Connected, Not Consumed is an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Oehrenstock (Ilmenau), Germany, from 1 to 10 December 2026, including travel days. This call is for young people aged 18-25 who live in Italy. Accommodation and meals are covered, travel costs are reimbursed up to €309, and there are no participation fees. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the call and the full infopack so you can see everything before you apply.
Why This Exchange Is About Digital Life
The project responds to young people's challenges around digital life, well-being and participation. It creates safe youth work spaces where you can pause, reflect and understand how online environments affect your emotions, relationships and daily balance.
If you are new to this format, our guide on what a Youth Exchange is explains how these projects work.
Three Ideas Behind Connected, Not Consumed
🗣️ Digital activism: you recognise your digital habits and learn to make conscious choices
🌱 Connection without judgement: through non-formal, experience-based activities, you explore connection, concentration and well-being
🔎 Digital literacy and critical thinking: you learn to question media, recognise manipulation and understand algorithms
Intercultural exchange runs through all of this, building empathy, communication skills and a shared European perspective.
What to Expect During the Ten Days
📢 Digital activism and online participation
📰 Media literacy and misinformation awareness
🔐 Digital safety, privacy and ethics
🏙️ Offline city experience for presence and connection
📝 Youthpass reflection and personal learning
🎨 Creative messages for local dissemination
🧘 Digital wellbeing and healthy habits
The project also looks at how social media affects emotions and relationships, and you will spend time offline together. For more on looking after yourself during a project, read our guide on mental health and wellbeing on an Erasmus+ or ESC project.
What the Group Will Create
🧰 Reusable toolkit: session plans, worksheets, templates and beginner guides
✅ Digital Ethics & Consent Checklist
💡 Five Tech-for-Good mini-concepts
🏫 After return: local sharing in schools or universities, plus online dissemination
Who Can Join From Italy
This open call and its application form are only for participants from Italy. The Italian team has 5 places:
👥 4 participants aged 18-25
🧑🏫 1 group leader
The full exchange brings together groups from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia and Türkiye.
Residence Permit Check on Arrival
Residence permits will be checked on arrival where applicable. Participants who require one must hold a valid residence permit issued by their country of residence. The infopack gives this example: a German resident must show a German residence permit, and Belgian residence permit holders cannot participate as "German participants".
You Need to Be There for the Whole Project
Please apply only if you are available for the full duration and able to take part in all workshops, sessions and activities. This is a structured Erasmus+ educational mobility, so active engagement is expected throughout the programme.
If work, studies, job interviews, appointments or other commitments may affect your participation, tell the organisers in advance so they can try to accommodate you where possible. Unexplained absences may result in a partial or full reduction of your travel reimbursement.
What Is Covered and What You Get Back
🛏️ Accommodation: covered
🍽️ Meals: covered
🧾 Travel: reimbursed up to €309 for participants from Italy
🚫 Participation fee: none
To understand how these amounts are calculated, see our guide on how Erasmus+ and ESC travel reimbursement works.
How to Keep Your Travel Reimbursement Safe
Reimbursement is possible only with valid proof of travel costs. No receipt or proof means no reimbursement. Keep all of the following:
🧮 Invoices and receipts
🛫 Boarding passes
🚆 Train and bus tickets
Do not book any travel tickets until your sending organisation confirms your plan. The organisers are not responsible for travel booked without selection and confirmation.
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🌍 All opportunities in Germany →
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Where You Will Stay: Herzkompass in Oehrenstock
🏡 Venue: Herzkompass
🗺️ Address: Frauenwälder Str. 22, 98693 Ilmenau / Oehrenstock
🚪 Rooms: gender-based allocation, 2-3 people per room
🕑 Check-in: 14:00
🕚 Check-out: 11:00
Ilmenau and the Thuringian Forest
The historic German town of Ilmenau is known across Europe for its dual identity as a Goethe- und Universitätsstadt. It sits along the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest and balances deep literary history with cutting-edge academic innovation.
How to Reach the Venue
The infopack lists three airport routes. Use the DB application to book your train tickets.
Option 1: Erfurt-Weimar Airport (ERF), approx. 3 hours
✈️ Erfurt Airport to Gothaer Platz
🚋 Gothaer Platz to Erfurt Hauptbahnhof
🚉 Erfurt Hauptbahnhof to Ilmenau Bahnhof
🚌 Ilmenau Busbahnhof to Oehrenstock, Frauenwälder Straße 22
Option 2: Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ), approx. 4-5 hours
🛬 Leipzig/Halle Airport to Halle (Saale) Hbf
🚈 Halle (Saale) Hbf to Erfurt Hauptbahnhof
🚝 Erfurt Hauptbahnhof to Ilmenau Bahnhof
🚍 Ilmenau Busbahnhof to Oehrenstock, Frauenwälder Straße 22
Option 3: Nuremberg Airport, approx. 4-5 hours
🛩️ Nürnberg Airport to Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof
🚄 Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof to Erfurt Hauptbahnhof
🚅 Erfurt Hauptbahnhof to Ilmenau Bahnhof
🚐 Ilmenau Busbahnhof to Oehrenstock, Frauenwälder Straße 22
The infopack's ban on flights applies only to participants from Germany and the Netherlands.
Check the Full Route Before You Buy a Flight
Before booking, make sure there is a possible connection between the airport and the venue, for both arrival and departure. Do not only check the flight price or the arrival airport.
