“Youth Lab” was a week-long Youth Exchange taking place from 7th to 14th of July 2025, where participants from Estonia, Bulgaria, Spain and Romania gathered in Ploiesti (Romania) to meet new people, learn the basics of democracy and active citizenship, and have fun sharing cultural traditions! These are the impressions of the Estonian team:
“‘Youth Lab’ was my first international Erasmus project and I gotta say that my expectations were met. It was a really awesome and cool time! My favourite part of the project was a team building exercise where we could learn about everyone a bit more, when we had a great time completing a town quest, or building a nest out of random items. I think my favourite part of the project was also a simulation game where we simulated political parties and the voting system!”
Jegor, 16 years old
“I was really excited to be a part of this experience, because my last one was really fun and educational, and I was excited to experience something similar, and that was exactly what this Youth Exchange turned out to be. I got to learn about democracy in a hands-on and interesting way. I had a lot of fun participating in different workshops, having thought-provoking discussions and socializing with different people from different backgrounds.
My favourite part of this project was playing the simulation game about voting. It was very engaging and eye-opening. I got to think more about the problems that people face while making decisions on voting. I also got to learn more about why voting is as important as it is.
The main points that I learned were about what democracy is, what it looks like, about the importance of voting and about the values of the European Union. I also got to learn about the cultural differences of different countries around Europe. Overall, it was an educational experience that I was glad to be a part of.”
H., 18 years old
“This was my first Erasmus project and I really enjoyed this experience. I met a lot of good people who were really nice, funny and positive. I learnt plenty of things, for example, what’s democracy, what’s EU and what does freedom mean. Nevertheless, I got to know different cultures like Spain, Romania and Bulgaria.
I had so many expectations for this project and they all came true. New people – I found a lot of friends with whom I’m chatting everyday. New country – I visited a new country, Romania, I saw how this country looks like, I saw their culture and saw how people live there. Furthermore, my favourite part of the project was “intercultural nights”. In this part of the project we met with different cultures, tried national food and also danced national dances. This was such a warm time with all participants together and so lovely spending time. In addition, I enjoyed spending time with participants going outside and exploring the city, visiting shops together, that was so funny to go somewhere and talk to each other.”
Serge, 18 years old
“I enjoyed participating in the “Youth Lab Romania” project. I can certainly say that it was a useful experience. I was fascinated to learn more about democracy and what it means to be an active citizen. We discovered the main aspects of democracy, and everyone was involved in discussions, which helped us open up and share experiences. This project highlighted the vitality of voting, getting involved in your community and not being indifferent to society.
I appreciated that the program included both practice and theory, allowing us to exercise our new knowledge. I would definitely recommend taking part in this organization’s projects — they are full of fun and entertaining activities!“
Dasha, 18 years old
“This was my first Erasmus+ project, and I didn’t know what to expect, but it turned out to be even better than I imagined. I joined to learn about other cultures and meet people from different countries, and I left with great memories. My favorite part was the intercultural nights, it was fun to try food, music, and traditions from each country.
I also liked the workshops where we worked in teams and talked about democracy in creative ways. I learned a lot about teamwork, communication, and different cultures. I also became more confident, especially when speaking English in front of others. This project helped me understand myself better and showed me how valuable it is to connect with people from different countries. I would definitely recommend Erasmus+ projects!”
M. 15 years old
With the knowledge that we gained from this project, we organized a 90-minute event for local youngsters in Estonia, where we passed on the things we learned from this programme. This experience has made us more active and aware citizens, and we hope to continue learning and growing!