Page 1 Stowarzyszenie Aktywnych Animatorów Kultury CONSOLIDATED REPORT ON RESEARCH "Resources and programme needs for Youth Exchanges" Lublin, December 2021 Page 2 Table of contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 PART I Experiences from youth exchanges so far ................................................................................... 8 1.Information on exchanges in which subjects participated or organised. ............................................ 8 2.Motivations of young people to participate in exchanges ................................................................. 17 3.Expectations and needs of young people towards exchange programmes ...................................... 23 4.Advantages and disadvantages of exchange programs ..................................................................... 26 5.The impact of participation in exchanges on gaining knowledge and skills by their participants. .... 35 6.Influence of exchange participants on the shape of their programme. ............................................ 37 Part II – Programmes for future youth exchanges ............................................. 40 1.Young people's interest in participating in exchanges ....................................................................... 41 2. The most interesting topics for young people during exchanges. .................................................... 44 3.The most interesting places for young people and people during exchanges................................... 51 4.The most attractive methods and tools for young people during exchanges ................................... 56 5.What knowledge and skills would young people most like to acquire or develop during exchanges? ............................................................................................................................................................... 60 6.Development of social competences of young people during exchanges ......................................... 64 7.Ways to ensure that young people maintain contact with each other after exchanges and integrate during exchanges................................................................................................................................... 68 8. Characteristics of a good trainer involved during exchanges ....................................................... 73 9.Additional propositions made by the surveyed youth ....................................................................... 75 Conclusions............................................................................................................................................ 76 Page 3 INTRODUCTION This report was created as part of the project "International Meeting House in Nasutów" implemented by the European Meeting Centre - Nowy Staw Foundation. The project is co- financed by the National Freedom Institute-Centre for Civic society Development. The aim of the survey is to get to know the opinions of young people who have previously participated in international exchanges, exchange organizers and educators/trainers regarding the programs of these exchanges. The results of the research will be used in the creation of international youth exchange programs within the project (programs: History, Culture and Tradition, Intercultural Dialogue, Cultural Diversity). As part of the research, the following research methods were used in the project: • CAWI – Internet research, • IDI – Individual in-depth interviews, • FGI – Focus group interviews. The project included three research groups: 1) Polish and foreign youth, 2) Exchange organizers - employees representing entities operating in the field of youth exchange (Polish and foreign), 3) Trainers and educators (Polish and foreign) conducting workshops as part of international exchanges. The subject of research are all activities carried out during international exchanges. Respondents in three research groups shared their experiences on previous exchanges but also provided tips useful for organizing international exchanges in the future. The research was nationwide and European. In online surveys and individual in-depth interviews, the respondents were people from all over Europe. As part of the research, the following four research reports were created: • from CAWI research (computer-aided interview using a website), Page 4 • from IDI (Individual In-Depth Interviews) research, • from FGI (Focus Group Interviews) research, • Consolidated report. This report is a consolidated report. The following is a sample selection from each of the three studies: a) FGI (Focus Group Interviews) As part of the focus research , three interviews of three research groups were held: • young people participating in exchanges, • organizers of international exchanges, • trainers/educators conducting workshops with young people during exchanges. Focus studies covered only Poles. A group of young people was included in a face-to-face interview, while the other two groups participated in on-line interviews organized through the ZOOM platform. The interviews were recorded and then then transcriptions were made from them. The research took place in November 2021. The structure of the subjects covered by FGI is as follows: Research group Total number Women Men Youth 9 5 4 Organizers 8 4 4 Trainers 8 6 2 Together 25 15 10 Thus, FGI studies included a total of 25 people, including 15 women and 10 men. Below is