If you land at Nuremberg Airport, for example, you must also check whether trains and buses run at the right time to reach the venue. Check the full route in the DB app or on the DB website, including transfers and the final bus connection to Oehrenstock. If you are not sure your connection works, contact your sending organisation or the coordinating organisation before booking.
What to Bring
🩺 Personal medication
🛂 Identification documents: ID, passport, visa, etc.
🏥 Health and travel insurance: all participants must have valid travel/health insurance for the full dates, including travel days
🎫 Travel tickets and boarding passes: originals
👕 Comfortable clothes for indoor and outdoor activities
Our guide to preparing before you go covers the wider checklist.
Tell the Team About Medical or Other Issues
If you have any medical or other issue that could affect your ability to participate, or your well-being or that of other participants, you must inform the project staff in advance, before signing your Agreement.
Preparation Tasks Before Arrival
During the preparatory phase, participants will receive guidelines for preparatory tasks. These may include:
🪞 Short reflection exercises
♻️ Small sustainability challenges
✏️ Creative prompts related to AI and misinformation
You are expected to complete these tasks before arrival, as they support group work and the development of the final theatre performances during the exchange.
A Few German Words Will Help
German is the official language of Germany, and in this town English may not be widely spoken in everyday situations. Learning a few basic words is very helpful and shows respect for the local culture.
👋 Hallo: Hello
🌅 Guten Morgen: Good morning
🌆 Guten Abend: Good evening
🚶 Auf Wiedersehen: Goodbye
😊 Danke: Thank you
🤗 Vielen Dank: Thank you very much
🛎️ Bitte: Please
🟢 Ja: Yes
🔴 Nein: No
❓ Ich verstehe nicht: I don't understand
Money in Germany
The official currency is the Euro (EUR). Credit and debit cards are accepted in many places, especially supermarkets, restaurants and larger shops. In smaller towns, local cafés, small shops or some public places may prefer cash, so keep a small amount with you.
You are not required to bring large amounts of cash. If needed, you can withdraw money from ATMs with cards such as Revolut or N26, although international withdrawal fees may apply depending on your bank.
Youthpass Certificate
Youthpass is an official certificate developed by the European Commission for Erasmus+ participants. It helps you recognise and describe what you learned through non-formal learning. All participants have the right to receive a Youthpass at the end of the main activity.
Through short reflections during the exchange, you will identify your learning outcomes and key competences, such as:
💬 Communication
🤝 Teamwork
🚀 Initiative
🌐 Intercultural skills
🖌️ Digital and creative competences
It can be a valuable addition to your CV and can support future job or study applications. Read more in our guide on what Youthpass is.
About the Organiser: IJBK e.V.
Internationaler Jugend- und Bildungsverein Kaiserslautern e.V. (IJBK e.V.) is a registered non-profit youth and educational association based in Kaiserslautern, Germany. It focuses on international youth work, non-formal learning and intercultural exchange, especially through Erasmus+ projects, youth exchanges and training activities that connect young people across cultures and promote active participation, inclusivity, creativity and social engagement.
The organisation supports youth empowerment by creating opportunities for young people to learn, collaborate, connect and build competences for their personal and professional development.
How to Apply
📲 Step 1: follow @ijbk.ev on Instagram to discover upcoming Erasmus+ projects, open calls and international youth opportunities
🖊️ Step 2: contact the sending organisation in Italy or fill in the online application form, which is in Italian
📖 Before applying: read the infopack first
The host organisation selects the participants. For general advice, see our step-by-step guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC, and find more Erasmus+ opportunities on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to Connected, Not Consumed?
This call is for young people aged 18-25 who live in Italy. The Italian team consists of 4 participants aged 18-25 and 1 group leader.
Is Connected, Not Consumed free to join?
There are no participation fees. Accommodation and meals are covered, and travel costs are reimbursed up to €309 with valid proof of travel costs.
When is the application deadline?
There is no fixed deadline, so you should apply as soon as possible. The exchange takes place from 1 to 10 December 2026, including travel days.
When can I book my travel tickets?
Do not book until your sending organisation confirms your plan. The organisers are not responsible for travel booked without selection and confirmation.
Do I need insurance?
Yes. All participants must have valid travel/health insurance for the full dates of the project, including travel days.
Can I miss part of the programme?
You should apply only if you can attend the full project and all its activities. Tell the organisers in advance about any commitments, because unexplained absences may reduce your travel reimbursement partly or fully.
What will I receive at the end?
All participants have the right to receive a Youthpass certificate at the end of the main activity. It describes your learning outcomes and key competences, and it can support future job or study applications.
Project Snapshot
📌 Type: Erasmus+ Youth Exchange
📍 Location: Herzkompass, Oehrenstock (Ilmenau), Germany
🗓️ Activity Dates: 1-10 December 2026 (including travel days)
🌍 Countries: Italy
🎂 Age: 18-25 (the age range applies to the 4 participants; the team also includes 1 group leader)
Deadline
⏳ As soon as possible!
Links
🔗 Application form (participants from Italy): https://forms.gle/D8ysxswN2hjARJa78
📄 Infopack: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHOxjRCLH0/AmGleGNvZN2U-suN2SwEuA/view
📧 Comune di Ghedi (sending organisation, Italy): calzolari.irene@gmail.com
📨 Application form contact: info.associazionearcus@gmail.com
📞 Application form contact phone: 320 424 4449
🏢 IJBK e.V. website: https://www.ijbk-de.org
✉️ IJBK e.V. email: office@ijbk-de.org
📱 IJBK e.V. WhatsApp: +49-15253482040
🏠 Venue website: https://www.miavojo.de/
