hungarian FIRE association had the opportunity to take part in the Youth Coaching for Entrepreneurship training in Spain. 

The training was a good opportunity to discuss different issues due to youth work. One of the fundamental questions was whether to mentor young people or be there for them as a coach. Finally, we agreed it depends on the situation and the young person which technique is used. Mentoring is a helpful, supportive form of coaching, where we "hold" the young person's hand and transfer knowledge almost throughout the whole process. While coaching works with questions, it uses questions to try to guide the young person to find the right path for him or her.

During the week we learned about different methods for asking the right questions, which can be used in individual and group coaching. We had the opportunity to try them out and give each other feedback on their appropriate use. Part of the project is to put these methods into practice, so we are planning to implement more programmes next spring. 

Finally, I think we had a great and useful training, I personally can use the knowledge in my work with young people I have acquired during the training. 

Updated on Monday, 13/11/2023

Mehdi is 22 years old and a student at Sciences Po Paris studying for a Masters in Public Affairs. Passionate about the public sector, he is professionally and personally committed to serving the public interest. Convinced of the vital importance of social cohesion, he has been involved in a number of community projects, particularly in Saint-Denis, the town where he comes from and to which he is very attached.

Through a number of professional experiences in the field of children and young people, notably in the office of the Secretary of State for Children, Mehdi has become familiar with the technicalities of youth policies. While keeping a firm eye on the ground, in the leisure centres in Saint-Denis where he works as a youth worker, he has become aware of the need to strengthen social cohesion and take ambitious public action for young people.

Very sensitive to issues of poverty and exclusion, his civic commitment began early in this field. A member of secours populaire and co-founder of the association's branch at Sciences Po Paris, he sees the association's motto “everything human is ours” as a principle that should be applied across the board.

Convinced that tomorrow's inclusive societies can best be built at European level, with and for young Europeans, Mehdi wants to bring together the points of view of a wide range of players on the subject and thus help to break down the barriers between public policy-making by bringing it closer to the people most affected.

Updated on Tuesday, 31/10/2023