From March 10th to 17th, 2025, the small town of Galbiate, in northern Italy, hosted the Erasmus+ youth exchange Find Your Voice Through Creativity, which brought together 15 young people from Italy, Latvia, Hungary, and Spain, supported by 4 group leaders and a team of 4 experienced facilitators.
The goal: to discover the power of creativity as a tool to explore and express oneself, communicate beyond language barriers, and promote social inclusion.
The Power of Creativity in Erasmus+ Projects
The exchange, part of the Erasmus+ cooperation partnership project LADDER to Inclusion, offered participants a rich programme of non-formal education activities: creative workshops, group dynamics, nature-based experiences, and intercultural sharing moments. Each activity allowed participants to explore their identity and build genuine connections, overcoming cultural and linguistic differences.
Linda, a participant from Latvia, shared her experience:
“I think this programme was full of emotions, new connections and language improvement. Despite language barriers we all can communicate and understand each other. During the programme I understood myself better, had safe space to speak up and got new connections.“
A Transformative Experience for All
The value of cultural exchange was also highlighted by Abdel, a participant from the Spanish group:
“It was very interesting to share and learn about other people’s cultures. […] Thanks to this experience, I was able to broaden my perspective and enjoy a very enriching cultural exchange.”
David, a Spanish group leader experiencing his first Erasmus+ project, particularly appreciated the educational approach:
“All the activities and workshops helped the participants to reflect on their identity and life experiences through art.“
Finally, Imad and Marouan reflected on the importance of play, fun, and human connection:
“Every activity was an opportunity to share, learn, and create unforgettable memories.”
“For me, it was a fantastic experience because I really enjoy doing activities together with people from other cultural backgrounds.”
The experience in Galbiate demonstrated how an international youth exchange can become a concrete opportunity for personal growth, social inclusion, and active citizenship. Through creativity, dialogue, and collaboration, young participants built bridges across cultures and left a lasting mark on the community that welcomed them.
Youth Inclusion and International Mobility
The exchange is part of the LADDER to Inclusion project, which aims to engage highly vulnerable young people in non-formal education and European mobility programmes. Funded by Erasmus+, LADDER supports youth organizations in creating genuinely inclusive pathways within mobility projects.
It also plays a key role in bridging the gap between inclusion policies and real-world educational practices. By sharing good practices and strategies to build safer and more inclusive learning spaces, the project promotes a more equitable, accessible, and diversity-respecting educational model.
This youth exchange also gave the team the opportunity to test inclusion strategies and find innovative solutions to challenges that arose during the mobility.
How Can You Grow With Us?
The LADDER to Inclusion project also aims to connect youth organisations and seed further international partnerships that are prepared to deliver high quality mobilities for highly vulnerable youth.
If you share this mission, feel free to contact us. Please drop us a line and let us cooperate!
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