🇮🇹 Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Italy 📖 Stories for a United EU 🌍 Storytelling, Diversity and Inclusion, Lecce 🇮🇹
Every person carries a story. What happens when we truly listen to each other's? Stories for a United EU is an Erasmus+ KA1 Youth Exchange in Lecce, southern Italy, bringing together 24 young people aged 18–25 from Italy, Greece, Poland, and Slovakia to explore storytelling as a powerful tool for empathy, intercultural dialogue, and inclusion. Through creative workshops, collaborative activities, and intercultural evenings, participants will share experiences, challenge stereotypes, strengthen their communication skills, and discover what genuinely connects us across differences. Set in a beautiful former convent in one of Italy's most extraordinary Baroque cities. Accommodation, meals, and travel reimbursement all covered. Deadline: 16 March 2026 — apply today.
🇮🇹 Did You Know? Lecce is often called the "Florence of the South" — a city in the Salento region of Puglia renowned for its extraordinary Baroque architecture, built from a distinctive local limestone called Lecce stone that glows golden in the sunlight. The city's historical centre contains the second largest Roman colosseum in Italy, alongside dozens of ornate churches and palaces that make it one of the most visually spectacular cities in the Mediterranean. It is a genuinely remarkable setting for a project about the stories that connect us.
What Will You Do?
📖Explore storytelling as a practical tool for dialogue, empathy, and inclusion — working across creative forms including writing, performance, visual storytelling, and more
🤝Engage in meaningful conversations on identity, belonging, and diversity — sharing your own perspectives and genuinely listening to those of young people from across Europe
🎭Participate in creative storytelling workshops that develop your communication skills, active listening, and ability to express yourself with confidence across cultural differences
🌍Take part in Intercultural Nights — sharing your culture through whatever form feels most like you: a poem, a dance, a song, traditional snacks, a quiz, or anything else that represents who you are
✊Co-create stories that inspire inclusion — contributing to a shared narrative that challenges stereotypes and celebrates what connects us as young Europeans
🏙️Explore the city of Lecce — time is built into the programme for you to discover one of southern Italy's most beautiful and historically rich cities
📣Organise a dissemination activity in your local community by 22 May 2026 — sharing what you experienced and learned with the people around you
💡 Did You Know? Storytelling is one of the oldest and most universal human practices — research in neuroscience shows that when we hear a story, our brains synchronise with the storyteller's in a process called "neural coupling." This means that sharing a story is literally one of the most powerful ways to create understanding and empathy between people from different backgrounds. The science behind this project is as compelling as the experience itself.
Venue & Accommodation
🏛️Le Sorgenti — a beautiful former convent now serving as a nonprofit educational space in Lecce. Shared rooms of 2–3 people, mixed countries (same gender), each with a private bathroom
🍽️Three vegetarian meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) — adjustments made only for documented dietary needs. Italian-style breakfasts (coffee, fruit, biscuits). Two 30-minute coffee/tea breaks with light snacks each day
🚌Free shuttle from Lecce train or bus station to and from the venue on arrival and departure days — no need to arrange your own transfer
📵Limited phone use during activities — participants are asked to use phones only for specific project activities or urgent situations, as a gesture of respect for each other and the facilitators
Travel & Costs
💰No participation fee — this project is completely free to join
✈️Travel reimbursement: Italy — no travel coverage. Greece, Poland, and Slovakia — up to €309 reimbursed after the project, via your sending organisation
⚠️Travel must be approved by ONDE before purchase — only pre-approved tickets will be reimbursed. Travel dates must match the project (arrival 14 April, departure 22 April, with a maximum of one extra day on either side). Keep all original receipts and boarding passes
🛡️Bring your European Health Insurance Card — strongly recommended for the full duration of the project
Who Can Apply?
🎂You are between 18 and 25 years old (group leaders must be 21+) and resident in Italy, Greece, Poland, or Slovakia
🌍You are open-minded and demonstrate respect towards other values, religions, and cultures — regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality
💡You are highly motivated and willing to engage fully in all activities — this is a genuine intercultural learning experience, not a tourist trip
📣You are committed to organising a dissemination activity in your local community by 22 May 2026 — sharing what you learned with the people around you
⚠️AI-generated applications will be rejected — the organisers value authentic, personal responses that reflect genuine motivation and experience
Activity Dates & Key Information
Eligible Countries
🇮🇹 Italy, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Application Link
🔗 Apply here: forms.gle/kF3dZf6XVZrWixps9 — Application Form
📋 Full infopack: Google Drive — Stories for a United EU Infopack
📧 Contact: projects@ondeitaly.org 🌐 ondeitaly.org
⚠️ Important Notice
1️⃣ Source of Information
This announcement has been prepared based on the information provided by the opportunity organiser.
2️⃣ Responsibility for Content
The organiser is solely responsible for the accuracy, details, and updates of the opportunity content.
3️⃣ Right to Modify or Withdraw
Organisations reserve the right to make changes after publication — including eligibility criteria, conditions, or deadlines — or to withdraw the announcement entirely.
4️⃣ Disclaimer of Liability
YouthWorks Hub is not responsible for any such changes, updates, or cancellations made by the organiser.
💡 Final Note:
All listings are shared for informational purposes only. Please always verify details directly through the official organiser or programme website before applying.
