Collaborations 

Experience

Successful Completion of the Erasmus+ Project “Bricks with Meaning 2.0”

At the end of February 2026, we received official confirmation from Opetushallitus (the Finnish National Agency for Education) that the final report for our 12-month international Erasmus+ project has been successfully approved. The project involved the management of a total budget of €60,000 (from our own funds and funds from the European Commission via Finnish National Agency for Education).

The key outcome of this project, implemented in collaboration with 3 international NGO partners*, is the development of a practical, user-friendly handbook for youth workers. The handbook is designed for anyone working with young people and focuses on the application of the LEGO method in working with teenagers and young adults, including migrants and individuals from vulnerable groups.

The publication includes 20 ready-to-use LEGO-based session scenarios, providing concrete tools that can be directly applied in youth work practice.

The LEGO method, widely used in the business sector for team development, fostering individual contributions, and generating creative solutions to complex challenges, has in recent years been increasingly introduced into education and youth work. However, until now, there has been a lack of a clear and well-structured resource tailored specifically for youth educators and NGO volunteers. This project addresses that gap.

The handbook was developed through the joint efforts of 18 participants who took part in an intensive international training program held in Helsinki. Their collaboration resulted in a comprehensive and accessible resource that supports effective and meaningful engagement with young people.

To increase accessibility and inclusion, the handbook has been translated into Ukrainian and Russian—two widely spoken languages among migrant communities in the Baltic region. This enables youth workers and volunteers to use the materials in their native languages and adapt the scenarios to their specific contexts, as well as create their own activities following the modular logic of LEGO.

In addition to the handbook, the project achieved significant impact through capacity building. More than 110 youth workers and NGO activists from Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland were trained in applying the LEGO method. Furthermore, project participants organized over 40 LEGO-based sessions involving young people aged 10 to 29 across these countries.

The Center for Educational Initiatives and its partners are now well-equipped to continue applying and further developing LEGO-based methodologies in youth work.

The handbook is available upon request in English, Ukrainian, and Russian (PDF format).

* Project partners: Eesti-Mordva Selts (Estonia), Eduplius (Lithuania), Fundacja Młodzi dla Europy (Poland)
** Project title: Bricks with Meaning 2.0 (Erasmus+ 2024-1-FI01-KA210-YOU-000250939)

Partners

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