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FlowJourney

2025-2-FI01-KA155-YOU-0003731642025Discover EU inclusion actionongoing
Countries: FI · Grant: €23,091.75

Objectives

With this project we want to open up the DiscoverEU experience to young people with fewer opportunities who would otherwise not be able to take part in such an international journey. Our aim is not only to give them the possibility to travel but to make this travel a structured, inclusive, and empowering learning process. The main objective is to remove barriers such as financial, social, linguistic, and psychological, so that participation becomes possible on equal terms with peers across Europe. From a youth work perspective, the project is designed as a holistic process of preparation, mobility, and reflection. We see travel not as an isolated activity but as a non-formal educational pathway where young people learn through experience, take responsibility, and discover their strengths. Preparation includes mentoring, group-building, and practical workshops on planning, budgeting, risk prevention, intercultural awareness, and digital tools. This phase already strengthens competences and reduces fear, particularly for those who lack previous travel experience or who face additional challenges such as neurodivergence or limited language skills. During the journey, the youth work approach is visible in how responsibility is shared and learning is made explicit. Participants will take turns managing daily tasks such as navigation, budgeting, and time management, with support from an accompanying person who mentors rather than directs. This balance of independence and guidance is a central principle of good youth work, ensuring that young people learn by doing while having a safety net when challenges arise. Group solidarity is also a focus, as participants learn to support each other, respect differences, and value diverse strengths within the team. Reflection is built into every stage of the project. Daily check-ins, creative exercises such as video diaries or sticker walls, and group conversations allow participants to identify what they have learned and how they have grown. After the journey, structured workshops help them capture their competences through Youthpass and through creative outputs that they can share with their peers and community. This recognition of learning is particularly important for young people with fewer opportunities, as it gives them the language and confidence to present their achievements in education, volunteering, or employment contexts. The objectives of the project are therefore closely linked to youth work practice: to empower young people, to promote inclusion, to strengthen key competences, and to create safer and braver spaces where learning is possible. By supporting young people with fewer opportunities to travel, we promote equity and solidarity. By structuring the travel as a learning pathway, we ensure that participants do not only see new places but also develop life skills such as problem-solving, intercultural communication, resilience, independence, and social responsibility. By involving them in dissemination, we give them ownership of their story and the chance to inspire others. On a wider level, the project contributes to building a more inclusive Erasmus+ programme and a more cohesive Europe. It shows that with the right support, young people who are often left out of international mobility can succeed, thrive, and bring their perspectives to the European stage. The participants will return home not only with new competences but also with the confidence to take further steps, whether in education, volunteering, or civic life. They will also act as role models within their communities, showing peers that DiscoverEU and other opportunities are accessible to all. By involving three youth already in the design of the project and confirming them as participants, we ensure that the activities directly address lived experiences. Their early involvement strengthens relevance and guarantees that the project reflects the realities of the young people it is meant to serve.

Project partners (1)