a list of countries where FGI participants exchanged took place: Page 5 Research group Youth Trainers Organizers Countries Portugal Greece , Portugal, Finland, Georgia Poland Spain , Czech Republic , Poland , Turkey , Italy , Ukraine b) IDI (Individual In-Depth Interviews) 15 interviews were conducted with respondents from three research groups: • young people participating in exchanges (5 interviews), • organizers of international exchanges (5 interviews), • trainers/educators conducting workshops with young people during exchanges (5 interviews). Individual In-Depth Interviews (IDI) covered both Poles and representatives of other nationalities. Some of the interviews were direct interviews, while some took place online via the ZOOM platform or by phone. All interviews were recorded and then transcriptions were made from them. The research took place in November and December 2021. The sex structure of the subjects covered by the IDI is as follows: Research group Total number Women Men Youth 5 4 1 Organizers 5 3 2 Trainers 5 3 2 Together 15 10 5 Page 6 The structure of the nationalities of the subjects covered by the IDI is as follows: Research group Total number Poles Other countries Youth 5 2 3 Organizers 5 3 2 Trainers 5 3 2 Together 15 8 7 Thus, a total of 15 people were included in the IDI studies, including 10 women and 5 men. The research was attended by 8 Poles and 7 people representing other nationalities. The countries from which respondents representing other nationalities come are: Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Lithuania and Hungary. Below is a list of countries where exchanges of participants in IDI studies took place: Research group Youth Trainers Organizers Countries Poland Ukraine Belarus Georgia Poland Georgia Germany Poland Lithuania Hungary c) CAWI research (computer-aided interviews via website) The CAWI research, during which an online survey was used, was conducted among young people who participated in international exchanges. In total, 122 people responded, including 44 Poles and 78 foreigners. Women accounted for 59.8% of all respondents. Below is a list of countries from which respondents come: Page 7 Countries Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Ethiopia, Greece, Georgia, Spain, Israel, Canada, Kosovo, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Germany, Nigeria, Pak istan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Hungary, Italy, Ukraine Page 8 PART I Experiences from youth exchanges so far In this part of the report, a collective analysis of the statements of participants of empirical research on their experiences from previous international exchanges will be presented. In this regard, respondents' statements about the exchanges in which they participated or organized them will be discussed. Next, the respondents' opinions will be presented on what drives young people to participate in international exchanges, what are their motivators, and what are their needs and expectations are for. The participants of the study also commented on the advantages and disadvantages of substantive programs implemented during exchanges. Finally, this part of the report will present respondents' opinions on the impact of participation in exchanges on the change in the perception of other cultures and their history, as well as on the effectiveness of the process of acquiring knowledge and skills. 1.Information on exchanges in which subjects participated or organised. Information about the exchanges in which the subjects participated or organized them will be presented based on the results of all three empirical studies carried out. Participants of the study characterized international exchanges, specifying their duration, place, participants and substantive program. a. Focus group interviews Youth: The young people covered by the focus study commented on the exchange, which took place in Portugal and lasted a total of 2 weeks. It consisted mainly in getting to know different types of workplaces: restaurants, hotels, schools. The program also assumed getting to know the Portuguese culture. As part of the cultural program, young people visited the city. Page 9 Trainers, educators: The empirical study's collection of trainers/educators indicated several international exchanges during which they carried out workshops: 1. International exchange based on the knowledge of national dances, integration, knowledge about culture. The exchange was attendedby young people from 8 countries. The exchange took place in Poland, in Nasutów (near Lublin). Participants from each country taught the others their national dance. The program also included workshops based on group work. The topics that were discussed during the exchange were: why culture is important, what are the elements of culture, tradition, national costumes. The program also included visiting the city of Lublin. International evenings were a very important element of the exchange. 2. International exchange, the aim of which was to improve the competences of universal and professional organizations that work with children and young people up to 25 years of age on a daily basis. The exchange took place in Greece and consisted in the implementation of study visits to various institutions related to therapeutic, caring, educational and rehabilitation work. Each participant had their own program and focused on other aspects of the functioning of a given institution. During the visit, a cultural programme was carried out, the main purpose of which was to familiarize the participants with the culture of ancient Greece. 