I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to participate in this exchange…
Owning to the “Ecochange” youth exchange, I realized that the ecological change is up to us. I had a great time participating in a variety of games, workshops, field games and outings to the mountains and canoeing.
My biggest surprise was the cleanliness of Spanish cities. The Spanish have respect for their local homelands and look to the future for their destiny.
The local cuisine was surprisingly varied. People were open-minded and kind. The organisers were putting the finishing touches to everything.
The biggest barrier for me were my language skills because it was the first time when I was using English outside school. Undoubtably, I had the opportunity to practice the language and break down my barrier.
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to participate in this exchange. I had a great time getting to know new people, new places and culture.
International trips are an amazing opportunity to meet friends from different countries. Additionally, you discover various cultures, languages and traditions. Each country is unique and has rich customs. While being in other country, you practice your English.
Kacper, 18 years old, „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.
I met many open-minded, inspiring people during the exchange…
The project has opened up many opportunities waiting for me outside my home country, which I didn’t know until now. Right after coming back home I knew that it wasn’t the last such a project in my life. I wanted to explore more corners of the world, overcome existing stereotypes and also step out of my comfort zone. The idea of a semester of study abroad was born after this exchange.
I met many open-minded, inspiring people during the exchange. There was something to learn from everybody.
The natural environment in the northern part of Spain was a huge surprise for me. Our town, where the project took place, was surrounded by picturesque mountains and was situated in the midst of gusty rivers. When we bring to mind an image of Spain, we don’t identify it with such areas. Obviously, I wasn’t disappointed with the openness and hospitality of the hosts, on which we could count in every situation. Locals gladly shared the history of the creation of the town during a field game.
Appreciation must also be given to the organisers who, in addition to the ecological knowledge imparted, provided us with a great deal of entertainment. These included rafting down the Sella river or climbing the surrounding mountains.
What I remember incredibly well is the curiosity of all participants to meet the other human. Everyone wanted to get to know each of the participants individually as best as they could, but also learn about culture and customs of their home countries. When it comes to the cuisine, I was surprised by the fact that many dishes were served without being heated, e.g. pasta – while in Poland they are served hot.
I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in such an exchange. I was able to come across unknown customs, culture and the participants’ home cuisine. Moreover, such exchanges are a great place to train language skills in a judgement-free environment.
Trips of such kind are an unique opportunity to broaden your horizons and look at the world from different perspective. Nothing shapes and develops a person more than travel. Young people, to whom such exchanges are directed, can gain a vast amount of valuable knowledge. Most importantly, they gain also international friendships and also so far unknow way of development. One thing is clear – the exchange changes life! However, to what extent depends on commitment, open-mindedness and a willingness to change.
Natalia, 21 years old, , „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.
I learnt about the local culture of Asturias, typically Spanish customs….
I made many new friends during this trip and also met interesting people from different countries. I had the opportunity to learn something about the culture of their countries as well as something about the individual people. My language barrier is now smaller. Due to that, I am no longer afraid to talk in English. I learnt about the local culture of Asturias, typically Spanish customs. I was also surprised by the Spanish cuisine which is completely different from the Polish one. The food in hostel was alright as well as the organisation. The organisers are lovely people who you could approach with any problem.
The trip was a great opportunity to work on your English, break down resistance, and learn new cultures. I am grateful for being so kindly received by others. A funny event was the canoe trip, as it was my first time and I ended up between tree branches several times.
I would encourage others through social media, information in schools or workshops. I will recommend future trips to my peers.
Marcel, 18 years old, „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.
Participating in the project gave me the opportunity to develop…
Participation in the exchange was a great adventure for me which I would be happy to repeat. I met many amazing people with whom I am still in contact. Throughout the exchange I became very attached to the people who made up the Polish team. Above all, I learned self-reliance on the project. We as the group were supposed to buy plane tickets and arrange transport to Mieres. It was a great lesson for me as I haven’t bought tickets on my own before. I had the opportunity to try many surprising local treats.
I most enjoyed the day when I had the opportunity to cook Spanish food with the group. It was a very nice experience during which I learned how to prepare new dishes. Also, I was able to talk with people from different countries about their traditional meals. Language proved to be the biggest barrier. It showed me that I have to put a lot of work to be able to speak with others without stress. We helped each other with the conversation. When one of us didn’t know how to say something in English, the other person helped them.
Participating in the project gave me the opportunity to develop, to meet many interesting people and to discover a new passion which is canoeing. I wouldn’t dare to try such a sport in Poland.
