Between september 20. and 28. 2010 the Academy of Experience has organized its first Youth Exchange, bearing the title “Make Yourself Useful” in Csobánka, Hungary. The program, funded by the Youth in Motion project, attracted 28 young people from Poland, Romania and Hungary, who spent nine days together with the aim of learning about themselves and volunteering.

The project was conceived with the goal of encouraging responsible behavior and involvement towards the community, and to provide an opportunity for getting to know volunteering. The aim of the project managers was to provide the participants with an opportunity for realizing their own potential and weight in society and their immediate surroundings. A chance to see how much joy lies in volunteering, and what precious adventures and learning lie before them. The exchange serves as a showcase for means of service and “good practice” for when they go home to start actively participating on their own turf.

The methodological background of the youth exchange had been based on the range of practices of experiential and adventure learning, which holds the pivotal point of using natural resources, actively being outdoors, problem solving and physical excercises to model real situations to experience from the participants’ lives. Along other activities we went on a day-long hiking expedition, challenged ourselves on high and low ropescourse elements, went rock-climbing as well as planned and delivered our own volunteering project.

Take a look around yourself, and ask how you can help. And believe that a new world will open for you, a huge warehouse of opportunities.