Our Youth Exchange will bring together 24 young people aged 16 to 25 from four European countries, Portugal, Romania, Hungary, and Malta, to the island of São Miguel, Azores. Our mission is to transform Europe's rising youth mental health crisis into an opportunity for connection, resilience, and self-discovery. With 9 million young people struggling with mental health across Europe and 49% reporting unmet needs, digital anxiety, social isolation, and stigma keep youth from seeking support. DUCK ANXIETY flips that script: instead of silence, participants will speak; instead of isolation, they will connect; instead of avoidance, they will build resilience.
About the Project and Mission
Through nature-based workshops, AI-enhanced digital storytelling, peer mentoring, and evidence-based coping strategies (GAD-7 assessments and daily wellbeing journaling), participants will move from struggling in silence to becoming mental health advocates in their communities.
The project's objectives are:
🌱 Guide participants to recognize their inherent strengths and build belief in their ability to face challenges, targeting youth who report anxiety across the partner countries
🧰 Equip participants with practical tools to manage stress, peer pressure, and self-identity issues through interactive, nature-based workshops
💪 Develop resources enabling youth to recover from setbacks and maintain positive outlooks, addressing those who struggle to receive professional help
🤝 Foster open mental health discussions and cross-cultural mentoring, creating safe spaces where everyone feels valued and heard
🌍 Address cultural and stigma barriers preventing help-seeking across partner countries
📗 Create a Mental Wellbeing Activity Kit, shared across partner organizations to support sustainable mental health frameworks for youth across Europe
📌 What Is a Youth Exchange?
New to the idea? Here is how these short, funded Erasmus+ group projects for young people actually work.
Project Roadmap
Across ten days, the programme moves through daily themes:
🛬 2 Nov: Arrival and welcome, informal activities and the first challenge
🗺️ 3 Nov: Risk assessment plan, roadmap, baseline GAD-7 assessments, cross-cultural peer mentor pairing, Erasmus+ and Youthpass orientation, journaling introduction
🎭 4 Nov: Anxiety fundamentals, historical vs modern anxiety role-play, country-led activity, personal story sharing circles, local interviews, mindfulness walk
🥾 5 Nov: Physical anxiety manifestations, Poço Azul Trail hiking, body awareness, Forest Therapy talk, tension relief, understanding climate anxiety
💛 6 Nov: Self-compassion analysis, positive affirmations, guided self-kindness meditation, negative self-talk pattern recognition (ANTS), Imposter Syndrome, 24h digital detox
🤖 7 Nov: Creative development, country tokens workshop, Mental Wellbeing Activity Kit co-creation phase 1, diffusion models, AI video and image creation, mid-term GAD-7 comparison
♨️ 8 Nov: Coping strategies, Termas das Caldeiras trip, progress sharing, Mind Gremlins, stigma reduction, mid-program GAD-7
🎨 9 Nov: Anxiety types, country presentations, digital storytelling (My Voice, My Story), personal coping strategy, Mandala tool
🗣️ 10 Nov: Empathy building, The Power of Words, Lagoa do Fogo hiking, EuroTrain, cultural Iceberg
🌊 11 Nov: Support systems mapping, River of Life, Kit co-creation, AI Mental Health Awareness campaigns, Failure CV
🎉 12 Nov: Project reflection, personal growth celebration, future planning, final GAD-7, Youthpass completion, commitment to local actions
🛫 13 Nov: Departure day
Eligible Countries
This youth exchange is open to participants from:
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇴 Romania
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇲🇹 Malta
Who Are We Looking For?
Young people aged 16 to 25 who are curious, open-minded, and ready to explore new ways of understanding and managing anxiety, through nature, peer support, creativity, and shared experiences across cultures. You are the right fit if you experience anxiety, stress, or social isolation and want to learn healthy coping strategies, are interested in mental health awareness and breaking the stigma around asking for help, are open to nature-based activities (mindful walks and hikes, forest sessions, tree planting, outdoor reflection), want to connect with young people from Portugal, Romania, Hungary, and Malta in a safe, supportive environment, are willing to fully engage, are open to spending time partially offline (10 days of nature-based learning, comfortable with a 24h no-phone day and a vegan day), and want to become a mental health advocate afterwards. The project is committed to ensuring 50% of participants come from backgrounds with fewer opportunities. Each country sends 5 participants plus 1 team leader (aged 25+), for a total of 24 young people. The working language is English, and no advanced level is required.
🎨 Also open now: Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in 🇦🇱 Albania 🎨 ROOTED: Creativity, Identity and Belonging in the Western Balkans → https://youthworkshub.org/21928
The Venue, Rooms and Meals
The venue is Casa Barão das Laranjeiras, a welcoming local accommodation in Ponta Delgada, offering shared rooms and suites with spacious common areas and a large kitchen. Surrounded by a garden, it includes a swimming pool, barbecue area, and football field. Rooms are shared (3 to 4 people per room) and organized by gender. All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are provided throughout the project, with each national group taking turns preparing breakfast, and dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, allergies, intolerances) accommodated when informed in advance. Expect temperatures between 15 and 20°C in November, mild but with rain likely, so pack layers.
What Is Covered
Accommodation, meals and programme activities are provided. Participants will be reimbursed for travel in Euros up to a maximum limit, based on provided documents (plane tickets, boarding passes). The maximum travel reimbursement per country is: Romania 1188€, Hungary 580€, Malta 580€, and Portugal (travel pre-arranged by the organisation). Tickets must not be purchased before approval of the hosting team. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is required for each participant, and an additional insurance will be purchased through the team leaders for the time in São Miguel. Upon arrival at João Paulo II Airport (Ponta Delgada, PDL), participants will be greeted and transported to the venue.
📌 What Costs Does Erasmus+ Cover?
Wondering what is actually paid for? Here is the full 2026 breakdown of travel, accommodation and support under Erasmus+.
Safety and Support
A psychologist will be on site throughout the entire exchange, all team leaders hold first aid experience, the nearest medical center is a short drive away, and there is a 24/7 emergency WhatsApp group. The project maintains a strictly alcohol-free and substance-free environment. As part of the shared agreement, participants acknowledge no phones from the start to the end of activities, including one full 24-hour digital detox, and commit to one full day of vegan cooking together. This project has been made possible through the collaboration of four partner organizations: Azorcising (Portugal, host), AGOJE (Romania), Youth Avenue (Hungary), and ACT. (Malta).
How to Apply
Selection happens in two stages: stage 1 is the application form; stage 2, if shortlisted, is a short online interview (up to 20 minutes) via Google Meet in English with the hosting Portuguese team. Apply through the application form.
📝 Application form: https://forms.gle/1RZLVj91f9vixz6F6
ℹ️ Infopack: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W7jj7dOGcgVYVHZZljI_46_mklI6J4gT/view
