Day 1
Day 1
What an exciting first day it was! We kicked off our morning full of curiosity and a bit of that first-day energy — a mix of excitement and nervousness. The trainers introduced themselves, followed by each of us sharing a short self-presentation. It was so interesting to discover the diverse backgrounds and experiences everyone brought to the training!
After that, we were introduced to the aims, objectives, and expected outcomes of the course. The trainers also walked us through the logistics — from the daily schedule to accommodation details and the overall flow of the week. Everything started to feel real, and a sense of community began to form.
Then came the ice-breakers! We circled up and shared our names, a few words about ourselves, and even the reasons why we almost didn’t make it here. The stories were hilarious, unexpected, and very human — they instantly broke the ice.
Next up was the Name Game, where we had to spell out our names by exchanging letters with others while revealing fun facts about ourselves. Laughter, surprises, and “Oh, me too!” moments filled the room. Afterwards, we continued with some trust-building games and rapport-making activities that helped us connect even deeper. By the time lunch arrived, it felt like we had known each other for days.
A delicious lunch recharged our energy for the afternoon. We started the session with Erasmus tips, learning practical advice about how to apply for Erasmus+ programmes and avoid common mistakes. Then came a presentation on Erasmus Youth and the 9 Competences Model, giving us a solid foundation for what this training is all about.
One of the most engaging parts of the day was the Expectations, Fears, and Contributions activity. Each of us reflected on what we hoped to gain, what worried us, and what we could bring to the group. Seeing everyone’s post-its on the wall created a beautiful collage of openness and shared goals. Together, we also set our group rules — the little guidelines that will help us learn and live harmoniously throughout the week.
After a cozy coffee break, we continued with an insightful session about Youthpass and Competence Development. We explored the 9 competence areas, learned how Youthpass helps us recognise learning outcomes, and got introduced to the YOCOMO self-assessment tool.
To close the learning part of the day, we had a creative team-building activity — “Create a Robot.” Divided into three groups (head, body, legs), we had to design parts separately without communication, then assemble them together. The results were hilarious and surprisingly symbolic — teamwork really is the heart of Erasmus!
In the evening, we worked in our community groups, taking on tasks like reporting, photography, manual drafting, and office duties. Finally, we gathered for reflection, sharing our highlights, learnings, and emotions from Day 1.
After a full day of connection, laughter, and growth, dinner felt like a well-earned celebration. The room buzzed with conversations, smiles, and the excitement of what’s yet to come.
Here’s to the beginning of an unforgettable journey! 🌍✨
We started today with an indian style energizer which really boosted us. Then we dived into the types of the Erasmus+ opportunity projects. So, we were 5 teams which for the first session of the morning we worked into creating the presentations of the amazing KActions. A lot of good vibes came out, debates, questions, advices and more clarity.
An amazing lunch refreshed us and prepared for the next part of the day. Even more energy was supposed to happen, when we started the afternoon session connecting with nature and with the team members. Trust, guide and being guided and a bath of sensorial experience.
Last but not least, we had 2 more presentation to go. Just after this we jumped into the ERasmus dictionary which brought new knowledge and also reinforced our erasmus vocabulary.
An amazing break with coffee, biscuits and bachata made us feel alive again. Because, after we started to think about the personal projects we want to create. Many amazing ideas came out and this made us connect even more together and our ideas, creating a mash up out of the ideas and preparing the teams to work together for the next days of the projects.
Sorry, now we have to run to dinner, as we are already late because we care about our tasks. Aaaaaaaand afteeeer we will have the first intercultural night where Turkey, Spain and Portugal are going to offer us a cultural journey.
We kicked off the morning with a fun energizer that got everyone moving and smiling — the perfect way to shake off the sleepiness and start the day with good vibes! After that, we looked back at the work from yesterday, reflecting on our progress and getting ready to dive deeper into our project ideas.
After a short break, we split into our previously assigned groups and began identifying the main problems our projects aim to solve. It was an intense and creative process — we explored the direct and indirect causes behind each issue, as well as the effects they create. By the end, our flipcharts were full of colorful arrows, ideas, and connections that helped us see the bigger picture.
A well-deserved lunch gave us time to recharge and enjoy some laughter together before the afternoon session.
In the next part, we transformed our identified problems into project aims, then developed clear objectives and related activities. It was inspiring to see how abstract challenges started turning into structured project ideas, complete with expected results and impacts.
After a cozy coffee break, we continued with a session about project timelines and learned how to make our objectives SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. We adjusted our projects accordingly, making them stronger and more realistic.
Later, during the community group work, we reflected on the day and took care of our shared tasks — teamwork at its best!
Dinner brought us all together again, sharing stories and laughs after a productive day. And to wrap it all up, the Romanian intercultural night filled the evening with music, dances, and cultural treasures — a truly beautiful way to end the day with connection and joy.
We started the morning full of energy with a fun music-based energizer where we had to guess the song from just one word. It immediately lifted everyone’s mood and helped us start the day with laughter and good vibes.
After that, we continued with the presentations of our group projects. Each team shared the progress they had made so far, explaining their ideas and answering questions from the trainers and participants. It was inspiring to see how much clarity and creativity had developed in just a few days, and how every group was slowly turning their initial ideas into structured project plans.
Once all the presentations and discussions were done, we moved into a new challenge: Risk Management. We received a template and started identifying possible risks for our projects — first internal ones, such as time management, communication issues, or team misunderstandings, and then external ones, like unexpected events or situations of force majeure.
