Take the First Steps with Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges

If your youth group is thinking about planning an international youth exchange, then your first step is to explore the idea!

1. Contact your National Agency for the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme to find out about exchanges and the funding possibilities with other countries
2. Contact other groups in your area, or your organisation, who have carried out an exchange – they’ll be able to give you a complete rundown of what is involved
3. Consider, as a group, the amount to take part in an exchange. What motivates them?
4. Is there an issue or theme which is of particular interest to the group e.g. the environment, unemployment, early school leavers, healthy living, being young in Europe, multi-media or communication or other themes?
5. Is there a particular way you, as a group, like to work together e.g. through drama, sport and outdoor activities, using video or other media, undertaking a survey, discussion sessions, creative workshops or other methods?

The commitment is there, the group wants to get things moving, so what’s next? Find a partner. There are many ways to find a suitable partner, but first you need to decide together what country you would like to exchange with

1. Use SALTO Otlas Partner-Finding Tool to search for suitable partners
2. Is your organisation part of an international network? Explore those possibilities
3. Speak with others from your organisation who may have recently participated in an activity in another country. They might be able to help
4. If your town is twinned, perhaps somebody responsible for town twinning can be of assistance
5. Perhaps there are people from other countries living in your locality. Maybe they can put you in touch with somebody abroad?

Start developing your exchange project further once you have your local group interested and at least one partner group abroad. Discuss your ideas and set them out using the official Erasmus+ Youth in Action application form. Apply for funding, respecting the deadlines, and cross your fingers in anticipation of a positive answer!

If you still  feel the need to learn more about youth exchanges, consider applying for one of the residential training courses. Check the SALTO Training Cooalendar for suitable training activities.

Sources: 

International Youth Exchange Guide by Leargas; nt of time, energy, enthusiasm and money involved in taking on an exchange. Throughout the process of exploring the idea, it is also important that you start identifying the needs and interests of your youth group. Take the time with your group to loErasmus+ Youth in Action official web-site by the European Commission; Tools for European Youth Work and Training by SALTO-YOUTH