Connect with Europe: Youth Exchange in Eger

Why This Project?

Street of Youth Association created EU Connects in response to a challenge they see among their own generation: a growing disconnect from democratic values and European identity. Youth voter turnout remains low, and many young people, particularly those from rural areas or disadvantaged economic backgrounds, feel distant from EU institutions and processes. The project aims to address this directly, building advocacy skills, deepening understanding of the EU, and fostering intercultural solidarity.

The three core topics of the exchange are EU awareness, democracy and inclusive democratic participation, and European identity, citizenship and values. Notably, Turkey's inclusion as a candidate country adds a valuable outside perspective on what European belonging means, and the project consciously targets young people with fewer opportunities, with two participants from each national group coming from economic or geographical barriers to participation.

Learning Through Doing

True to Street of Youth's philosophy, EU Connects aims at relying entirely on non-formal education. Rather than lectures and exams, participants will learn through role-playing games simulating EU decision-making, model European Parliament sessions, public speaking and debate training, and hands-on campaign planning workshops where groups design their own advocacy initiatives on issues they care about.

Intercultural nights, fully organized by each national group, invite participants to share their culture, traditions, and stories. A city tour of Budapest and a visit to the Hungarian Parliament round out the programme, giving participants direct contact with local institutions and communities. Daily reflection sessions, guided by group leaders each evening, help participants process what they've learned and document their growth using Youthpass, the Erasmus+ tool for recognizing competences gained through non-formal experiences.

The Partners

Three experienced youth organizations bring their expertise to the project alongside Street of Youth: ProAtlântico from Portugal, a nonprofit active in international youth exchanges since 2001 with over 12,000 members nationwide; Fondacia Savremennost (Contemporary Society Foundation) from Bulgaria, which has implemented over 25 European projects focused on youth entrepreneurship and active citizenship; and SERGED from Antalya, Turkey, an association promoting intercultural dialogue and non-formal education with more than 400 members.

Beyond the Exchange

The impact of EU Connects is designed to outlast the seven days in Eger. Participants are expected to become ambassadors of the project in their home communities, sharing their experiences on social media, organizing local dissemination events, and potentially launching their own advocacy campaigns. Project materials and a final handbook will be made freely available on the SALTO platform for youth workers across Europe. Street of Youth also hopes EU Connects will be the foundation for a larger follow-up project, building on this exchange to scale its impact further.

You can find the contact information of all National Agencies at the following webpage: National Agencies - Erasmus+

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