Support for quality Youth Exchanges

The Slovenian Erasmus+: National Agency in the field of youth and the SALTO South East Europe Resource Centre have jointly developed a training concept "Cherry on the cake", which aims at supporting the quality of Youth Exchanges. The training courses have been running since 2012, first in the national level in Slovenia, and from 2014 onward internationally. The concept is based on the premise that Youth Exchanges represent a unique form of learning mobility within the Erasmus+: Youth in Action Programme. Unlike in other mobility activities, the learning period of young people extends far beyond the time spent in the international setting, as an essential part of a Youth Exchange is the involvement of young people from the early stages of generating ideas all the way to the closing of the project. Therefore, Youth Exchanges gain greater significance only when understood in the context of linking the European dimension to the regular youth work practise in the local level.

The training concept builds on the understanding of a Youth Exchange as a highlight within a broader process of non-formal learning in youth work. It aims at discovering the potential of Youth Exchange as an instrument for building young people’s competences through active participation in developing the project.

The training concept is accompanied with a publication "Cherry on the cake" -Advice for quality planning of Youth Exchanges, which combines a selection of the most useful information from the past training courses. It covers the execution of a Youth Exchange project by addressing each phase of the process: drafting, planning, preparation, implementation, conclusion and dissemination of results. It provides insight on how young people can be included throughout the project, what they can learn in each phase and what is the role of a youth leader in facilitating young people’s learning and successful realisation of the whole project. Special emphasis has been given on seizing the potential of intercultural learning in Youth Exchanges. 

The next training course will take place in 10 - 14 November 2019 in Albania. The application is open until 15 September 2019.