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Exchange Experiences - Cross Your Borders
Start date: Jan 1, 2015, End date: Dec 31, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The International Youth Exchange "Exchange Experiences - Cross Your Borders" will enable 30 young people from Bremen (Germany) and Izmir (Turkey) between the age of 18-27 years to gain a mobility experience in Izmir (Turkey). The youth exchange will be held from 20.08. - 09.09.2015 organized in Izmir. Target group of the project are diasadvanted/challeged young people which are trained for a job. There are young people from different professional trainings and of various educational institutions involved in the project, therefore a multi-preofessional team is included. The project has a duration of 12 months, during this period the project is prepared together with the Turkish partner organization "İzmir Bornova Mesleki Eğitim Merkezi" (Izmir Bornova Vocational Education Centre). The contact with the Turkish partner organization could be linked by a delegation in December 2013 in Izmir. Also through the partnership between the cities of Bremen and Izmir, there were numerous points of contact, a strong network and a high motivation of both partners to carry out the project together. At a reunion of the Turkish partner in July 2014 in Bremen, the joint project idea has been discussed more detailed. Further project preparatory visits in Izmir in December 2014 and spring 2015 will offer the chance for last specific project agreements. Young people and their interests and needs are focussed on and they will be involved in project preparation and implementation. The project has the following objectives: promotion of personal, social and intercultural skills, promotion of mobility skills, and professional orientation. The Youth Exchange includes the following activities: 1) getting to know-each-other-games, exercises for language animation and deeper acquaintance, outdoor education exercises to build team spirit and cooperation, cultural information, getting to know the immediate project environment in Izmir (rally), as well as excursions into the surrounding environment, leisure activities and sports. 2) The focus of the project are joint workshops that enable the young people to be active practically: they are carried out within the framework of a charitable / social project in which the young people can contribute their knowledge and skills and acquire new skills. It is not decided in detail yet with the Turkish partner organization, what kind of project this will be. It is discussed, for example, workshops for creating a "course of senses" in a nursing home, assisting in the renovation of a playground, support of a major sports event, etc. 3) In addition, a short, two-day job shadowing in a training company in Izmir is planned. Here, each Turkish participant will accompany a German participant and support him verbally (when possible), and can be a "buddy" to his side. If organizationally possible, a two-day visit to the host family of the "buddies" can be planned. 4) In conclusion of the project a bigger event is planned, organized by the young people themselves and in which the acquired project skills are used (for example, the opening ceremony of the "course of senses" or the playground, or the sports event, etc.). 5) The Youth Exchange is reflected both in a detailed interim evaluation and a final evaluation together with the young people. Daily feedback sessions also provide space for exchange and reflection to moods in the group, potential conflicts etc. For including the disadvantaged young people it is an essential part of the project that three persons (per group) are accompanying and supporting the group intensively, take over the language mediation, reflect the learning experiences together with the young people, moderate conflicts and give the young people and a safe feeling at all times as a contact person. The effects of the project are varied and range from: the newly gained experience of young people, to have completed a stay abroad (including the acquired skills) , it is affecting the partner institutions and the local and regional environment (building a long-term partnership, implementation of a follow-up project for young people from Izmir in Bremen, etc.).
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