🇩🇪 Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Germany 🚀 Courage for Success 2: Employability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship 💡

Two years ago, young people from five countries met in Luxembourg to explore what "success" really means to them — their goals, strengths, challenges and ideas. Now the journey continues in Germany. Courage for Success 2 is an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange where you reflect on how far you've come, build real employability skills, and turn your own ideas into action alongside an international team and real startup founders. It runs at a forest venue near Ilmenau, Germany, from 16 to 25 October 2026. Youth Works Hub gathers funded youth exchanges like this in one place, and you do not need to have joined Part 1, so here is everything the organisers shared.

What It's About

🚀 Courage for Success 2 builds on the first exchange while opening the door to new participants and perspectives. By sharing successes, failures and unexpected experiences, participants learn from each other and use those lessons to develop new skills, explore entrepreneurship and innovation, and turn ideas into action.

💡 You do not need to have participated in Part 1 — returning participants continue their journey, while new participants bring fresh experiences. Together you will:

🔹 Reflect on your journeys, goals and experiences.

🔹 Develop employability skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership.

🔹 Explore innovation and entrepreneurship.

🔹 Learn from different cultures and from successful startup founders.

🔹 Create practical ideas and resources for other young people.

The 8-Day Journey

📅 Day 1 — Reconnect: welcome party, Bridge of Courage, team challenges.

📅 Day 2 — Your Journey: personal stories, visual timelines, Failure & Success Awards.

📅 Day 3 — Level Up: conflict management, leadership compass, time management, escape room.

📅 Day 4 — Share Your Skills: peer skill-sharing fair, intercultural evening.

📅 Day 5 — Get Inspired: entrepreneurship visit, meet innovators, design thinking.

📅 Day 6 — Turn Ideas into Impact: prototyping, expert pitch workshop, pitch challenge.

📅 Day 7 — Make It Real: implementation labs, test your idea, build your project.

📅 Day 8 — Your Next Chapter: SMART goals, vision board, goodbye ceremony.

The full project runs 10 days (8 programme days plus arrival and departure), and the finalised daily programme is shared with selected participants.

🧭 New to this format and how it works? Here's the essential guide: What Is a Youth Exchange? → https://youthworkshub.org/youthexchange

Who Can Join

👥 Young people aged 18–28 (group leaders 25+), resident in one of the five partner countries — Germany, Luxembourg, Hungary, Romania or Türkiye (residency is enough). No previous Erasmus+ experience is needed, and you don't need to have joined Part 1.

The organisers are looking for people who are:

🔹 Available for the full period (16–25 October 2026) and motivated to take part actively, including dissemination and a follow-up mini-project in their local community.

🔹 Curious about personal and professional development, open to different cultures, and interested in employability, careers, innovation or entrepreneurship.

🔹 Ready to share experiences and work in an international team, and able to communicate in English (perfect English is not required).

💡 Before arriving, participants are asked to bring a "My Idea for the Future" — a workshop, toolkit, campaign, digital idea or peer-support activity to help other young people, developed together during the exchange.

💡 Want to strengthen your application first? These practical tips help: 10 Tips to Prepare a Strong Erasmus+ or ESC Application → https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-application-tips

The Venue

🌲 Participants stay at Herzkompass (formerly MiaVojo), a seminar and event centre in Ilmenau/Oehrenstock, surrounded by the Thuringian Forest, combining modern Finnish-style cabins with a large traditional blockhouse. Accommodation is gender-based, with a large seminar room, shared spaces and a terrace overlooking the valley. A chef prepares all meals, accommodating participants' dietary requirements (collected via a form before the exchange).

What's Covered

💶 The project is co-funded by Erasmus+, covering accommodation, food and catering, all project activities, and travel within the applicable Erasmus+ limits. You also receive a Youthpass certificate.

✈️ Travel is reimbursed up to per-country maximums (green travel earns a higher budget): 🇩🇪 Germany €28/€56 green (10–99 km) or €211/€285 green (100–499 km); 🇱🇺 Luxembourg €211/€285 green; 🇭🇺 Hungary €309/€417 green; 🇷🇴 Romania €309; 🇹🇷 Türkiye €395. Amounts are maximum reimbursement limits based on actual costs — and all routes must be approved by your sending organisation before you book.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ When and where? 16–25 October 2026, at Herzkompass near Ilmenau/Oehrenstock, in the Thuringian Forest, Germany.

❓ Who can join? Young people aged 18–28 (leaders 25+) resident in Germany, Luxembourg, Hungary, Romania or Türkiye — residency is enough.

❓ Do I need to have done Part 1? No — the exchange mixes returning and new participants.

❓ What's covered? Accommodation, food, all activities and travel within Erasmus+ limits, plus a Youthpass certificate.

❓ Can I book my travel right away? No — your route must be approved by your sending organisation before booking.

Deadline

⏳ As soon as possible! The exchange runs 16–25 October 2026, so apply early — and remember your travel must be approved before booking. Youth Works Hub gathers funded youth exchanges like this so you can apply before places fill.

How to Apply

📝 Apply through the project's online application form, answering honestly about your motivation and what you can bring to the group. Selected participants join a WhatsApp group and an online meeting 1–2 weeks before the exchange.