Connection
Youth Exchange on communication, emotional intelligence & well-being through methods of Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness, and embodied learning
When: 12 – 22/03/2026 (including travel days)
Where: Statek Habří, Moravecké Pavlovice, Czech Republic
For whom: 30 young people from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, and Ukraine
“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to sten. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention… A loving silence often as far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.”
– Rachel Naomi Remen
Main info
Connection is a 9-day Youth Exchange focused on enhancing interpersonal communication, self-awareness, and emotional resilience. We will support young people and youth workers in learning tools to foster authentic connection with themselves and others.
The project is designed to be inclusive, creative and participatory – with participants co-creating parts of the program, contributing to a digital workbook and learning module, and leading local dissemination activities after the exchange.
The learning journey is structured around daily themes such as:
- Presence and Self-Awareness
- Observing without Judgement and Emotional Literacy
- Needs Awareness and Self-Compassion
- Empathy, Conflict Transformation and Feedback
- Authentic Expression and Open-hearted Communication
We use the following non-formal and experiential methods:
- Nonviolent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg)
- Mindfulness and Meditation (Jon Kabat-Zinn)
- Self-Compassion (Kristin Neff)
- Embodied Movement & Contact Improvisation
- Journaling & Self-Reflection Practices
- Improvisation & Play for Integration
Residents of:
- Czech Republic
- Ukraine
- Poland
- Italy
- Bulgaria
As a participant:
- 18–30 years old
- Interested in emotional intelligence, mental well-being and communication
- Willing to participate actively and reflect on your inner processes
- Committed to engage in follow-up activities (e.g., workshop, podcast, local talk)
- Priority will be given to participants with fewer opportunities
As a group leader:
- 18+ years old
- Ready to come one day earlier (11/3/2026)
- Experienced in youth work, facilitation or community organizing
- Responsible for preparing national group, supporting them during YE, and facilitating daily reflection groups
- Involved in the co-creation of the program and dissemination
- You will take a full part in the whole programme
- You will fill all the evaluation forms 1 month after the project and an impact form 3 months after the project
- You will implement 1 national event or create a product (podcast, etc.) to disseminate the learning from the project
- You will support development of new learning modules for digital tool supporting individual well-being: https://hope.czechinspire.eu/
- You will support development and spreading of Booklet with activities from the project
- Submit a brief testimonial
Write a short social media reflection, crediting Erasmus+
Only after fulfilling all those conditions, you will be eligible for a travel reimbursement.
- start with filling the application form.
- every partner organization (see below) will select 5 participants + 1 group leader to take part in the programme.
- if you are selected, you will receive a Confirmation Letter with more information regarding your participation. ONLY then you can start managing your travel arrangements and booking your tickets!
- if you have any questions, please contact us on an email info@czechinspire.eu
Learning Process & Programme
- Day 1 | Welcome, setting group values, goal-setting activities
- Day 2 | Mindfulness, presence, journaling, group movement
- Day 3 | Feelings and needs, speed-dating with emotions
- Day 4 | Self-compassion, body-based exploration of care
- Day 5 | Empathy, buddy practice, active listening labs
- Day 6 | Conflict transformation, dissolving enemy images
- Day 7 | Authentic expression, feedback in NVC style
- Day 8 | Gratitude shower, collective sharing, creative integration
- Day 9 | Next steps, Youthpass, closure & celebration
This might be adapted according to the community’s needs on the ground
* This is a plan but it will most probably change according the current needs of the group. Thus, you have an idea what is coming, but nothing is written in stone.
7:30 Breakfast prep
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-9:30 Service & care
9:30-10:00 Open space (voluntarily)
10:00-13:00 Morning program (with a break in between)
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00 Siesta / Service & Care
15:00-18:00 Afternoon program (with a break in between)
18:00-19:00 Reflection groups
19:00-20:00 Dinner
20:00 Group leaders meeting
21:00-22:00 Evening program (voluntarily)
22:00-7:00 Silent time (by law in a Czech republic – you can still do what you want, but do it in a way you are not disturbing the villagers)
23:00-7:00 Please, let people sleep (you can still do what you want, but do it in a way you are not disturbing the ones who want to sleep)
- Program is fully vegetarian
- Alcohol only out of program, and only with moderation (no hard liquers)
- you will be helping with cooking (and learning on plant-based cooking in the process, under the guidance of our vegan-chief) and cleaning
Accommodation – Statek Habří
The venue is a pension in the Vysočina region. Forest is nearby, there is a pool, stand-alone studio.
Rooms will be from 4 to 8 people. The rooms are equipped with bedsheets.
Website (in Czech).
- There will be 3 meals a day + 2 coffee breaks. The food provided during the program will be an environmentally-conscious vegetarian diet cooked by our amazing vegan chef who will be happy to provide you with information on sustainable and healthy cooking.
- Before the project, we will ask you about your special diet or allergies to arrange your needs in time.
- There are no shops nearby, please bring all the necessary stuff with you.
