From November 28 till December 7, 2022 Centro pa Desaroyo di Aruba hosted an Erasmus+ Training course that gathered youth workers from Europe and Caribbean islands. The goal for the participants, coming from 20 different organizations, was to learn about youth work competences, methods and tools to work and engage with youth in their local communities, exchange best practices and develop new projects.
The training course named “Creation, Reflection and Education for Community Empowerment (CRECE)” was a unique opportunity to develop partnerships between organizations that work with youth from different countries, build their capacity to work in international environment and create a space to exchange knowledge and learn more about Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.
The participants wrote articles to share their experiences and we’ll share some of their testimonials with you.
‘Young people are the co-creator of the present’, quoting one of my trainers, we as youth workers stand in the frontline to guide, coach and support our youngsters, listen to them and include them. In order to help them ‘Create’ programs for them, it is key to ‘Reflect’ on their needs first before releasing any form of further Education to Empower them. As a youth worker, I experienced this active training tour.’
Chulyta Jubitana, Caribbean Education and Cultural Foundation from St. Maarten ‘This was my first time experiencing an Erasmus+ program, which took place on Aruba for a duration of 9 days. I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to attend this training course where I was able to meet and bond with people from different countries and nationalities. I gained insights into what Youth Work entails in different EU countries and learned about new, impactful tools that I myself can use with the youth within my organization.’
Chisela Vasquez Santos, Heart-Centered Leadership Foundation from Aruba ‘Erasmus+ is a great opportunity for young people to explore their possibilities and to think outside of the box. Meeting new cultures in a non-formal environment and becoming more aware of the different approaches to the challenges that we are all facing, empowers you to become a more active member in society.
In a long turn, this could provide significant changes in everyday life of your local community. Taking part in activities in Erasmus+ program fosters you to see the bigger picture of the realities around you, but also brings a fresh look and new ways of dealing with situations that you see as obstacles in a particular moment in life. Accept the possibility and explore it-you won’t regret.’
