Julia
Unforgettable memories, cool people, thousands of emotions, overcoming fears, teamwork, new friends, gaining new knowledge, getting to know new cultures and languages. All this and much more is about the international youth exchange “Youth Beyond Borders” in Poland. All this will forever remain in my heart and memories, because as our organizer said: “Once Erasmus – always Erasmus”.
First of all, I want to say that I am very grateful that I was selected for this exchange, because I filled out a lot of forms for different exchanges and received rejections. You can say that I jumped into the last train, because at first I was refused, and then after some time I was told that a place had become available. My happiness knew no bounds. When I found out, I was simply overwhelmed with emotions.
After that, the acquaintance with our Ukrainian team began, the first zoom, discussion of the workshop, buying tickets and just waiting for this trip.
During the exchange, 30 participants from 5 countries (Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Greece and Sweden) became one big family, being on the exchange, discussing various topics and just having a good time together. During this time, we received an incredible amount of knowledge and information. We discussed many topics related to European values and solidarity among the youth of different countries. We also had cultural evenings that I will remember forever. The participants of each country showed culture, traditions and simply told some interesting facts about their homeland.
The Ukrainian team showed their country very well. The cultural evening and workshop that we prepared together went very well. Even after they were held, participants from other countries came up and said that they really liked it. All these little moments were very inspiring and uplifting.
While working in the team, I felt real support and I think our team complemented each other well. I am also very grateful to my Ukrainian team for everything: for the time spent together, for all the reflections where we discussed our day, constantly joking and laughing, for all the trips, for all the support and help, for all the memes we made during the project and for all those wishes that we wrote to each other on postcards at the end of the exchange. This postcard with signatures will always remind me of these two bright weeks in my life.
I will never forget the time we spent at the exchange. New acquaintances, friendly atmosphere, conversations by the fire, playing volleyball, jokes, team building, time spent together discussing everything possible, cultural evenings, traditional dances and food from each country, travel, gossip – it was all just incredible. You can say that we lived a new life at this youth exchange. Once again, I want to thank the organization for such an opportunity to develop, travel, communicate and spend time with use. I look forward to meeting everyone and I am very grateful for new experiences, acquaintances, knowledge and unforgettable emotions that I will always remember with a smile on my face.
Krуstуna
My journey to Poland began with filling out a form that I found on the Internet. While filling out the form, I didn’t even think that I would get anywhere. Therefore, I didn’t even expect a positive answer. But not this time. I wake up and see a letter in the mailbox: “Congratulations! You have been selected to…”. After that, the stage of preparing for the trip began: getting to know each other, communicating with the future team, deciding on the route of the trip, laughing, nervousness, nerves, buying gifts, tickets, etc. But without this stage of discussion and planning, the work of our team would not be so interesting. I already had the experience of participating in an international youth exchange, and the same in Poland. But I had no thoughts whether to refuse or agree, because the only thought in my head was “I agree. One life. When will you have another chance?”
The period of our exchange was simply bombastic: many new acquaintances, visits to new cities, cultural evenings, gossip, jokes, dances. All this became the rhythm of our small new life for two weeks.
Our team, the team from Ukraine, showed, in my opinion, the best side during the wokrshop on the topic of cyberbullying and hate speech online and during the cultural evening. The topic of the workshop caused many discussions, which was a pleasant surprise for me. When people come up after the events and say that they really liked everything, that is the highest praise. Thanks to the best team leader, we made our activities the best for this project. Almost every workshop held by the participants was filled with useful information, I can’t say that all of them were perfect (nothing is perfect), but I can assure you that this is an experience that you need to take into account and learn from your own and other people’s mistakes.
My biggest motivation for participating in the project was communicating with new people, traveling to new cities in Poland where I have not been yet, developing spoken English, and in general both a break from the university and fruitful work in a new team.
I was happy to meet and be friends with new people who are not like each other. Each person in our team seemed to complement each other. Working in this team, I felt what it means to work in a harmonious team, where people support, do not judge, worry about you and help in everything you need. Local memes and jokes became the most beautiful moment that I remember with a smile on my face. All these aspects became my pusher to understand what I really want in life: travel, new people, the team – this is what inspires me.
I am very glad that I took part in this exchange, saw a new country and its beauty, made new friends, worked on new skills and improved the ones I already had. This project gave me the motivation to move on, learn the language, meet cool and interesting people, get new opportunities and work in a field that is comfortable for me. Therefore, advice for people who are hesitating before choosing to participate or not – definitely take it, because it is such an experience that will be with you forever, that will give you lessons for life, teach you to speak English, find new friends and new acquaintances, get out of your comfort zone . In general, there are many advantages.
As our organizer said: Once Erasmus – always Erasmus. And this is exactly the phrase that corresponds to reality.
Yevhen
I’ll start by saying that this was my first Erasmus+ exchange, and when I received a letter from the organization that I had been selected to participate in the project, I was over the moon, a smile on my face for several days.
At first, I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to find a common language, but after we all met, all doubts were dispelled. I really liked our evening Reflection time, it was a special thing that united our team during the exchange.
