Erasmus+ is one of the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.
The program is dedicated to students, staff, trainees, teachers, youngsters, volunteers and more which means that this program opens a lot of opportunities for students but also for people who had already graduated or those who are keen to travel and open their mind.
Summing up, if you are the type of person who loves travelling, meeting new people, sharing your opinion and talking about certain topic, Erasmus+ is everything in one. Its budget of €14.7 billion will provide opportunities for over 4 million and it set to last until 2020. Erasmus+ also aims to promote the sustainable development of its partners in the field of higher education, and contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU youth strategy.
Youth exchanges allow groups of young people from different countries to meet, live together and work on shared projects for short periods and it takes place outside the school environment. On a youth exchange, you can expect to participate in activities such as workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, outdoor activities and more.
What is the project that we have been part of about?
WE ARE ONE was an Erasmus + youth exchange, with aim to make youths more aware of the feelings and lifestyle while accepting the concept of differences that disabled and otherwise deprived individuals. Furthermore, this project was about getting in touch with people with different cultures, languages and etc. and getting greater tolerance toward disabled people. It created new experiences and nicer atmosphere to be presented as equal members of our society. All the new information that we have gained was in an informal way like – organizing workshops, doing activities in groups or pairs, outdoor activities, local visits and more.
Activities and visits
City run in Ljubljana: In the capital city of Slovenia we had a team building game called city run, where we got a paper with some tasks (make selfies with some sculptures, make interviews with local people, meet the city …). Ljubljana was also named the greenest capital in Europe. Some main attraction in Ljubljana are the Ljubljana castle, the dragon bridge, triple bridge, Prešeren square, ….
“All that we share” game: It’s a game where all the participants are in some boxes and then someone ask a question (have you felt lonely, did you ever get bullied…). If they find themselves in the question they should step out of the boxes. The game was created in Denmark. The main reason of the game was that people can see that they are not alone and in conclusion we all have some differences and some stories to share.
Local visit to retirement home in Rakičan: We also visited the oldest retirement home in Rakičan and we had some activities with the elderly people. For example, we made Christmas cards and Christmas decorations. The people there where very happy and taking part in the activities. We also sang some songs in Slovene and the people joined us.
Kindergarten in Pušča: The kindergarten was established in 1961. In the kindergarten are all together 20 kids there. At first, we couldn’t speak with them in English, but with the time we found how to communicate with them and also play more games.
Who were the participant countries?
1. Slovenia
2. Lithuania
3. Romania
4. Greece
5. Bulgaria
Where did the project took place?
We stayed in a beautiful countryside mansion from the 14th century which had been renovated, in Rakičan, Murska Sobota, Slovenia. The castle is placed in the region Prekmurje and it offers a lot accommodation like horse riding, picture gallery. In the castle there is also a café. Rakican is first mentioned in sources in 1322 as Rekethye and held in the 17th century. market rights. The castle was supposed to have stood here along the main royal road in the Middle Ages, but the fortified outpost was first mentioned in 1431. The Batthyány noble family who ruled the estate for the longest is in 1st half. 17th century the castle was further fortified by Turkish danger. After the Turkish invasions ceased, it was thoroughly rebuilt to the Baroque taste, so that from the fortress in the late 17th and 18th centuries a rural manor, as we know it today, was created.
