What is Joining Paths?
Joining Paths is a youth exchange bringing together 14 young people from Lithuania and 14 from Spain in Yuncos, in the Toledo region.
The idea is not simply to travel to another country and see its attractions, but to become part of the local community for a short time. Lithuanian participants discover everyday Spanish life, live alongside local young people and their families, take part in cultural and artistic activities and create a shared experience together.
Not a tourist, but part of local life
One of the most distinctive elements of Joining Paths is the accommodation model.
Lithuanian participants stay in the homes of Spanish participants. Breakfast is shared with the host family, while lunch, dinner and coffee breaks are provided by the host organisation.
This creates a very different experience from an ordinary trip. Participants discover not only places and cultural landmarks, but everyday family life, communication habits, food, routines and the environment in which local young people actually live.
Two cultures meeting
At the heart of Joining Paths is the encounter between Lithuanian and Spanish young people.
The project aims to develop a deeper understanding of another culture and make cultural differences easier to navigate.
Participants do not simply present facts about their countries. They observe, ask questions, compare experiences and discuss what they discover. Cultural learning therefore happens through direct relationships rather than through theory.
Yuncos – beyond the tourist route
The project takes place in Yuncos, a municipality of around 13,200 inhabitants located between Madrid and Toledo.
The town has a youth centre close to El Prado park as well as a sports centre, and the local youth environment becomes one of the project’s learning spaces.
This is an important feature of the exchange. Participants are not placed inside an artificial international bubble created only for the project. Instead, they enter a real local community and discover how young people live, spend their time and develop initiatives in Spain.
Creativity as a common language
Joining Paths carries the subtitle “Exploring diversity and creativity”.
Local young people contribute to preparing cultural and artistic activities, while participants are given space not only to follow a programme but also to create, present and lead activities themselves.
Creativity becomes another way of communicating when words are not enough. It allows participants to express their culture, opinions and personalities and to create something together across language differences.
Young people do not just participate – they lead
One of the objectives of the project is to give young people genuine responsibility.
Participants are offered space to create and lead their own activities, practise speaking in front of others and discover that their ideas can have an impact on their communities.
The exchange therefore becomes not only an intercultural experience but also an opportunity to experiment with leadership and initiative.
Communication without perfect English
Because Lithuanian and Spanish participants need a shared language, English becomes the main tool for communication.
Joining Paths is not a language course and participants are not expected to speak perfect English. Real learning happens when they need to introduce themselves, explain an idea, agree on how to run an activity, ask their host family a question or simply have an evening conversation with someone they did not know before the exchange.
Developing communication skills is one of the explicit objectives of the project: expressing yourself in public, leading an activity and communicating in ways that can create an impact in your community.
How are participants matched?
The connection between Lithuanian and Spanish participants starts before the actual exchange.
Each participant prepares a short video in English introducing themselves and their interests. These introductions, together with participants’ preferences and gender, are used when creating the hosting pairs.
This means participants already have an opportunity to recognise shared interests and make an initial connection before arriving in Spain.
European identity in real life
Another objective of Joining Paths is to develop a stronger sense of European awareness.
Living together makes it easier to see that Lithuanian and Spanish young people may have very different routines and cultural habits while sharing many similar interests, challenges and opportunities.
The project encourages participants to understand their identity not only through their own nationality but also within a wider European context, learn about the reality of young people elsewhere in the EU and consider which ideas or initiatives could be brought back to their own communities.
Project partnership
Joining Paths connects young people and youth organisations from Lithuania and Spain.
🇪🇸 Activities take place in the local youth environment of Yuncos, Toledo region
🇱🇹 Anglų kalbos studija – Lithuanian partner and sending organisation
AKS recruits and prepares the Lithuanian group, while the Spanish partner team and local young people develop the programme and the immersive community experience.
The project is funded by the European Union.