The project in Berlin was a very interesting experience…
It was my first exchange, so I didn’t know what to expect but I am pleasantly surprised. The workshops touched on difficult topics: we talked about emotions, mental disorders. We exchanged our own experiences and knowledge. I learnt what psychiatric care is like in other countries and was able to compare it to the situation in Poland. I met great, inspiring, open-minded people from eight different countries. Thanks to them the exchange was an even more interesting journey. The fact, that others were negatively commenting on psychiatric care in their countries, was surprising to me. One would think that this is an international problem.
The organizers were great people! I knew that I could take their advice or talk to them, if I needed to. I am very pleased that they were open on positive but also negative comments. They were prepared for criticism and did their best to make us feel better if something was not right. I am grateful that I could take part in this project, that I got to know new cultures and people. Thanks to LEVEL UP for being properly prepared, for getting every question answered, for addressing all my concerns and for helping me at every stage of the exchange.
I highly recommend to everyone this kind of trips. It’s a great opportunity to learn about new cultures, make new friends, improve your English and even learn about yourself. I think it’s a great journey and everyone, at least once in a lifetime, should take part in a youth exchange.
Anastazja,18 years old, Germany, youth exchange – He Art: Healing with Art
During the project I met different people…
First of all, I took away a sense of empowerment from the project. A mindset that I can manage wherever and with whoever as long as I have myself.
I met some incredibly wonderful people, that at first didn’t seem so interesting. However, with each day spent on the exchange they gained more and more in my eyes, only to end up as complex, individuals worth getting to know better.
I am grateful for support from the people I met on the trip.
With all my negative approach to this type of trips, turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong about the nature of this exchange. I met a lot of incredible people, different cultures and improved my language, all of that thanks to very safe space, in which I managed to find myself and in harmony with myself explore my resources further, get out of my comfort zone, to learn it’s worth it.
I recommend to everyone a trip like that. It is outrageous that in an age of a globalised and complex world in which we take an egocentric view of reality, chasing individual success while ignoring the benefits of collectivism, it is not the responsibility of the school system to ensure that such an exchange is experienced by everyone without exception.
Denis, 23 years old, Germany, youth exchange – He Art: Healing with Art
I met some incredibly wonderful people…
First of all, I took away a sense of empowerment from the project. A mindset that I can manage wherever and with whoever as long as I have myself.
I met some incredibly wonderful people, that at first didn’t seem so interesting. However, with each day spent on the exchange they gained more and more in my eyes, only to end up as complex, individuals worth getting to know better.
I am grateful for support from the people I met on the trip. With all my negative approach to this type of trips, turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong about the nature of this exchange. I met a lot of incredible people, different cultures and improved my language, all of that thanks to very safe space, in which I managed to find myself and in harmony with myself explore my resources further, get out of my comfort zone, to learn it’s worth it.
I recommend to everyone a trip like that. It is outrageous that in an age of a globalised and complex world in which we take an egocentric view of reality, chasing individual success while ignoring the benefits of collectivism, it is not the responsibility of the school system to ensure that such an exchange is experienced by everyone without exception.
Jan, Germany, youth exchange – He Art: Healing with Art
The project in Berlin was a very interesting experience…
I met a lot of open-minded and uncommon people from different countries like: Germany, Ukraine, Estonia, Romania, Croatia, Italy or Spain. I learned about problems associated with mental health in each country, and also learned how to help people who deal with mental disorders. It was a surprise to me to learn about poor quality of visits to psychologists and psychiatrists in Western countries.
The organizers tried to help in every aspect, the classes were interesting and food was fine. I am grateful for the opportunity to go on an exchange with a theme that is relevant in today’s world. The people are open-minded and you can have a great time with both daytime and leisure activities (e.g. playing games, singing or dancing).
Thanks to LEVEL UP for preparing the project for us and answering all of our doubts.
I recommend to everyone to try new experiences by taking part in one of those projects. It’s a great opportunity to meet incredible people from different countries, improve English, learn new things connected to a project theme, work in groups, practice public speaking and have fun.
Sebastian, 25 years old, Germany, youth exchange – He Art: Healing with Art
The HeArt with art project was my first exchange but surely not last…
I really enjoyed all of the trip and I reminisce on it positively. During the project I met a lot of interesting, open-minded and friendly people. Regardless of the language barrier, cultural differences, interests or age, everyone was very kind, helpful and open to each other.
The theme of the project wasn’t easy – we talked about mental health. I didn’t always feel that the hosts were knowledgeable enough to talk and moderate conversations about mental illness, how we should deal with it, how to help others etc. Especially that many people were sharing their own personal experiences and some of them were very vulnerable. Fortunately the organizers were open to criticism and after speaking to some of the participants they tried to change the way of leading certain panels. Nonetheless the classes proceeded in a positive atmosphere. I liked the way they were held – it wasn’t a “dry” workshops but a creative class. We made music, theatre plays, we played games, danced, played with modelling clay, etc. The organizers tried to make every panel an interactive one, so we didn’t get bored and everyone could find something for themselves.
The biggest barrier for me was the fact that it was my first project and I didn’t know what to expect. It caused me stress and initial retreat.
I liked a lot the location of the project – it was a resort placed amongst nature, in a forest close to a lake. Surrounding area was great for walks and open-air activities. The room, which was at our disposal, was spacious, quite well adapted and equipped for a large group of participants. The bedrooms and bathrooms were tidy and clean. The downside was the temperature in the resort – i think it was too cold, especially in the corridors. The food was average. During the project, after the intervention of the hosts, the meals got a little bit better – vegetables, fruit and snacks appeared.
As for the organisation on the part of LEVEL UP, I think it was very good. I was provided with all the information I needed and there was a person from the organisation who was a good team leader and represented the Polish group to the organisers. We had meeting during which we talked about how we felt, what we liked and what we didn’t like.
I am very pleased that I had an opportunity to take part in this project. I met great people and their culture. I explored a little the main theme of the project, got to know a lot of interesting games, opened up to people and had a lot of fun. It was a great time, which I would like to repeat in the future.
I highly recommend to everyone taking part in those trips. I think the best way to recommend these projects to others is sharing you own experience. No everyone just like me, until recently, knew that such trips exist, that’s why promotion is important. In my opinion the best way is regular and inviting communication in social media and promotion in schools and universities. It could be posters, leaflets or meeting/workshops.
Weronika, 24 years old, Germany, youth exchange – He Art: Healing with Art
