Youth Exchange: Make a Change

Location: Ukraine

Dates: 19-28 November 2019

Number of participants: 40 participants

Participating countries: UK, Ukraine, Lithuania, Italy, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Belarus

Organizer: Abroadship.org

Apply here: Application form 

Deadline to apply: 29 September 2019

Inquiries about this project: Justinas at hello@abroadship.org

Costs: Youth Exchange is co-funded by Erasmus+:

  • 100% accommodation, food and program materials are free, covered by the grant from Erasmus+
  • 80% traveling costs are covered, up to the maximum expenses:
    • €20/participant for Ukraine
    • €180/participant for Belarus
    • €275/participant for United Kingdom, Lithuania, Italy, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia
  • There is no fee for the youth exchange.
  • For traveling reimbursement, it is mandatory:
    • online tickets: forward emails with e-tickets, boarding passes and invoices, it has to contain price and date
    • offline tickets: bring original receipts (originals), copies will not be accepted.
  • Reimbursements will be sent 1 September 2020, once (and if) participants take part in full duration of the programme fill the evaluation forms present all the traveling documents

Make a Change

Download infopack here: Make A Change – youth exchange – Erasmus plus – Ukraine – abroadship.org

Click to access Make-A-Change-abroadship.pdf

Have you experienced moments that look as from the book “Alice in Wonderland” when Alice asked the Cat: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”. As Alice did not have specific goal, cat responded that then it doesn’t matter which way she would go. As her goal was just to get somewhere, the Cat added: “Oh, you’re sure to do that, if you only walk long enough.”

If we look from coaching perspective, Tim Gallwey, tennis coach who applied the principle of coaching in 70’s, summarizes this approach as “awareness of where you are now is not enough to bring about the change; you have to know where you want to get to”. He understood the importance and advantage of enabling people to learn about themselves and noticed that youngsters performed better when they were taught how to learn rather than how to hit a ball.

Therefore, we take described approach as a basis in order to initiate the project “Make a Change”. The name of the project is related to Michael Jackson song that encouraged millions of people and now it will encourage this group: “If you want to make the world a better place/ Take a look at yourself, and then make a change”

Project focus

  • Understand what the stereotype is and overcome it with critical thinking.
  • Raise awareness about the discrimination, tackling the issue of IDP’s and refugees, understand its roots.
  • Become culturally competent and understand the components of diversity.
  • Understand coaching approach, be able to use it in the daily life to enhance critical thinking skills and take control for own actions and thoughts.
  • To improve sense of initiative through inclusion with daily life activities such as cooking, cleaning, organizing free time space in evenings, leading various sessions and workshops.

Who should attend

You are motivated and open minded to explore sensitive topics, face stereotypes, step out of comfort zone.

You are are willing to challenge and (re)discover yourself and at the same time to incorporate the views of others (developing intercultural empathy) and acknowledge responsibility.

Ready to participate in an intercultural environment and eager to test yourself in working on an high speed youth exchange full of practical assignments

Resident of UK, Lithuania, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Italy, Belarus, Turkey

Able to work and communicate in English

You are 18-30 years old (except leaders, who can be of any age),

Programme

Day 0: Arrival to Lviv, Ukraine, traveling to the magic training place, 3h away from Lviv

Day 1-8

Structure*:
10:00 1st session
12:00 2nd session
15:30 3rd session
17:00 4th session
18:30 Reflection groups
Evening programme will be organised all together.

Sessions* are subject to change: Getting to know each other, Team building, Contemporary contact improvisation, Team building, Cultural competence, Intercultural diversity, Stereotypes, blind voting, night hike, LARP, Forum theater, Open space, Different but equal, Critical thinking, Video making, Evaluation, Erasmus+, Youthpass, Open Badges

Day 9: Departure

* please note that the programme is a guidance and is subject to changes

Methods used

Experiential learning through hiking

Cognitive Behavioural Coaching approach

Group dynamic processes, simulations and teamwork activities

Inputs from experts through non-formal education lectures and facilitated processes

Dynamic workshops and presentations

Kolb’s cycle (learning cycle)

Intercultural sharings, learnings and reflections

Learning by doing in a group setting or individual processes.

