🇩🇪 Erasmus+ Training Course in Germany 🌉 Bridges Not Walls 🤝 Inclusion, Intercultural Dialogue & Youth Work, Thuringia 🇩🇪
Set deep in the Thüringer Forest — inside the Vessertal Biosphere Reserve, one of Germany’s most pristine natural landscapes — “Bridges Not Walls” is a fully-funded Erasmus+ Training Course for youth workers from nine countries across Europe and beyond. Over nine intensive days at the Naturfreundehaus Thüringer Wald in Gießübel, 27 participants will come together to build practical skills in inclusion, intercultural dialogue, migration, diversity, and non-formal education — and leave equipped to create real change in their local communities. Participants with fewer opportunities are especially encouraged to apply.
🌍 Did You Know? Thuringia (Thüringen) is often called the “Green Heart of Germany” — a deeply forested, culturally extraordinary state in the centre of the country. The Vessertal Biosphere Reserve that surrounds the project venue is one of Germany’s oldest biosphere reserves, home to ancient beech forests, rare wildlife, and some of the country’s most spectacular hiking landscapes. Yet Thuringia is equally rich in cultural legacy — it was the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, home to Goethe and Schiller in Weimar, and the setting of Bach’s greatest compositions.
What Is This Project About?
🌉 Promoting Inclusion: Support youth workers in creating inclusive environments for young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds — including those facing migration, social exclusion, and discrimination
🗣️ Intercultural Dialogue: Strengthen participants’ ability to facilitate meaningful dialogue between different cultures and communities in their day-to-day youth work
🛠️ Capacity Building: Equip youth workers with practical, ready-to-use tools and methodologies for inclusive youth work in complex social contexts
💻 Digital & Creative Tools: Explore and develop the use of digital tools and creative methods to better engage young people — especially those from marginalised groups
💪 Empowerment of Youth Workers: Increase participants’ confidence and competences for working in challenging and diverse environments
🌱 Community Impact: Encourage participants to take what they’ve learned home — through local multiplier events and activities that create a ripple effect in their communities
🤝 Sustainable Cooperation: Build long-term international partnerships among the participating organisations and lay the groundwork for future Erasmus+ projects
🌍 Did You Know? The metaphor of “bridges not walls” sits at the heart of one of the most urgent debates in contemporary Europe — how societies respond to migration, diversity, and the rise of social exclusion. Youth workers are among the most powerful bridge-builders in any community: often the first professionals to connect with young people navigating displacement, discrimination, and poverty, and uniquely placed to turn those encounters into transformative experiences.
What Will You Do?
🎭 Engage in simulation games that identify current challenges in non-formal education and explore practical measures to address them — providing concrete ideas to implement back home
🧪 Experience hands-on experiential learning: ice-breakers, team-building games, workshops with space for guided and sometimes controversial discussions
💻 Develop and practise digital and creative tools for working with young people in complex social contexts
🌙 Co-create and host an intercultural evening showcasing your country’s food, drinks, traditions, music, stereotypes, and culture in a fun and creative way
⚡ Prepare and lead morning or afternoon energisers for the whole group — each national team takes turns
🍳 Take active part in shared kitchen responsibilities — helping prepare meals, set up coffee breaks, wash dishes, and keep the kitchen clean is a fully intentional part of the community experience
📸 Contribute to multimedia documentation of the project using cameras and laptops — some sessions will specifically require digital equipment
🌱 Develop local follow-up plans — participants are expected to organise multiplier events or activities in their home communities after returning from the training
Working Methods
🧠 Learning by doing and experiential learning — all workshops are designed around active participation, not passive listening
🎮 Ice-breakers and team-building games to build group cohesion and trust across cultural boundaries
💬 Workshop sessions with space for guided but genuinely controversial and challenging discussions — no topic is off the table
🎭 Simulation games designed to reveal the real complexities of inclusion work and non-formal education in practice
🌍 Intercultural exchange woven throughout — from formal sessions to shared meals, evenings, and outdoor activities in nature
Who Can Apply?
🎂 Youth workers aged 18 and above residing in one of the nine eligible partner countries
🗣️ At least a communicative level of English — sufficient to actively engage in preparatory meetings, workshops, and activities throughout the project
🌍 Strong interest in the project theme: inclusion, intercultural dialogue, migration, diversity, and working with young people facing social exclusion
🤝 Motivated to work in an international team and genuinely committed to sharing knowledge through local follow-up activities after the training ends
💙 9 out of 27 spots are specifically reserved for participants with fewer opportunities — including those facing economic, financial, or social barriers
📋 Selection will be conducted by sending organisations based on the information provided in the application — make sure your motivation clearly reflects the project’s themes
🏥 EU citizens must bring a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); non-EU citizens must arrange private health insurance before arrival
⚠️ Important: you must NOT buy travel tickets before receiving confirmation and travel arrangement approval from your sending organisation
Accommodation, Food & Travel
🏡 Accommodation at Naturfreundehaus Thüringer Wald in Gießübel — a peaceful venue in the heart of the Thüringer Forest, ideal for group learning and outdoor activities; shared rooms of 4–6 people, mixed by country and same gender to strengthen the intercultural dimension
🌲 The venue is surrounded by the Vessertal Biosphere Reserve — opportunities for outdoor, nature-based learning and activities throughout the stay
🍽️ Three meals per day and two coffee breaks provided throughout the project — dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, allergies) must be indicated in the application form
🚫 Alcohol is strictly not permitted at the venue or in the accommodation at any time
✈️ Travel reimbursed up to country-specific limits per person for a round trip — Serbia, Bulgaria, Spain, Türkiye, Estonia, North Macedonia: up to €309; Austria and Slovenia (green travel): up to €285; Germany: up to €56
🚕 Taxis are NOT reimbursable — only public transport and economy class flights are covered; buy tickets directly from airline websites, not travel agencies
📄 Keep all travel documents — original tickets, boarding passes, invoices, and payment confirmations — as these are mandatory for reimbursement
⏰ Participants must arrive at the venue between 15:00 and 20:00 on the arrival day (3 July); departures are on 11 July — leaving one day early to catch a flight is NOT permitted
💰 No participation fee — fully funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union
What to Prepare Before You Arrive
🌙 Intercultural Evening: Each national group prepares a creative, interactive presentation of their country’s food, drinks, traditions, music, culture, and even stereotypes — this is one of the highlights of the project
🎬 Educational Resources: Find interesting videos, games, exercises, or educational activities related to the project theme to share during sessions
⚡ Energisers: Each group prepares some morning or afternoon energisers to boost the group’s energy during the exchange
💻 Equipment: Bring a laptop if possible (2 per country) and a digital camera — some multimedia work during the project requires digital equipment beyond just phones
Key Information
Eligible Countries
🇩🇪 Germany, 🇷🇸 Serbia, 🇲🇰 North Macedonia, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇹🇷 Türkiye, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇪🇪 Estonia
Application Link
📎 Apply directly through the official application form:
https://forms.gle/GoEhUQavGx68tsdU7
📄 Full infopack: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHESApybHY/Gt1ESw79q58tDhBk60fyEA/view
⚠️ 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.
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