2025 ES

Better Future through Youth Empowerment in Bulgaria

From 15 to 23 April 2025, young people from across Europe were welcomed in Uzana, in Bulgaria’s Gabrovo region, for the Youth Exchange “Better Future through Youth Empowerment (now)!”, coordinated by Europe In Your Hand.

The project aims to strengthen youth work quality by introducing innovative educational tools and virtual initiatives, helping youth organizations stay updated with the fast-changing needs of today’s young generations.

Through interactive trainings, peer-learning sessions, and meetings focused on exchange of experience, participants explored modern approaches for engaging young people in meaningful, inclusive, and future-oriented activities.

A key focus of the exchange is the sharing of good practices among partner organizations, while exploring new educational dynamics shaped by technology, digital habits, and current trends in the youth sector.

By improving skills, methods, and capacity in youth work, the project contributes to a stronger European youth network and supports the technological and social development of communities across the EU.

The exchange brings together 5 participants (aged 16–29) from each partner organization, representing:
🇧🇬 Bulgaria – Europe In Your Hand 🇨🇿 Czech Republic – EYCB (European Youth Centre Břeclav) 🇮🇹 Italy – EUROSUD Italy
🇲🇰 North Macedonia – Mreja Eden Svet. 🇷🇴 Romania – ASOCIATIA TINERILOR CU INITIATVA CIVICA. 🇷🇸 Serbia – CET Serbia

The arrival day was 15 April, with an initial day in Sofia, followed by the start of the program. The project concluded on 23 April, with participants returning to Sofia before departure.

By investing in skills, creativity, and new learning formats, “Better Future through Youth Empowerment (now)!”supported young people and youth organizations in building stronger, more responsive, and more innovative opportunities for the future.
Final considerations on the Uzana project (Bulgaria, 15-22 April 2025)
The experience with the Project “Better future through Youth empowerment” can not be easily defined by a one-page relation on it.
Personally when I arrived in Sofia my expectations were a bit different.
If the capital of Bulgaria mesmerized me thanks to the beauty of its Churches, Uzana showed a different but not less interesting aspect of the Bulgarian territory. Indeed, among the silence and the green of the mountains surrounding our Hotel, the Project took place in an almost surreal atmosphere, allowing us to feel immediately connected between each other.
Since this has been the first Erasmus+ project I participated in, I was not ready to how it was structured but also almost unaware of the themes that eventually were exposed during the meetings. Starting from the day of our arrival, I immediately had the impression of getting to know information and possibilities for Youth people living in the EU that I normally would have not thought about.

Despite coming from what can be considered a “healthy” country, Italy, I was not much aware about the amount of opportunities a young person can have, but also how at the same time they are not so sponsored on a regional but also national level. In discussing and sharing ideas with other young people coming from very different realities, the level of participation among us started to grow moment after moment while making us realize how participation itself in particular is a fundamental tool.
In fact, thanks to the wise guidance of our wonderful Organizers and their interventions, proposed activities (role games among the others), we were able to understand how as young people our presence in European societies counts but it could be more too.
Every moment of this week counted: from breakfast in the morning, to our brainstorms, from the meetings and the way we got to know each other, to the walks we had in nature, discussing our involvement in our local institutions that work with youth, making all the participants feel more connected despite evident differences.
Davide R.

Youth from Four Countries United in Bulgaria to Explore Green Entrepreneurship

Varbovo, Bulgaria – April 5, 2025 – From March 27th to April 4th, 2025, the picturesque village of Varbovo in northwestern Bulgaria hosted the Erasmus+ youth exchange project titled “Green Entrepreneurs: Rural Youth in Action.” The initiative brought together young people from Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, and Romania to explore sustainable entrepreneurship as a tool for rural development and environmental protection. 

Organized by the Bulgarian Youth Forum (BYF) under Erasmus+ project №2024-1-BG01-KA151-YOU-000215309, in partnership with EUROSUD (Italy), Medunarodna udruga mladih EUTOPIA (Croatia), Colegiul de Servicii in Turism Napoca (Romania), the exchange aimed to foster active youth participation in the labour market through green practices and innovative thinking. Participants aged 16–30 engaged in dynamic workshops, role-playing games, field visits, and collaborative projects that encouraged eco-conscious business ideas and community-focused entrepreneurship.