Before lunch, we did a short energizer to recharge, followed by a collective discussion about why it’s important to consider risks early in the project design. We realized that as project teams, we are responsible for every step of the mobility, and thinking about risks helps us stay prepared for unexpected moments. Talking about risks doesn’t mean being negative — it’s part of ensuring success and sustainability.
In the afternoon, we started again with a quick energizer to regain focus. Then we talked about the organisation for tomorrow’s travel day before moving on to a more reflective exercise: comparing two different flowers and their characteristics. This activity led us to explore the concept of Monitoring and Evaluation — understanding how to observe, measure, and learn from the process, not only from the final results.
Finally, we discussed visibility and dissemination, two key elements of any Erasmus+ project. We learned that visibility should be present throughout the project — by sharing what we do, staying active on social media, or engaging the community. Dissemination happens after the project ends, when we share the outcomes and impact through activities such as Instagram posts, videos, local presentations, or storytelling within our networks.
It was a very full and meaningful day — from learning how to anticipate challenges to discovering how to communicate results, we took another big step towards becoming better project creators and team players.
Day 5 of From Idea to Impact took us on a journey beyond our usual venue — all the way to Riga! 🇱🇻
We started the morning on the bus with a mid-term evaluation, using the travel time efficiently to reflect on our learning so far, our teamwork, and what we want to improve in the next days. The ride was filled with laughter, honest reflections, and shared thoughts that brought us even closer as a group.
Once we arrived in Riga, we visited the Latvian Youth Council, where we learned about their activities, mission, and role in supporting young people and youth organizations across the country. We also took part in an engaging practical activity called “Abigail’s Story,” which helped us reflect on our values and priorities — and sparked some deep discussions!
After the session, it was time for a delicious lunch at Lido, where we enjoyed traditional Latvian food and some well-deserved rest. The afternoon was all about cultural exchange and exploration — some of us joined a walking tour to discover Riga’s beautiful streets and history, while others took time to relax and recharge for the upcoming program days.
As the evening arrived, we headed back to our venue, full of impressions, stories, and memories from a meaningful and refreshing day in the capital.
We experienced the real Latvian weather because it was raining all day. Martha energized us with an amazing game. We did a quick recap of the previous days. We worked on visibility and dissemination plans and also Gantt’s template. Before going further we had a coffee break, and just after we learned the upgraded version of ninja, getting more energized and joyous. Then we split in different groups and prepared a presentation about Erasmus Youth Quality Standarts. Learning about basic principles, quality management, quality learning activities and sharing results and knowledge about the program. After lunch we continued with the presentations left and we had a special guest, Mr. Uldis Vītoliņš, a representative of Reģionālās Attīstības Centrs (Regional Development Centre). He shared valuable insights from his 25+ years of experience in project writing and management in Latvia. His stories, advice, and real-life examples gave us a new perspective on entrepreneurship, sustainability, and long-term impact in project work.
A break was necessary to refresh as after we continued working on our projects, finishing the the Gantt diagram and working on the application of the project.
And now we are going to do a reflection, have a delicious dinner and dive into the Italian intercultural culture.
Today was another productive and inspiring day of From Idea to Impact! 🌿
We started the morning around 10 AM with a refreshing energizer, waking everyone up and filling the room with good vibes. Afterward, we reviewed the progress of each group and continued working on our project ideas — developing the Gantt charts and completing sections of the project writing template. It was great to see how our ideas are slowly taking full shape!
At 1:30 PM, we took a well-deserved break for lunch, recharging our energy before diving into the afternoon learning session.
At 3 PM, we began a hands-on session led by Anastasija, where we explored the actual Erasmus+ project application form in detail. We learned how to clearly define needs, aims, and objectives, ensuring they are logical, realistic, and interconnected. Anastasija also guided us through the budget section, explaining the different cost categories, the use of visa costs, and tips for managing budget distribution among partners.
We also discussed the participant selection process, emphasizing transparency and communication between partner organizations to ensure fairness and inclusivity. In addition, we explored practical tools to support our work — including how ChatGPT can be used to improve applications, communication, and content creation within Erasmus+ projects. Finally, we went through the partnerships section, learning how to describe cooperation and shared responsibilities effectively.
The session ended around 7 PM, and afterward, each group continued with their community tasks — writing reports, preparing visual materials, and reflecting on the day’s learnings.
And now, it’s time to relax and recharge with a well-deserved sauna night — the perfect way to end a productive day of teamwork, learning, and collaboration!
Today's activities began with an energizer and a recap of the previous day, preparing us for the collaborative work ahead. We presented our NGOs and youth groups, then divided into KA1 and KA2 project teams to share initial ideas, clarify objectives, and communicate outcomes. The group sessions helped us refine our project concepts and strengthened our network for possible future collaboration.
After lunch, we prepared dissemination plans within country groups, outlining how we will share our knowledge and results back home. The final evaluation was interactive and creative, using a "pizza chart" to reflect on key aspects like self-evaluation, confidence in project writing, group energy, and logistics. Everyone marked their satisfaction in a colorful way, producing a positive and balanced result.
We continued with a lighthearted portrait drawing activity where we made illustrations of each other and later wrote personal dedications as mementos of the experience. The day closed with an open Q&A session focused on questions about Erasmus+ projects, personal needs, and future opportunities, bringing together reflection, laughter, and connection as the project nears its conclusion.