- In case of need, we can do shopping from time to time, based on availability of our shopping crew.
- Be at Křížanov (district Žďár nad Sázavou) on 12/03/2025 at 18:00. You will be picked-up from there by bus.
- For traveling in Czech Republic, you can use this website: https://idos.idnes.cz/en/vlakyautobusymhdvse/spojeni/
Good tip:
It can be difficult to pronounce names of Czech cities. Put the names on a paper and show it to people! They will try to help.
Travel Reimbursement
The project is co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme.
The costs of the programme, including meals, accommodation, and travel costs (according to the maximum amount of money allowed per country) will be covered by the Erasmus+ programme. Please contact your sending organisation to learn more about the financial details, and how to arrange the booking of your travel tickets.
Very important!
The travel expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of tickets, bookings and invoices, so remember to keep them all with you!
Erasmus+ calculated maximum amount of travel reimbursement you can receive based on the distance band.
Ukrainian, Polish and Czech participants are expected to travel green, meaning you can travel by plane maximum 49 % of the journey, and you cannot travel by car on your own (only shared rides).
€417 Bulgaria
€56 Czech Republic (green travel)
€309 Italy
€417 Poland (green travel)
€417 Ukraine (green travel)
- If you are paying any fee to your sending organization, we don’t ask for any extra fee.
- If you are send for free, we ask you to pay a €30 participation fee. It will be send to your sending organization to cover their administration hours.
- If you can’t afford to pay any fee, that’s ok. Simply contact your partner organization or Project Supervisor (info@czechinspire.eu), and they will support you by discussing alternatives (i.e. you help us photos during the project, instead of the fee). We want to make participation open for everybody. All we care about is to have involved and motivated people.
Partner organisations
Terra del Fuoco Mediterranea
Italy
christel.antonazzo@tdfmediterranea.org
https://tdfmediterranea.org/
Kebetas
Ukraine
Project's Team
Vojtěch Žák
Project supervisor
I am a trainer, facilitator, coach, storyteller, and writer.
The main topics I am focused on are the labor market, social inclusion (mainly of the LGBT+ spectrum), and personal development. The main methods I use are storytelling, coaching, systemic work, body movement, art, gamification, and LARP.
I went from a career as a journalist and marketing specialist to becoming a coach, facilitator, and trainer. I have worked for 6 years as a scout leader and later participated in the EVS program at Olde Vechte Foundation in the Netherlands.
info@czechinspire.eu
+420 775 636 658
Facebook
Michal Filípek
Kitchen and sustainability facilitator
Plant-based chef, low-waste lifestyle geek and sustainability lover.
From studying French language and literature to Erasmus+ cooking. Long story short, I like cooking more.
I can share with you my experiences in the kitchen, including several years working in a restaurant. My method is simple – everyone can cook.
I believe that a sustainable lifestyle is not a matter of being perfect but implementing small steps into your everyday life. During this project, you will have a chance to experience many of these little steps and see which one is working for you. I will be there to support you!
mifilipek@gmail.com
+421 902 400 626
Facebook
Juna Sadczuk
Facilitator
that provide lasting impact.
Often working in natural settings, she combines the development of soft skills, teamwork, communication strategies, and self-awareness with artistic tools such as theatre exercises, intuitive movement, and art creation.
justyna.sadczuk@gmail.com
Arianna Rodriguez
Facilitator
Arianna is a multidisciplinary creator and storyteller who views art as a vital tool for social transformation and peace-building.
By drawing from both audiovisual arts and the arts of expression, she creates human-centered narratives designed to bridge cultural divides and foster deep empathy. Guided by the principles of Nonviolent Communication, her heart is in facilitating inclusive & safe spaces where dialogue can flourish and authentic connections can take root.
In her practice, she invites the body into the conversation through theater, contact improvisation, and authentic movement. Arianna uses these holistic tools to support mental health and emotional awareness, creating a safe sanctuary where creativity becomes a channelfor healing and intercultural understanding.
As a co-founder of Pangea Aperta, she is dedicated to empowering communities and using her creative spark to connect people across borders, promote activism, and try to build a more peaceful and inclusive world together.
pangeaperta@gmail.com
+39 379 119 3779
Liliia Stepchenko
Media Guru, Facilitator
Liliia Stepchenko is a youth worker, trainer and facilitator who believes that informal education and emotional intelligence are important tools for youth empowerment and personal growth. She believes in creating inclusive, participatory and reflective spaces where young people can explore self-awareness, communication and authentic connections.
In her practice, Liliia uses methods of non-violent communication, mindfulness and reflective exercises, combining cognitive and experiential approaches to support emotional awareness, resilience and collaboration. She uses these methods to create a safe and engaging learning environment where participants can experiment, reflect, and apply new skills in meaningful ways.
As co-founder and leader of the Kebetas Association, Liliia is dedicated to supporting youth development, intercultural understanding, and community engagement, helping young people and their peers transform the knowledge gained through international exchanges into local impact and sustainable development.