3. An exchange during which young people did internships in workplaces in Portugal, but also got acquainted with Portuguese culture. The internship allowed to gain skills in such professions as: car mechanic, hairdresser, beautician, printing worker, IT specialist, restaurant employee, confectionery. In addition, the program also included integration workshops, including psychological and coaching. The latter were particularly important because, as one of the respondents said: there were such problems as the ability to be with each other, the ability to be Poles abroad, to reconcile with their mentality, with the understanding of some issues, so we conducted such classes. Page 10 4. An international exchange, during which young people from a rural school from Poland took classes at a school in Portugal. The exchange program included, in addition to classes at the school, also integration dances, both Polish and Portuguese, sightseeing of the area, integration games and activities. Before flying to Portugal, Polish youth participated in preparatory classes for the trip. 5. Exchange in Finland on the active participation of young people with fewer opportunities. This exchange was attended by young people from Poland, Germany, Turkey and Finland. T he exchange lasted 10 days. Each day of the exchange began with integration workshops, during which the participants shared their fears and expectations for the project. The classes focused on such areas as: pedagogy, nature, sport, relaxation. The program also included national evenings organized by individual groups. Each day ended with an evaluation in national groups. The program also assumed free time, which, according to the respondent, was an important part of the exchange. 6. An exchange in which Polish youth took classes in a Portuguese school. Polish youth met their peers from Portugal, not only at school, but also outside it. Together they danced, explored, integrated. The exchange lasted 7 days. 7. International exchange in Georgia, in which young people from Polish high schools took part. In addition to classes at the Georgian school, the youth participated in numerous meetings, e.g. with the authorities of the city of Gori. In addition, trips were organized to explore the city. An important element of the exchange were integration classes, during which young people learned Georgian dance among others. Another young people from Georgia came to Poland. The program implemented in Poland was similar to the one that was implemented earlier in Page 11 Georgia, assumed classes at school, a cultural program (visiting Warsaw), integration workshops. Organizers: 1. Exchange "Common future, common past", financed by the Polish-Lithuanian Youth Exchange Fund, lasting 5 days. The main topic of the exchange was the Union of Lublin. 2. Polish-Lithuanian exchange for 30 people. The exchange was carried out over two sessions of meetings, each lasting a week. The aim of the project was to strengthen international integration through the implementation of a theatrical etude. Therefore, the first part of the meeting consisted in the fact that young people gathered common inspirations for such an etude, and in the workshop part of the meetings, under the supervision of an acting technique trainer, they strengthened their skills related to exercises increasing body awareness and voice manipulation. Then, the students practiced this etude and prepared for an open performance, which was staged in a local cultural center. 3. Exchange "The Art of Understanding-Understanding through Art" organized as part of the Polish-German Youth Office. The exchange was attended by young people from secondary school, about 20 people from Polish and Germany. The main topics of the exchange were related to breaking the tereotypes concerning the origin of participants from different cultures, from different countries. As part of the exchange, art workshops and sports competitions were carried out. 4. International exchange "Incubator of Polish-Czech Cooperation". The project was intended for young people aged 18-35, lasted 5 months, and the exchange itself 5 days. The project was implemented as part of the Economic Forum of Young Leaders. Page 12 The main goal of the project was to meet young people in Poland, networking, debating, discussing with decision-makers, as well as with their peers from various circles (e.g. various socialenvironments, organizationsand non-governmentalorganizations, with local leaders, representatives of the media ). 5. Mobility trips, implemented under the Erasmus+ program and from funds financed from the Power Fund. Exchanges usually involve students or employees. In the case of employees, it lasts from 5 to 7 days of the training cycle, while in the case of students, these exchanges were longer. The exchanges were used to strengthen employee competences, mainly strengthening didactic competences, skills of working with students, getting acquainted with new curricula. 6. Exchanges carried out as part of the Polish-German Fund, the Polish-Lithuanian Fund and the "Youth in Action" program. Exchanges on young people media qualifications, aimed at developing media skills such as video, photography, journalism. 