Picture the Future: Seeing the SDGs Through a Different Lens
A youth exchange in Rzeszów where photography became a way to explore sustainability, everyday life and new perspectives
Youth exchanges are more than just a few days away from home. They’re a moment when young people from different countries come together, spend time with each other, and start seeing the world from perspectives they didn’t have before.
In Rzeszów, we host participants who often meet for the first time. They come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, and bring different experiences with them. But it usually takes only a few days for those differences to fade into the background.
Our exchanges typically last between five and seven days and are designed for people aged 18–25. Each project has its own theme, but the way we work remains similar. It’s all based on non-formal education, meaning workshops, discussions, teamwork, and activities that require participation rather than passive listening.
Each group includes both local participants from the Podkarpackie region and young people coming from abroad with our partner organisations. They live together throughout the project, share meals, and spend most of their time as one group. It’s often in the in-between moments, outside the structured sessions, where real connections start to form.
Intercultural evenings are an important part of every exchange. This is when participants present their countries in the most direct way possible through food, music, and conversation. No formal presentations, just sharing.
Participation in our exchanges is free of charge, as the projects are funded by the European Union. Travel, accommodation, and all programme activities are covered. Each year, we organise several exchanges in Rzeszów, with around 25 participants in each group coming from different countries.
If you live in the Podkarpackie region and would like to join a project, the best way is to follow our social media channels, where we publish current open calls. We most often invite people who are already engaged in our local activities.
If you are from the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovakia, or Hungary, participation happens through partner organisations in your country. They are responsible for recruitment and preparing the groups:
Youthfully Yours SK – Košice, Slovakia
Uzhhorod National University – Uzhhorod, Ukraine
Mustárház IITI – Nyíregyháza, Hungary
Brno For You, z.s. – Brno, Czech Republic
Similar exchanges are also organised by our partners abroad. This creates opportunities for participants from Podkarpackie to join projects in other countries and continue the experience in a new setting.
