Youth Exchanges

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.

2026-01-31

How well do we really know the history and traditions of our closest neighbours? This question became the starting point for the youth exchange “Echoes of the Past”, which brought together young people from Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Ukraine in Rzeszów. For a week, participants explored not only the past of the region, but also how it continues to shape the present and influence the way we see the world today.

The first days were dedicated to getting to know each other and building a sense of connection within the group. Participants explored Rzeszów together, while sharing elements of their everyday lives, from food and traditions to small cultural habits that often say more than any presentation. These moments created a natural space for openness and curiosity, setting the tone for the days that followed.

As the project developed, the focus shifted towards a more experiential approach to history. Through role-play sessions held at Urban Lab Rzeszów and the Feniks International Integration Centre, participants stepped into roles inspired by different historical moments and perspectives. This allowed them to reflect not only on what happened in the past, but also on the choices, values and attitudes that still resonate today. By placing themselves in these scenarios, they were able to better understand complexity, context and the human dimension of history.

Another important aspect of the exchange was language. Exploring similarities and shared roots between Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Ukrainian opened up new perspectives and often led to surprising discoveries. It quickly became clear that despite differences, there are many connections that bring us closer together.

As the week came to an end, the conversations naturally turned towards the future. Participants reflected on what they had learned and discussed opportunities available through European programmes such as Erasmus+ and volunteering, considering how these experiences can shape their personal and professional paths.

The project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme, which enables young people to meet, learn from one another and build connections across borders. It was implemented in cooperation with partners from Czechia, Hungary, Ukraine and Poland, creating a space for meaningful exchange and dialogue.

By the end of the week, what started as a group of individuals became a connected and engaged community. Shared experiences, conversations and reflections turned “Echoes of the Past” into something more than a project, it became a space for understanding, connection and discovering how the past continues to echo in the present.

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