The agenda included educational visits to local entrepreneurs and institutions such as the Chuprene Municipality and Europe Direct Vidin, where participants learned first-hand about sustainable business practices in rural regions. Interactive sessions tackled topics such as youth unemployment, the NEET phenomenon, and nature-inspired business innovation. Participants also developed their own eco-business plans and explored digital platforms for future youth cooperation.

The multicultural group embraced the local culture through intercultural evenings, historical visits in Belogradchik and Vidin, which marked the conclusion of a highly enriching week.

The project successfully empowered participants with new knowledge, practical skills, and a network of like-minded peers, all united by a shared vision of greener, more sustainable futures for rural youth across Europe.

For more information, please visit www.bulgarianyf.eu or contact the Bulgarian Youth Forum.

📍 Pamporovo, Bulgaria | 21–27 July 2025

📍 Pamporovo, Bulgaria | 21–27 July 2025 The Project on Mental Health with Big Brothers and Sisters of Bulgaria is a community-based initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable youth facing mental health challenges.

These relationships serve as a protective factor against various risk conditions, including social isolation, economic hardship, and limited access to professional mental health services. The project is grounded in the understanding that strong, supportive personal connections can significantly improve emotional well-being and resilience among young people, especially those growing up in disadvantaged environments such as social care institutions or under economically stressed families.

The core of the project revolves around a structured mentoring program where trained volunteers — the “Big Brothers” and “Big Sisters” — are paired with youth identified as needing support.

The content includes:
● Mentor Training: Comprehensive training that covers mental health awareness, communication skills, child protection.
● Mentoring Relationships: Each volunteer develops a consistent personal relationship with their mentee.
● Collaboration with Institutions: The project works closely with schools, social services, and care institutions.
● Ongoing Monitoring: The mentoring process includes regular supervision.
● Awareness and Advocacy

Dalila,Giuditta e Linda

As well here you can get more info about “Inner Peace – Outer Impact – July 2025” a presentation used during the training course held in Pamporovo, Bulgaria (21–27 July 2025). It was led by Emilia Crushcov, a psychologist and expert in mental health.
https://lnkd.in/dRQ4VMm5

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

Goals for 2030 – Youth exchange in Lithuania

36 participants from Erasmus+ programme countries  Italy  Spain  Greece Bulgaria  Czech Republic  Lithuania gathered for an incredible  Youth exchange: GOALS for 2030:  in Lithuania.

Are you familiar with Social Development Goals for 2030? Not yet? Continue to read to get to know more.

GOALS for 2030 is a learning experience to raise awareness about sustainability challenges, connect to nature, the people around us and our own inner motivation and support each other to take action for a better place.

United Nations (193 countries!) created and adopted 17 Social Development Goals for 2030. Did you know that it started in 1992 when UN developed first 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015. Since the programme proved to be valuable and impactful, it has been updated and extended.

We here also gathered to:

– dive into multiple aspects of sustainability, understanding from the roots;

– make projects more sustainable (including social, economic, environmental aspects) and support others to make changes in their lives;

– understand that sustainability challenges such as climate change are global, interdisciplinary and systemic and need collaboration worldwide to be tackled;

– create video tutorials about how to promote sustainable lifestyle to people and how to build mini initiatives about sustainability;

– create initiatives that will tackle sustainability issues of rubbish, air pollution, climate change, big or small;

– live in a simulative sustainable community;

– design activities in local communities.

On the last day of our project, we truly embodied this spirit of unity!  We finished everything we started , making sure that every task, discussion, and effort was brought to a meaningful conclusion. As a final touch, we left sweet and thoughtful messages  on each other’s backs—little notes of appreciation, encouragement, and gratitude that we could carry with us as reminders of the connections we had built.

One of the most exciting moments was revealing our “secret friends” —the people who had been silently supporting and looking out for us throughout the project. The room filled with laughter, surprise, and warm hugs  as we discovered who had been our secret supporter all along!

To wrap up the day, we sat down for a calm yet deeply emotional reflection . We shared our experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the journey we had just completed. Some of us spoke about the friendships we had formed , while others reflected on the lessons we had learned  and how much we had grown. It was a beautiful and heartfelt moment, filled with gratitude, nostalgia, and even a few happy tears .

As the project came to an end, we didn’t just walk away with knowledge and new skills —we left with stronger bonds, cherished memories, and a shared sense of purpose . Though the journey had ended, the impact of our time together would stay with us forever