I recommend such a trip to everyone because it is a huge step towards self-reliance. I think that each of us should take part in such a project at least once in a lifetime. Owning to that we can learn a lot about ourselves as well as the other human. I think the biggest encouragement is the photos, the wonderful places I managed to see and the stories to tell.
Patrycja, 18 years old, „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.v
I believe that every project is an experience….
This exchange was very special for me because I was able to test myself as a team leader for the first time. It was an interesting challenge and a new experience which brought a lot of thoughts. I would certainly like to resume my participation as a project leader one day.
The exchange itself was focused on the topic of ecology, which has been very important for me for many years, and it seems to me that I am already quite aware in this field. What was interesting for me, was the opportunity to share my knowledge and observation of the methods of imparting knowledge. Asturias turned out to be a lovely place and I am grateful for the opportunity to visit many interesting locations such as Oviedo or Gijon. The Spanish team gladly shared local curiosities with us, e.g. a funny game involving throwing discs into the mouth of a frog.
Many thanks to the entire Polish team, with whom I had a great time and I am convinced that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship for us!
I believe that every project is an experience that opens up participants and changes the way of looking at oneself and others. Thanks to a few days spent in an international group it is possible to break down the language barrier, meet many inspiring people and make many wonderful memories!
Aleksandra, 23 years old, „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.
The exchange was a wonderful experience which I recommend to everyone…
It was the first exchange that I had ever taken part in. The project was an amazing adventure in my life, which gave me a lot of motivation to fulfil my dreams and open up to the world. I met many lovely people who will live long in my memory. Before the trip, my biggest concern was communication in foreign language. It turned out that I didn’t have to worry about my level of English, because I talked with other people without any problems and took active participation in workshops.
I enjoyed that, besides workshops related to the theme of the exchange, there were provided many activities. On the second day we went to Oviedo, which we explored by playing field game. It consisted of covering a designated route in groups and discovering the most important places and monuments as well as performing tasks. On the same day we went also to Gijon, which amazed me by its views. During the following days we hiked in the mountains in Mieres and were on a canoe trip on the Sella river.
On the trip, we also had the chance to learn the culture of other countries which took part in the project – Spain and France – during cultural evening.
The exchange was a wonderful experience that I recommend to everyone. If you want to meet new people, explore the culture and different cuisines of other countries, develop language skills and have an amazing time – don’t hesitate and give it a try!
Julia, 18 years old, „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.
Each participant was very kind and friendly for me…
From this project I gained a lot of knowledge considering ecology and also other countries who participated in it. I learned the culture and cultural customs of the Mieres people. We had the opportunity to talk with locals who showed us kindness and answered our questions without any problems, sharing their knowledge. The food in Spain differed from the one I usually eat in Poland. To be honest, I wasn’t able to try every meal, even though I tried – it was sometimes too much of a difference for me to what I eat every day. A big plus is a frequent eating fruits – which I love.
Each participant was very kind and friendly for me. There wasn’t many of us, so I had the opportunity to briefly talk with every person from the project. I developed a closer bond with some of them and even speaking in English wasn’t a problem to know each other better. I have wonderful, special and unique memories with every Spanish, French or Polish person in my team. The organisers were also wonderful and full of positive energy.
I am grateful for the chance to meet wonderful people, visit beautiful towns in Asturias and broaden my knowledge. I came across a wonderful team who accompanied me on the trip. I would especially thank for our team leader who has performed well in her role, meeting all of the expectations. She was a huge support to me throughout the trip, which I needed at times.
I guess this time I had no barriers. However, I was afraid of canoes because it was my first time. This fear, although, quickly turned into excitement and I am very grateful for the opportunity to gain new experience.
There were lots of funny situations and loads of group laughter. I found it particularly amusing that during one workshop at the beginning of the day we had to come up with an ecological day plan for some boy with a random name. During the same day we found out that new participant is coming, and when he arrived it turned out to be his name – it was a funny reference. I have amazing memories from this trip and I don’t regret that I decided and applied on it.
It was my second international trip with the LEVEL UP association. Both, the first and the second one, were wonderful and as successful as it could be. We had many integrative games through which we were able to get to know each other better and get closer. I highly recommend such trips to anyone – it’s a chance to test your English skills, meet many excellent people, have a great time and learn interesting things about ecology and other countries participating in the project.
Dominika, 18 years old, „ECOCHANGE for social and ecological sustainability” youth exchange project.
See also:
Project „ECOCHANGE FOR SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY”
