We literally wanted to go “off the grid” with a group of European Youngster. For a week we've let go of everything that keeps us busy and makes us traceable these days. The focus will be of making connection in real-life, the offline world. We look for the casual and unaffectedly interaction and encounter with new people from other countries. Without prejudice, social media, ... we do activities (e.g. offline gaming, artistic expressions, quests...) together and get to know each other better. *Need for human connection among youngsters: The COVID-19 global health emergency and its economic and social impacts have disrupted nearly all aspects of life for all groups in society. Findings from different studies confirm significant psychological impacts of social distancing and quarantine measures on young people causing stress, anxiety and loneliness. Youth work organisations have stepped in and provided the space needed for children and youngsters to reconnect, a place where they could go with anxiety and questions. With Off the Grid we want to create a safe space where youngsters from different backgrounds can connect. *New experiences - experiential learning As Illich says it, [an educational practice like youth exchanges] "allow for unmeasured experience, that is, for the emergence of something new, unexpected and surprising. The experience of the unqualified new, in the present." A youth exchange as an educational activity with non-formal methods holds different assumptions about the nature and value of education than more traditional schooling. This is an educational activity rooted in experience, where because (not in spite of) certain 'lack' of directionality enable certain (implicit) learning experiences. In this lurks the strong educational value of youth exchanges. With Off the Grid we strongly focus on creating genuine encounters. * Strengthen social skills For many young people, it is a great challenge to interact with other persons unknown to them. For this they must have a lot of skills: courage, empathy, carrying out verbal and non-verbal communication, self-reflection and many others. During this project, these skills will be worked on in 2 ways: On the one hand, young people are encouraged to actively use these competences during the project. On the other hand, a lot of time is calculated to reflect on the competences that the young people already possess in this area. So a strong form of self-insight is created. * Discover the value of offline, real-life encounters Almost every young person has an online identity today. A way in which he or she profiles and shapes himself or herself on the internet. For example: A beautifully designed timeline on facebook, a weekly instagram post, a tinder profile, ... This online identity is part of how those young persons presents themselves to the world and a way in which the young person is expressed. This daily reality causes some young people to experience a duality between their online identity and their offline identity, how they experience themselves as a person. With this project we want to focus strongly on (re)discovering and gaining insight into our own offline identity. By entering into a casual encounter with others, you automatically get to know yourself.