Delivery Style

“Learning by experience” – learning from experiencing different activities and putting them into practice;

“Learning to play, playing to learn” – connected with learning through games, from actions and playful environment;

“Learning through outdoor sports” – learning about sensitive topics while being outdoors, hiking and doing sports

“Learning with nature” – being aware of the environment and its stimulus to brains, mental and physical condition

Financial costs

  • Costs: Youth Exchange is co-funded by Erasmus+:
  • 100% accommodation, food and program materials are free, covered by the grant from Erasmus+
  • 80% traveling costs are covered, up to the maximum expenses:
    • €20/participant for Ukraine
    • €180/participant for Belarus
    • €275/participant for United Kingdom, Lithuania, Italy, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia
  • There is no fee for the youth exchange.
  • For traveling reimbursement, it is mandatory:
    • online tickets: forward emails with e-tickets, boarding passes and invoices, it has to contain price and date
    • offline tickets: bring original receipts (originals), copies will not be accepted.
  • Reimbursements will be sent 1 September 2020, once (and if) participants take part in full duration of the programme fill the evaluation forms present all the traveling documents

Space

Youth Exchange will happen in Northwest of Ukraine, just besides the border of Poland and Belarus, not too far from Lviv. Please see the video of the place: https://youtu.be/zxbTVBC2YOM

During your stay you will be asked to support with household duties.

How to Get Here?

Place of arrival: Lviv, Ukraine

Arrival instructions: Detailed instructions of arrival will be provided after confirmation of participation.

Use azair.com to find flights to Ukraine. Best to arrive to Lviv or to Kiev and then come by train. We will organise a bus to go the the training place.

When to Get Here?

Arrival Day: 19th November

Programme: 20-27 November, in total 8 full days

Departure Day: 19th November

Days allowed to stay in Ukraine: This is a great time to explore Ukraine. We will not have a lot of free time during the programme, thus if you want to explore country, please arrange extra days. You are allowed to come max 5 days before the YE or leave after max 5 days after the YE, but the total amount of the days that are not part of the programme is max 5 days. If you decide to stay more than 5 days longer than the official programme, you will have to cover the traveling expenses yourself. During these extra days, you have to find your own accommodation and no other expenses are covered (we will cover just flights on different days).

Weather

In November temperature is pretty low, ranging from -2 to +7 degrees and it can rain all days. Average temperature is 0 degrees at night and 5 at day time.

Check the weather forecast here.

Food, Medicine & Allergies

If you have illness, physical limitations and/or use medicine we need to know about, please inform us.

If you are vegetarian or have special diet, let us know, indicating what you can and cannot eat, so that we can arrange the suitable food.

How to Apply:

Fill in the application form available:

https://forms.gle/UK9Vur8sHrQ3bYsT8

In order to apply for Make a Change project, you must be over 18 – 30 years old (unless you are a leader) and a citizen of one of the partner countries. Contact the partner organisation from the list below if you need any support.

Abroadship.org UK hello@abroadship.org
Inovatyvi Karta Lithuania inovatyvi.karta@gmail.com
Associazione Ottolovante Italy b.dvd122@gmail.com
Institute of Ukrainian Studies Ukraine project-coordinator@ius.lviv.ua
UniGrowth Armenia unigrowth.center@gmail.com
Diyarbakir Cevre ve Kalkinma Dernegi Turkey endevelop@hotmail.com
New Faces Belarus newfacesbox@gmail.com
Youth With An International Vision Georgia ywiv.georgia@gmail.com

Further information

For information about practical matters, accommodation or how to get to the place, please contact
Abroadship.org at hello@abroadship.org