Youth Exchange 'Generation of Green Innovation' 04-12 May 2026, Krushevo, North Macedonia

An Article by Andreea Cristina Magdas(Maia)

Before joining the Youth Exchange I didn’t know what to expect, I had a bit of an idea, but this experience has surpassed my expectations and left a lasting impression on me. I imagined we would do some activities and workshops, but I wasn’t sure how it would all go, how open everyone would be and how they’d work as a team. I didn’t expect to connect so easily and work as a team with such swiftness, I can really say it was a healing experience because everyone I teamed up with was incredibly nice, really good at communicating, active listening and everyone did their part equally which as many of us know, rarely happens in other environments where you’re supposed to work as a team. 

Every day was a different experience and everything happened so naturally and seamlessly. On the first day we got to meet our hosting NGO, “Level Up” and the core team. Viktor and Elena were really warm, funny and direct, something I personally appreciate a lot. I loved their passion and how dedicated they are to their work and cause. We began with an energizer in which we had to find the dance leader, a very fun and interesting game I will probably incorporate at home with my friends. After this, we continued with a name game and the human bingo game which allowed us to get more comfortable with each other and slowly learn everyone’s names. Bingo is always a fun experience and it helped us get so comfortable with each other, learn about sustainable habits each one of us practiced which made me feel really hopeful because I didn’t expect everyone to do so many things and be so concerned about our planet. The next task was to explore the city in teams and complete some quests which I totally love as an RPG gamer. I really felt like we were a party in a video game, exploring a rustic city, interacting with NPCs and finding items. I absolutely love when real life feels like a video game. We continued the day with the backpack method in which we all discovered what expectations we had, what skills we will use and the rules we will follow. Everyone was active, brainstorming their ideas, opening up and being honest which I totally loved. The energy was right and it allowed us to be more comfortable for the next game in which we practiced our names again and then we prepared our secret friend envelopes which was a comical experience to say the least. When we were done decorating each other’s envelopes, we discussed some logistic stuff to get them out of the way and then proceeded to stick the envelopes on the windows so we could leave gifts for each other during the time we spent together. 

The first day was a lot of fun and the methods used by our facilitators to get comfortable and remember each other’s name were very efficient, I couldn’t even believe I pretty much knew everyone’s name after the first day which rarely happens to me, but this is the result of people who love their work and know how to do it right. I absolutely love seeing this kind of energy brought to the table and it just filled my heart with joy. 

The second day started on a fun note as the Turkish team hosted the energizers for the day and we began with some movement to wake us up by practicing traditional Turkish dances. After the energiser I learnt more about the Erasmus+ opportunities and I started to feel a spark slowly light up in my heart, like I was back into this familiar place and energy, surrounded by wonderful people motivated by the same goals. I became quite excited and curious about what more I can do and I guess this is how these experiences and projects make a lasting change in you. All that is needed is one spark and as soon as we started discussing sustainable businesses in our countries and the pillars of sustainability, I felt at home. I was with my people, brainstorming, being proud of our countries, of the people working for a better future and ready to really get into it. 

The night ended with Italy and Romania hosting the cultural night where we danced, we sang, we learnt about traditions and it was a great opportunity to learn more about each other’s culture. The games taught by every team were a lot of fun and luckily, our menus complemented each other perfectly as Italians brought the salty and Romanians brought the sweets. 

On the third day, we learnt what it means to be an actual eco business by comparing it with a traditional business. We learnt eco businesses are based on a circular economy, valuing the environment and community over profits which is the way we want our future to look like. We split into teams and we each had to do work on different qualities and tools we decided together were important for an eco-entrepreneur. I felt very comfortable with my team, cooperation was easy, brainstorming came just as easy and we all worked like well-oiled machinery which was great. I felt very comfortable, confident and safe with everyone which is such a special thing, but so typical for an Erasmus+ experience. 

I was able to refine my skills and update some of the knowledge I already had through the activities of the day while also learning something new and building strong friendships with the people around me. 

We ended the day with the Turkish and Spanish cultural nights, learning to dance and about traditions where I realised Romania  had so many common traditions with the Turkish, especially the wedding ones. As someone passionate about supernatural stuff and folklore, I absolutely loved the fact that the Turkish team included some creepy stories from their culture. This was a lot of fun, they created quite the atmosphere and it felt like we were listening to ghost stories at the camp fire which made me very nostalgic. 

We continued the next day with the activities from yesterday as we had other teams left to present including mine. I was very proud of my team as I said earlier, they did a great job and we somehow managed to include all the important information in the time limit while also keeping it fun. I really hope everyone else liked what they learnt from us and they understood each strategy they had to work with. 

The cultural nights ended with the Macedonian team presenting their culture and once again when we got to the wedding traditions I realised there were so many common things with Romanian culture and church traditions. 

This was an amazing week, we explored together, we bonded, we brainstormed, we communicated, we collaborated, we learnt and most importantly, we made new friends from all over the world united by the same goal! I wish we had more time, honestly, deep down I probably wish this never ended, but all good things must come to an end! I will take everything I learnt here and spread it to others so they can enjoy this experience. I’m really thankful for this as everyone has filled me with their energy, taught me new things and opened up my perspective to new horizons! I feel like it was such a privilege to meet everyone and live unique experiences together as this week slowly dripped away. This week has left quite an impact on me that will echo for a long time and I hope I will get to see this wonderful world again and experience all that we did here! I want to thank everyone for being authentic, for working together and for creating such wonderful memories!