Youth Exchange at a Glance

A youth exchange brings together groups of young people from several countries who work together on a single theme for 5 to 21 days. You learn informally: in groups, through discussions, games, outdoor activities, and shared reflections. No desks or grades. The exchanges are supported by the Erasmus+ program, which covers accommodation, meals, and the program, and contributes toward travel expenses.

Young People Who Have Something to Offer Rural Areas

The theme of the exchange was “Youth Participation in Rural Areas and Sustainable Development.” We discussed how to give young people a voice in local communities, how to create opportunities for them in rural areas, and how to protect nature in the process. The central theme of this year’s event was access to water as a human right. The exchange was organized by the Amycos Association from Burgos.

A Day from the Energizer to the Intercultural Evening

At the beginning, we wrote down our group agreement. After that, each day followed a similar rhythm. Breakfast at 8:30 a.m., an energizer at 10:00 a.m. to get us moving, and then workshops interspersed with coffee breaks. After lunch, another energizer, workshops, and in the early evening, reflection groups where we discussed what the day had brought us. After dinner, it was time for the evening program: movies, intercultural evenings, a free evening, and the local TubiFest festival.

The workshops weren’t led solely by facilitators. Each national group prepared its own workshop; the Slovak one took place on Thursday. On Wednesday, we went on a trip to Burgos, and on Sunday, we evaluated the exchange and worked on our Youthpass, a certificate documenting what we had learned.

The Village as a Partner, Not Just a Backdrop

The exchange didn’t just take place in a room with chairs. We talked with people from the village and carried out activities in the surrounding area with the support of the municipality. On Saturday, during the TubiFest festival, we created a mural together about access to water, which was left as a gift to the village. The regional daily Diario de Burgos reported on the exchange on June 17. Italian facilitator Arianna Perassi explained in the article that the goal was to involve people from the village and create something together that would last.

Four Countries Around One Table

Italians, Spaniards, French, and Slovaks. Cultural differences and intercultural communication were not just textbook topics, but everyday reality. At the intercultural evenings, each country presented its food and customs. We organized the Slovak evening together with the French.

What it cost us and what we gained

The biggest challenges:

• speaking English all day long,
• getting to know complete strangers,
• speaking in front of the whole group.

What we took away from it:

• we communicate better,
• we know how to work more effectively,
• we stepped out of our comfort zone,
• we’re not afraid to express our opinions,
• we’re more independent.

We also brought this experience back to school

On September 18, 2026, we presented the exchange to students at the Dušan Metod Janota Business Academy in Čadca. We talked about what we did, how it went, and what they can expect from an Erasmus+ project. We hope we convinced at least some of them to give it a try.

“It’s really a great thing. It’s worth trying and seeing another corner of the world with your own eyes.” — Slovak participants in the Youth Wave exchange

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Want to go next time?

You don’t have to be a college student to participate in a youth exchange, and your English doesn’t have to be perfect—you just need to be able to communicate. You can find out about other exchanges in our newsletter. And if nine days isn’t enough for you, check out the long-term volunteer projects of the European Solidarity Corps.

I want to know about the next exchange     Volunteering Abroad

The youth exchange took place thanks to the Erasmus+ program.

Co-funded by the European Union.