“Involving and Embracing Mentalities” Youth Exchange was held in Trakai, Lithuania on 19-26 November 2017

Project Summary:

The project involved 25 participants representing 11 partner organizations from Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Ireland, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Greece and Armenia. It sought NGO members ready to use academic space for speaking about the refugee students’ issues and implement non-formal learning in everyday life. In turn, the project invited those university members in traditional formal education, mixing it with non-formal learning for the benefit of the local community. The cross-sectored approach was the project methodological pillar.

Training activities were based on non-formal education methods. Activity created a special space for intercultural communication. By interacting freely and opening their minds through specific games and tasks, young people together found out elements of refugee students’ involvement.

Participants expounded their insights, ideas and findings in the form of the guideline for universities and NGOs on how to involve refugee students in social activities due to the close cooperation. Evaluation and dissemination activities helped participants become social agents of positive thinking about refugee students in their local society.

The project goal was achieved due to gathering youth from the civic and academic environment from different countries; investigating elements of refugee students’ involvement and listening to their voices; providing participants with critical thinking tools; making a shift in mind for eliminating biases and barriers to refugee students; offering a helpful guideline for NGOs and universities on how to involve cooperatively student refugees into university-NGO activities; encouraging open reflection and after-project partnership.