From 6–14 July, we brought together young people from Estonia, Portugal, Bulgaria and Italy for the international youth exchange “W.A.S. We Are Spotlight”! What made this project especially meaningful was that it was developed and prepared by our young leaders over the course of six months. Their ideas, energy and hard work turned into a week full of learning, connection and new experiences. Throughout the exchange, participants aged 15–19 explored topics such as self-confidence, stress management, decision-making and teamwork through interactive activities, discussions and shared experiences. Here are a few impressions from the Estonian team about their time in the spotlight.
“This was my first youth exchange, so I didn’t really know what to expect. When I heard the word project, I imagined we would have to work a lot and probably get pretty tired. I’m really glad it turned out to be completely different.
The way we learned was what I found really interesting. Everything felt so easy and natural that it sometimes seemed like we were just playing games, but at the same time, you could clearly see how much the participants were improving. The biggest thing I learned was that, in reality, nobody really pays attention to your mistakes. I always felt like everyone noticed whenever I used the wrong tense, for example, but after the exchange, I feel much more confident speaking English.
There were so many memorable moments, from playing games with the other participants to all kinds of jokes and funny moments together.”
Polina Solodova
“For me, the most memorable parts of the project were the cultural evenings. I remember being excited for each one, and especially the one we had to prepare ourselves.
One of the high learning points was definitely the Chicken Game. Sometimes you have to push yourself to work in a team, especially in desperate scenarios. I also vividly remember the session where we had to write down something we think we lack, and then substitute some words for others to make it look like we can actually do it. It’s simple, but it makes you think.
I am certain that the things I learnt shall be helpful in whatever future career I shall pick and I am sure many memories from this project will pop into my head once the situation calls for it.”
Mihhael Goltsman
“It was truly a life-changing experience. I expected it to be wonderful, but it still exceeded my expectations by far. The way all the participants became one big family was truly a magical thing.
I learned a lot from the exchange. The most surprising thing for me was how effectively non-formal learning worked. At first it felt like playing a game or doing a fun performance, but later I would have a “eureca” moment and realise why we did what we did. After the exchange, I can express myself a lot easier and more clearly.
The thing that I will miss the most are the participants. All the people were very nice, welcoming, open-minded and interesting to talk with.”
Isabel Kivi
“My expectation was to have an amazing week and use English a lot, and thats exactly what happened. I learnt that we can express ourselves without being embarrassed to do so.
Everyone was so sweet and caring and I plan to use the learning I acquired everyday: expressing myself and using english more often.”
Karolin Indre
“I was excited to meet new people from different countries but also a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect exactly, except that I would definitely improve my english.
For me, the thing I found most interesting was the different points of view and ideas. I really enjoyed getting to know the participants from the other countries, everyone was very nice.
I learnt that I can communicate and work with people even when I feel nervous at first. From now on, I want to be more confident in speaking up, instead of always worrying about other people’s opinions on me.”
Karmen Ohlo
“I was really inspired by the idea behind the project. I really wanted to create something that would have a profound impact on the participants, so that it wouldn’t just be passive learning, but would actually push them right out of their comfort zone.
I found the planning sessions really intresting, as well as the meetings with the core team where we discussed the youth exchange.
I will carry with me knowledge I acquired of documentation and how to facilitate, as well as the learning and memories from the meetings with the core team.”
Aleks Krasnova
“I was really anxious about how the youth exchange would go, but I was hopeful that in the end, it would definitely be a great experience for the participants.
I’ve learnt that it’s important to not be afraid to ask for help and believing that you can do everything by yourself in a team work is useless. This is something very usefull to consider on all aspects of life.
I’ll be taking a lot of good memories with me, mostly related to the participants.”
Maria Ruljova