During the project, I met a lot of incredibly interesting and cool people and learned a lot of new interesting things. One of the most interesting moments was going to the museums in Gdansk, these places are impossible to describe in words, they are not like typical boring museums.
Thanks to the exchange, I was able to talk to different people in English, which definitely improved it. I was also able to see and hear how other people live in everyday life, this experience will be very useful throughout my life.
Anton
I would like to express my gratitude for participating in this unforgettable project. This project has been a new experience for me, one that has united all of us, the participants, regardless of our ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds. When I first arrived at the venue of the first part of the project, I was pleasantly surprised by its atmosphere. It was a cozy resort place that left me with only the best impressions.
The second part of the project, which was held at the Tricity on the Baltic Sea, also did not leave me indifferent, I really liked the cities of Gdansk and Gdynia. Throughout the project, we had various sessions. I especially remember the session from Cuba, where I really heard something new and interesting for me. At the same time, we had plenty of free time to relax – we swam in the lake, walked by the sea, and explored the cities. The results of this project for me were new knowledge, developed critical thinking, communication with representatives of different national groups, and many new meetings.
Victoria
Recently, I visited the Erasmus+ programme “Youth without Borders” in Poland for the first time and I want to share my impressions of the project. In general, to get into the project, I filled out about 50 applications (approximately, because there were so many of them) during the year, and I was always rejected. So when I saw the message from the organisation once again, I was sure that I would be rejected. So, after a sleepless night in May 2023 in Kyiv, I wanted to delete the message so that it wouldn’t bother me, but at the last minute I decided to see if it was still hanging unread…… and these are the seconds when I quickly scroll through the message and see the words out of the corner of my eye: YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED…… At that moment, my heart stopped for a few seconds and I couldn’t believe it had happened. Then I started re-reading the whole message, replied to the organisation that I would participate, paid the membership fee and started dancing with joy…..:) After that, I checked all the details, looked for the organisation, reviews, etc., but I can assure you that everything is fine and I was not given for organs (if possible). Then Olena told me to wait a few days until I was added to the general group of participants, and it did take a little while. I already thought that nothing would happen…. (because I am a person who projects all possible scenarios and shares my real thoughts/experiences that I had at that time).
However, I was indeed added to the group, the first zoom took place (where my ideas were not supported, to put it mildly, people were silent and everything looked very strange; I honestly doubted for a few seconds after the zoom whether I wanted to go, but decided that it was better to try and regret than not to try and regret even more).
The next zoom was devoted to solving logistical and organisational issues, we got closer and closer to the team: we got to know each other, tried to find a common language, discussed the action plan for the cultural evening and the workshop. Our team leader Kateryna is a real master of her craft (yes, I know she’s reading this and she’s pleased), because thanks to the fact that we had several meetings before the exchange, we already had a rough plan of activities and the team was more cohesive than the others.
The project was great because we spent the first half of it in a small village called Beśkowice near Gdańsk, where we lived by a lake in a beautiful forest area.
On the first day, we again discussed the detailed plan of our further actions, while the participants from other countries were just getting to know each other. We also got to know the participants from other countries, although I did not remember all the names immediately and it would have been better if we had played games to help us remember the names.
The next day was my birthday, and again, thanks to my group leader, it was a real celebration, because I was congratulated by all the people who participated in the exchange.
On 26 June, we were the first to open our intercultural evenings, and it was not just great, it was INCREDIBLE!!! We held both a kahoot and an energiser (I think), did not forget to remind that the war in Ukraine is ongoing (briefly telling what tragedies happened in our cities during the full-scale invasion), made motanka dolls, ate Ukrainian delicacies and did not forget about dancing :)) The teamwork, support, dedication and involvement of the other participants was great, it motivated me a lot, and I could see with the naked eye that we were really well prepared. I think that the Ukrainians set a very good tone and motivated the other participants to have interesting and active workshops/cultural evenings. In general, I had the feeling that no one expected this from us, but we gave it our all, and it was wow.
Various workshops, cultural evenings, energisers, activities – it’s all about Beškowice! I’m very grateful for the inclusive workshop that taught me how to deal with people with disabilities, which is very necessary in life, and my next project (which I’m currently working on) is dedicated to this very topic.
Also in Beśkowice, I often swam in the nearby lake, played volleyball, etc., which brought me very close to the other participants and, in particular, to the Ukrainians (our reflections, which were also introduced by our team leader, were a separate pleasure). All in all, it was fun, friendly and active!