7. Exchange carried out as part of the Erasmus+ project, addressed to primary school students. The main goal was to get to know schools in other countries and their cultures. 8. Exchanges carried out under the Erasmus+ program, bilateral exchanges between Ukraine and Poland, Poland and Lithuania, Poland and Germany. Programs based on non-formal education methods, using for this purpose various types of games, integration activities . Page 13 b. Individual in-depth interviews Youth: Representatives of young people speaking in individual in-depth interviews indicate the different types, places and thematic scopes of the exchanges in which they participated: 1. The exchange, which took place in Estonia, lasted 10 days. The substantive exchange programme covered issues related to how young leaders become leaders of the European Union and young workers become young leaders. The main topic of the exchange was work with young people and youth policy. 2. Exchange taking place in Poland , in Nasutów (near Lublin), lasting 5 days. The exchange addressed the issues of abuse of violence among young people. 3. Exchange taking place in Turkey, lasting about 2 months. The exchange was focused on the topic of the environment. In addition, the issue of agriculture was also raised. 4. Exchange in Estonia, lasting a week. The elements of the international exchange were: intercultural evenings, sports activities, sightseeing of the city, integration meetings, during which the participants tried traditional dishes. Trainers, educators: Trainers and educators have been involved as lecturers in many international exchanges covering a variety of topics. The most common main topics of the exchanges in which they took part concerned such issues as: leadership and success, the future of young people on the labor market, cultural heritage, ecology, modern technologies, stereotypes. Organizers: Respondents, who are the part of the group of organizers, organized the following exchanges: Page 14 1. Exchange taking place in Turkey. The Romanian partner was the participating organization , and the host organization was the Talent Support Center from Turkey. The main topic of the exchange was coding and robotics. The exchange involved 10 students from each institution and two teachers. 2. Another respondent has experience in organizing 7 exchanges, lasting on average about 6-9 days. The exchanges he organized were created mainly with the participation of young people, based on their needs and their interests. The exchanges were focused on the development of creative skills, were related to photography, filmmaking and digital competences, e.g. communication in social media, cybersecurity. 3. Another respondent organized exchanges on historical topics, about values, about returning to their roots. 4. Another respondent organized exchanges in the House of Education, a training house in Nasutów , they lasted an average of 7-9 days. These exchanges were mainly related to the subject of entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, photography. 5. The last representative of this group of respondents mentioned dozens of projects, mainly from the Erasmus+ program. One of the programs focused on the quality of dance and issues related to gender equality. c. Internet research Only young people took part in the online research. A total of 122 people were surveyed, including 73 women. The young people surveyed were asked to indicate what kind of international exchanges they had participated in, how many exchanges they had participated in and in which countries the exchange had taken place. The distribution of responses is presented in the graphs below. Page 15 Chart 1 What was the nature of the exchanges you participated in? The graph shows that the majority of young people took part in educational exchanges – 35%, followed by social and political – 18%, professional – 16%, touristic and sightseeing – 12%. Less than 10% of respondents chose exchanges of a linguistic nature – 9%, humanitarian – 6%, and sports and recreation – 4%. 35% 9% 12% 16% 6% 4% 18% 1. educational 2. language course 3. touristic and sightseeing 4. professional 5. humanitarian 6. sporty and recreational 7. social ang political Page 16 Chart 2 How many international exchanges have you participated in? The surveyed youth most often participated in more than 5 international exchanges – 37%, in 1 exchange participated 35% of respondents , in 2 exchanges – 10%, and in 3 and 4 exchanges – 9% of respondents each. The answers to the question about the country of exchange in which the respondents participated indicate that the youth went to very different places. Among the most frequently chosen countries were: Greece, Poland - 14 indications each, Portugal - 11 indications, Hungary - 9 indications. Among the countries that were indicated by at least 5 respondents were also: Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Romania and Georgia. The above analysis shows that the participants of the research participated in a wide variety of international exchanges, addressed to different groups of participants, both in terms of their age, country of origin, place of exchanges, as well as the substantive program. Based on their own experience of participating in these exchanges, respondents then commented on the motivation of young people to participate in the exchanges. 