The implementation of the project pursued three central goals: the expansion and stability of our partnerships, the development of a robust network, and the safeguarding and further development of the quality of international youth exchanges. We aimed to sustainably strengthen collaboration between the organizations and, through regular exchange, create stable and reliable partnerships that would continue beyond the project’s duration. Another focus was on developing binding quality standards and practical methods, which were applied and evaluated during the exchanges. This was intended to create enriching learning environments for the young participants, fostering both professional and social skills. The network established among the partners will in the future support the exchange of experiences, mutual assistance, and the development of new collaborations. Overall, the project aimed to create a solid foundation for long-term cooperation and high-quality youth exchanges—for the benefit of all participants and the young people involved, as well as other interested organizations and their networks in the local and political environment.
The impact of the pandemic on our work in the field of intercultural youth exchanges was our main motivation for applying for this project. As a long-standing player in the field of international exchange work, we were very concerned about being able to save long-standing and new partnerships and the quality we had built up during this difficult period. Our specific background was that a very committed colleague in our long-standing Latvian partnership was planning to retire, and we considered the handover particularly risky in times of the pandemic. In the case of the two new partnerships with Ireland and Tenerife, there had only been one youth exchange (Tenerife) and discussions (Ireland) so far. Both partners were inexperienced, and the concern about keeping the partnership alive during the pandemic seemed challenging. All three partners welcomed the project idea very much, as it promised not only the opportunity to deepen the partnerships, but also a great qualitative enrichment and consolidation of the content-related work. The idea of networking was also met with great enthusiasm.