Youth Exchange Blog: "Green yourself" in Florence by Ingrīda

In October I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in the Erasmus+ youth exchange "Green Yourself" that was held in a small village near Florence, Italy. Saying this experience was amazing would be an understatement. Over the course of the project I met some of the most kind and joyful youngsters from Greece, Spain, Italy and Hungary and formed friendships that will continue to blossom beyond this project. As a group we all became more knowledgeable about topics such as climate change, recycling and ecology that was achieved through a fun, hands-on and laid back approach.

What makes this youth exchange stand out from the previous ones that I have taken part in the past was the power dynamic. The participants were the ones who were encouraged to lead the activities and the coordinators let us truly tailor the program according to our needs and wants. This was also the first youth project that made sure we interacted with the locals through letting us conduct interviews about the topic of sustainability with the inhabitants of Florence.

If I ever get the chance to work with the youth in the future I will make sure to look back at this experience and implement the same methods as "Green Yourself" did. Thank you Erasmus+!