35% 10% 9% 9% 37% Sprzedaż 1. participation in one exchange 2. participation in two exchanges 3. participation in 3 exchanges 4. participation in 4 exchanges 5. participation in more than 5 exchanges Page 17 2.Motivations of young people to participate in exchanges Respondents from all three research groups were asked what they thought motivated young people to participate in international exchanges. This was the subject of both quantitative and qualitative research, which allowed to enrich the scope of collected information, as well as to verify it mutually. In the first place, the statements of young people were presented. The responses of young people given during both individual and group interviews and online surveys were taken into account. The surveyed youth, deciding to participate in exchanges, most often stated that they were guided by the following motivations: a. Interest in the substantive exchange program. b. The desire to see another country. c. Integration with people from all over the world. d. Increase language skills. e. The desire to try something new. f. Desire to gain professional experience. g. The acquisition of qualifications and skills confirmed by certificates. h. Knowing history and culture of the country of exchange. i. Having a nice time. j. Making new friends. k. Toget to know people from the world of politics, science and business. Examples of respondents ' statements given during individual and group interviews: (...) getting to know a culture other than in Poland, Portugal is quite different from Poland: culture, flavors. And also the training of English language. You know, in school you talk, but when you use it every day, it's quite different. Page 18 Spending a nice time, doing something new, "breaking away" from home, exploring the world, sightseeing, making and maintaining new acquaintances First of all, curiosity and the desire to meet new people. If someone takes part in one exchange, he immediately wants to go to the next one. Exchanges are addictive. In my opinion, these are a bit of tourist motives, there is no denying that young people want to see different places in the world, see how people live in other countries and compare it with their environment, see something new, acquire some knowledge about other countries. I think this tourist motivation is important. Such an exchange is a great language school, mainly English, if we have such a multilateral exchange. On the one hand, I noticed that many people are very afraid of it, that they will not be able to communicate, and on the other, at the end, they appreciate at the evaluation sessions that these few days of exchange made them open up and acquire a greater willingness to learn, or polished this language at all The distribution of respondents' statements in the CAWI survey on the discussed issue is presented in the chart below: Page 19 Figure 3 Motivations of young people to participate in international exchanges The surveyed trainers and educators speaking in individual and group interviews pointed to the following motives, which – in their opinion – guide young people to apply to participate in international exchanges: a. Willingness to acquire knowledge, both theoretical and practical. b. Increasing employment opportunities. c. Getting to know people from other countries. d. Possibility to go abroad. e. Increasing social competences. f. Getting to know other cultures. [NAZWA KATEGORII] 16% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 13% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 12% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 11% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 13% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 12% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 8% [NAZWA KATEGORII] 13% 9. Others 2% SPRZEDAŻ Page 20 The statements of respondents from both individual and group surveys: Certainly the desire to get to know another culture, the world. For young people, the younger one especially, a plane flight is already a great experience, so it is already worth taking part. Certainly, after returning there is a motivation to learn the language, they always say that this is not it, it will not be useful to them in life. Well, curiosity above all, the desire to experience adventure, breaking down these barriers, especially in the case of young people from smaller schools. At first, they are confused, but over time they open up. Certainly an adventure, because there were many people who flew by plane for the first time, were abroad for the first time, it was an experience for them. At first, everyone had fears, but then everyone is satisfied I think that young people are most motivated by receiving experience. Also the opportunity to meet people from different countries and direct contact with them Possibility of going abroad. The subject matter is the issue, I have the impression, secondary, while the very possibility of going, seeing, getting acquainted with other people - this is something that motivates very strongly. Certainly the values of sightseeinge, in the sense of wanting to get to know another culture, another history, other monuments, other people. I think that sometimes also linguistic considerations, in the sense of actually testing your communication skills in practice According to representatives of organizations responsible for international exchanges speaking in qualitative interviews, young people participate in exchanges due to: a. Possibility of going abroad. b. Getting to know the culture of another country. c. Getting to know other people.