In September, five teenagers from AKS travelled to Recoaro Terme in Italy together with their group leader Nani for the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange “SENSE THE WORLD”. The project brought together young people from six countries and explored inclusion, diversity and accessibility through one very tangible question: do we actually experience the world in the same way? The programme was built around sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch and balance, using non-formal activities to make participants notice how differently people perceive, communicate and move through the world.
The Lithuanian group also got an additional, completely unofficial course in adaptability.
This was probably the most adventurous Youth Exchange journey we have had so far. Flight tickets had to be changed, transport drivers went on strike, luggage arrived late, and at various points the group managed to get lost twice. By the time everyone finally reached Recoaro Terme, simply getting there had already required quite a lot of problem-solving, patience, teamwork and the ability to laugh when yet another part of the travel plan stopped behaving like a plan.
Fortunately, the actual exchange was worth the journey.
The programme included photography and blindfolded communication activities, music, cooking, sensory tasks, teamwork and reflection. One of the more unusual activities was a fencing-inspired workshop - so yes, our participants can now add at least some experience of fencing to the list of things Erasmus+ has unexpectedly taught them. The programme also took participants into the Small Dolomites for hiking and nature-based activities, including a sensory hike designed around sounds, scents and observation.
And, as usually happens with Youth Exchanges, the activities were only part of the story. The Lithuanian participants came back talking just as much about the people they met: new friendships, evenings together, cultural differences, music and some exceptionally memorable dances. A group of teenagers who had arrived from different countries gradually became one temporary international community - which is exactly where a large part of Erasmus+ learning happens.
“SENSE THE WORLD” was designed to show that inclusion starts with recognising that other people may experience the same environment very differently from us. Through activities involving the senses, communication, accessibility and reflection, participants were encouraged to question their own assumptions and think about what makes it possible for different people to participate fully.
Our five participants returned to Lithuania with considerably more than a completed programme: stories about Italy, mountains, fencing, dancing, delayed luggage, transport strikes, spontaneous problem-solving and people they would never have met otherwise.
Which, in retrospect, is a fairly accurate summary of what a good Erasmus+ Youth Exchange can look like.