The second part of the exchange took place in Gdańsk, but it felt like different exchanges because everything was different. We went out more often, and the programme was even more intense and active. We visited the Museum of Emigration and the European Solidarity Centre, and the topics were very well chosen, I was absolutely impressed with everything there. The idea, the interpretation, the technology used in the museums, and the way the organisers combined and demonstrated the most important things in an interactive way! I also liked the accommodation/food conditions in Gdansk. We walked a lot, my step counter was more than 20 thousand every day
…. despite the fact that it rained almost every day. We also went to the seaside, but I decided not to swim because it was too cold for me, but those who wanted to did. Of course, there was also shopping therapy, i.e. the time was well distributed, I liked the prices and, of course, I spent my money on my own desires. Then there was a disco, where we became even better friends and absolutely everyone enjoyed it. We also walked around Gdańsk and Gdynia, and I personally liked the fact that we had time to do all this and not only run around doing something, but also managed to feel the atmosphere of the cities. In Gdańsk, there was a cool quest where we had to take pictures near the city’s sights, but, of course, it was raining heavily at that moment. So, if any of you have an exchange in Gdansk/Gdynia, don’t forget an umbrella and a raincoat, this is my friendly advice 🙂 And all the days we spent together flew by very quickly and imperceptibly, they will be etched in my memory forever. This exchange gave me the opportunity to meet wonderful people (Greeks, Spaniards, Poles, Swedes), new opportunities and thoughts that I could not even think about. By the way, I went to the next project with new Greek friends, and now I have friends in different parts of the world, which is very cool.
I am incredibly glad that now there are such opportunities for young people and they can be used absolutely free of charge. Thank you for the fact that the ORGANISATION chose me (before the exchange, I thought that the project itself chose the participants, but it turned out that it was not) and I had such an opportunity!!! What happened at this Erasmus, will remain at this Erasmus)) Participate while you have the opportunity, because at such moments you feel that you are really alive. Thank you very much, it is priceless! See you soon, thank you for reading my review)
Kateryna
Is it normal to call your team the best in a youth exchange?
As a team leader of this team, it is.
In general, when preparing for youth exchanges at ZOOM, it’s not clear who you’re going with, you don’t remember names and faces. You just try to talk about who wants to do what, but you’re actually communicating in different languages. Everything becomes clear when you meet on the way to your destination. You try to establish contact, find something in common, try to joke, support each other, not knowing at all whether you are doing the right thing for this person.
So I want to tell you (even though I don’t understand how it works) about how, for the second time in all my exchanges, complete strangers became friends with each other.
In general, the exchange for me began with a question about whether I would take the group to Poland. I agreed. That’s because I rarely turn down opportunities to go somewhere or try something new. So to speak, I go where I am afraid.
Our first meeting at ZOOM was unclear: we talked a little about the exchange, a little about the road, a little about the cultural evening, a little about the questions from the participants. It was about everything and nothing. Then there was another call where we decided in 5 minutes how we were going to get to our destination, and then for another 40 minutes we talked about an alternative route that no one ended up taking. There was a call with the organizer and team leaders from other countries, which was joined by most of the Ukrainian team. And a call where we discussed in more detail what we were going to do. There were amendments to our sessions from people who were more knowledgeable.
Already when we stopped in Warsaw, there were several interesting stories that we shared with each other. And when we arrived in Gdynia, we spent a lot of time together in that McDonald’s at the train station (because where do you go with suitcases) talking about different things.
The youth exchange in Beśkowice had started (but, as you can see, our story began long before the actual start of the exchange).
Upon arrival, we (as a serious team with a team leader with high anxiety) started making preparations for the cultural evening, and the next morning we started writing a plan for our session. And when the other participants arrived for the exchange, the sessions began. On the first working day (as usual), we talked about expectations, fears, and needs. On the second day, we played integration games. It is worth adding that there were people with disabilities among the participants: a guy with a visual impairment and two girls in wheelchairs. This was a real challenge for me personally, because I had to think about our activities so that they could also be involved.
On the same second day, the Spanish team and I held a cultural evening. From that evening on, I began to look at our team differently. We held a kahut, distributed gifts for it, talked about the war in our cities and our lives, and made motanka dolls with the participants. I was so happy with how everything went that I was motivated to do something else with these incredible people. The cultural evening ended with Ukrainian, Spanish dances and dancing to Polish slow music. The atmosphere was just unreal.
We worked as hard at the sessions as we relaxed in the evenings. Our team held a session on cyberbullying and hate speech. At first, it seemed that the participants were not active, but then, when almost everyone shared their stories or opinions, we realized that we had chosen the topic quite well and used the resources we were given. I was proud again that we were doing something so incredibly important together.
In general, the Swedish team prepared a session on radicalism and extremism, the Greek team – on migrants, the Polish team – on how to help a visually impaired person, and the Spanish team conducted team building.
In my opinion, the best team building we had was when we went to the lake and forest together, played volleyball, gathered around a campfire, danced and just enjoyed the moments together (not to mention our daily reflections). That was the first part of the exchange, and we were taken from Beśkowice to Gdańsk.
In Gdańsk, we had nothing to do, but we were taken on excursions to two museums: The Museum of Emigration and the European Solidarity Center (we were skeptical about both of them at first, but then we were surprised that museums can still look like this), they showed us the murals of the Zaspa Street Gallery, finally we had a disco in an atmospheric place (I love this kind of place), we walked around Gdynia and Gdansk a lot, talked a lot and took a lot of photos. This time together flew by incredibly fast.
And now, when it was time to leave, it was impossible to hold back the tears, because how will I live without these incredible people, without our constant jokes, without scooters, without Spanish. And how many things happened with us that I have not mentioned here… I hope they will remember.
My best young team on this exchange, see you later❤️
