As a host HFA, has since joining the Erasmus program 2013, coordinated and received over a 100 short/long/team EVS/ESC. On top of that some 300 youth exchange participants. We also have been visited by students, course participants, friends and couchsurfers and woofers and workaway volunteers. Together some 500 young people have lived here for a shorter or longer time. We have taken these youth through work activities and workshops, working with competences and personal development. Over the years, not only refining our methods and our content, but also learning something about what it is to be young in Europe today. We believe our situation is unique since we not only work together - we have LIVED together with these young people. As a host we are a farm community (adventure and learning centre) we share our home with all these 500 young people. We sleep in the same houses, use the same showers and and kitchen. We bake and repair things. We celebrate and have parties together. We go on vacation together. We watch films and drink tea together. We become friends and talk about life. And we get irritated at each other, we get disappointed, we get fed up with each other. People get hurt, they cry, they raise their voice. People lose faith, they gain confidence, they change their life goals. Couples are formed, and life long friendships. But sooner or later, after having shared a few steps on the same path in life, most participants move on, back to their countries, back to new projects, maybe a career. A new person with new competences and maybe new dream return to their country. What happened to them? Where are they now? What are they doing? How did the Erasmus project affect them. If they now a few years later look back at the experience, what impact did the Erasmus project have on them. In what way are they contributing to society today. What are their future plans? Are they using the life-tools we taught them? What is the next step for them? Did we increase their employability? Are they living more sustainable? Are they living healthier? Are they more confident? Are they managing their resources and competences better? Have they taken on leadership roles? Are there any entrepreneurs among them? Was our time, and the EU tax money well spent? Most of these things are easy to find out (even though it needs many days and lots of communication). We intend to invite as many as possible of them back for a youth exchange and answer these questions. An ambitious evaluation project of the Erasmus experience. Basically the same questions that the EU questionnaire asks, but we will be able to go deeper and build on a trust relationship. 10 nations, 60 participants + 10 leaders for 6 (+2 travel) days BASIC OBJECTIVES - Host long term goal - found an eco-village. - Strengthen the hosts transition network (environmental work). - Strengthen the local community / country side. - Hidden agenda; introduce participants to simple living, sustainable lifestyle, understanding nature. - Develop methods of community building. - Develop leadership skills (within the organization and for the participants) - Fulfill the partners need of a quality project for participants that goes deep on an individual level. - Fulfill EU expectations on development of active European citizenship issues, inclusion and key competences. - Fulfill participants expectations (we already know some of them from previous projects) creativity, social, personal. -> Build participants competences and prepare them for the future! Goals with the participants - Strengthen self confidence, initiative, social skills, expression and leadership skills. - Creating strong personal emotions (since learning is more effective when we do this). - Using the group as a support, sharing peer to peer. - Using reflection/evaluation in a more creative way which leads to better strategic thinking which includes motivation and goal setting for the future. In short: Because we like Erasmus. It has done so much to develop our small organization. Our association is now 10 years old and we have been doing Erasmus for 5, so it feels we would benefit from looking back and evaluating, and thus be able to refine methods and create new and better activities linked to impact. And since our reason for existing is our human resources, of which all our passed Erasmus participants have played a major role, we would like to put their learning experience in the center of an activity.