Start-Up Stories: Turning Ideas into Impact / Youth Exchange

Aims & objectives

The Youth Exchange aimed to empower young people with entrepreneurial competences through experiential learning, intercultural teamwork, and idea development processes.

The programme focused on developing entrepreneurial mindset, social innovation skills, and problem-solving competences, while supporting participants in transforming ideas into potential social or business initiatives.

A parallel focus was placed on media literacy and responsible communication in digital environments, linking entrepreneurship with critical thinking and civic engagement.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

The activity brought together young people from multiple European countries in an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange format: Hungary, Lithuania and Poland.

Training methods used & main activities

The programme used non-formal education methodologies, including:

-Design Thinking and Lean Canvas workshops
-group ideation and peer learning processes
-experiential entrepreneurship simulations
-intercultural teamwork activities
-pitching and presentation exercises
-reflection and feedback sessions

Participants learned through practical application, collaboration, and iterative idea development.

Outcomes of the activity

Participants reported increased understanding of entrepreneurship concepts and improved ability to develop, structure, and present project ideas.

The evaluation showed gains in teamwork, communication, and confidence in public speaking and pitching ideas. Participants also highlighted improved intercultural collaboration and stronger awareness of how to transform ideas into actionable initiatives.

Most participants rated the experience positively, highlighting learning opportunities, international friendships, and personal growth, while also expressing a desire for more in-depth entrepreneurial content in some sessions.

Key impactful elements included:

-team-based idea development
-intercultural exchange activities
-pitching and presentation exercises
-experiential group learning tasks

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

My roles and responsibilities were the following:

-designing and delivering non-formal education sessions on entrepreneurship and innovation
-facilitating group ideation, teamwork, and idea development processes
-supporting participants in applying Design Thinking and Lean Canvas tools
-guiding pitch preparation and presentation activities
-facilitating reflection and intercultural learning processes
-contributing to an international facilitation team

I worked on this training for 9 days as a full time trainer.

Testimonial of the reference person

As the organizer of the Youth Exchange "Start-Up Stories: Turning Ideas into Impact," I together with my team were very satisfied with the trainer's contribution throughout the activity.

The trainer demonstrated a high level of professionalism, commitment, and enthusiasm while designing and facilitating entrepreneurship-focused learning sessions. Their ability to apply non-formal education methods created an engaging and inclusive learning environment where participants felt motivated to contribute, collaborate, and develop their ideas.

I highly appreciate the trainer's dedication and would gladly collaborate with her again in future Erasmus+ projects.