07 October 2015

Cyprus is calling: 8 Romanians will join our (inter)cultural journey in 2016 [Erasmus+ youth exchange]

GEYC is selecting 8 Romanian participants, to take part in the "Youth in C.R.I.S.I.S." European project that will take place in Agros, Cyprus from 12th to 19th of March 2016. The main aim of the youth exchange is to provide a forum for diverse cultures to come together and have a recognition for similarity and appreciation of difference, foster and encourage personal and social development through interaction on an inter-cultural level, empower young people to be active citizens and have an increased sense of belonging to Europe. Deadline to apply: October 12th, 2015.


Please notice that this call is for Romanian participants only. Other applications will not be considered. 
Deadline to apply: October 12th, 2015. Apply now!

About the project:
Agros is a village of Limassol district, built amphitheatrically
among high mountains at an altitude of 1100 metres.
Youth in "C.R.I.S.I.S" is a multilateral youth exchange within the framework of Key Action 1. The exchange will take place over 8 days in Agros, Cyprus. The participants will come from Cyprus, Romania, Italy Spain, N. Ireland and Slovakia. The theme will explore history, culture, traditions and politics of the participants from respective countries. These topics will be explored through a range of non-formal learning methods through arts, sports, drama, a cultural visit and a community project. The objectives of the exchange are to provide a forum for diverse cultures to come together and have a recognition for similarity and appreciation of difference, foster and encourage personal and social development through interaction on an inter-cultural level, empower young people to be active citizens and have an increased sense of belonging to Europe.

Also during the project we will discussed about the financial crisis and how affects youth life. The young people will present the financial situation in their country and will suggest new ways to increase youth employability and entrepreneurship. In this way participants will learn from each other, they will share ideas and experiences and get new knowledge how will overcome the crisis.

This project targets the priorities of the ERASMUS+ programme since it tackles the issue of citizenship, youth participation, cultural diversity and inclusion at their most basic level. This will allow them to deal with fields of life, which are affected by those historical happenings. Improving cultural self awareness and developing interpersonal skills in a multicultural environment allows for the young persons to be better able to stand up for themselves, be more active, resist peer pressure and xenophobia, be more goal oriented and view life as a positive, meaningful experience. In turn, these young people will act as multipliers among their cohorts who in the long run will become better citizens.

With this project we want to mix different cultures and cross borders to other traditions, languages and mentalities by involving actively with groups from other countries. The working programme uses informal learning in form of discussing, games, group activities. Through this, they will experience a new way of discovering their own history. The programme implementation will be partly in hands of the participants themselves as well as professional trainers providing input and guidance through the method of experiential learning. The preparation, implementation, evaluation and follow up will be coordinated by the leaders or contact persons of each country.

In this project we will discuss about the culture, the ethics, the education system, the music, the traditional dances of all the partner groups. We will have lectures, team games, workshops and discussion about all the unique cultures that are included under Europe . We are going to make activities with the aim of knowing Europe : quiz, building maps, sport games, round table, open discussions, presenting traditional histories, workshops and outdoor activities. We will have a special day about mixing cultures and combine people from different background. The main topic of our exchange is discovering cultures and learn new ethics, arts and traditions. During the project we will try to build bridges between the European Youth and we will promote active participation. Also during the project we will organize intercultural nights where all the partner groups will present their country, their culture, traditional foods, drinks, music and dances.
Agros is well connected with the main cities of
 the island of Cyprus: Larnaca and Limassol

Project duration: 12th - 19th of March 2016

Project location:
Agros, Cyprus
The participants might have the possibility to visit other locations in Cyprus (such as Larnaca and/or Limassol) or other European cities during the flight stop (Belgrade and/or Athens).

Available places:
- 8 participants between 17-25 years old;

The group will be leaded by our colleague, Gabriel Brezoiu:

Gabriel BREZOIU (Personal Blog | CV Linkedin) is a founding member and General Manager at GEYCSince 2008, Gabriel has managed various social projects in the nonprofit sector, planed and delivered training programs mainly on soft and project management skills development topics.
Gabriel is working with Erasmus+ projects since 2009. As a group leader he was involved in 3 youth exchanges in Italy, one in France, one in Greece and one in Bulgaria. Moreover, he is also a SALTO Youth | Trainer and he took part in an ATOQ ("Advanced Training on Quality of Youth Exchanges") intensive training course in Denmark.


Please notice that this call is for Romanian participants only. Other applications will not be considered. 
Deadline to apply: October 12th, 2015. Apply now!



Selection criteria:
- age: 17-25 years old

- having at least a conversational level of English language

- strong interest in the cultural field and capacity to express his/her own culture and traditions (local, regional and/or national level);

- strong motivation to contribute and get actively involved into the project activities;
- gender balance;
- participants with fewer opportunities (in terms of geographical, educational, cultural, social, health, economical, language obstacles etc.), GEYC volunteers and GEYC Community applicants will have priority to participate

Please make sure you accurately present your profile in the application form in order to support its relevance to the target group. We expect a large number of applications for this project (over 5 candidates for one spot) and the selection will be highly competitive based on the criteria above. 
Avoid disappointment: provide specific details when describing your profile and motivation!

Project timeline:



  • Before October, 12th: submitting the application form
  • Before October 31st: selection of participants, notifications and confirmations (paying the participation fee - please notice that the participation fee is non-reimbursable; the fee will paid within about 24h after receiving the confirmation e-mail) 
    For this project, all candidates will receive a feedback on their application before October, 31st. In order to facilitate the communication of this project, please contact us in case you don't receive any feedback before October, 31st. Before this deadline, the selection process might be in progress and we might be unable to provide you with other updates. 
  • After participants confirmation: arranging the travel details (please be ready to cover your travel costs) feel free to check geyc.ro/flights for the current price level. GEYC will support you throughout the booking process and the reimbursement procedure;
    The transfer from the airport to the venue (go and return) will cost approximately 30 EUR.
  • March 12th - 19th, 2016: Ready for the adventure? Cyprus is calling!

  • Financial details:
    The organizers will cover the following costs with the support of the European Commission: 
    • 100% of meals, accommodation, activities costs; 
    • Transport cost up to 170 EUR per participant
    Participants will be required to cover: 
    • a participation fee covering administrative costs for this project (the fee will be paid in RON, by bank transfer; the fee will be paid after the participants are selected). Please don't pay any fee before you receive the confirmation e-mail): 135 RON (30 EURO) for GEYC Community (please note that for this call we will consider the members that joined the Community not later than 6th of October 2015) applicants and  225 RON (50 EUR) for other applicants (GEYC active volunteers are not required to pay the participation fee); The fee is calculated at a fixed exchange rate (EUR=4.5 RON) 
    • (if needed) transport cost - only the amount exceeding 170 EUR (about 140 EUR for local transport in Romania and international transport and about 30 EUR for the transfers in Cyprus)
    • (if needed) medical insurance. European Health Card (free) is preferred; 
    • (if needed) any other personal costs.

    Relevant information 
    • In order to start their travel, Romanian participants should own a valid ID card or passport;
    • under 18 years old participants will have to prepare legal documents issued for the group leader in order leave the country (at their own non-reimbursable cost).
    • extra safety and protection measures will be applied by the group leader for the under 18 years old.
    • Arrangements regarding medical insurance or the issuance of the European Health Card (free) are the responsibility of the participants.
    • In order to be reimbursed, Romanian participants should start their travel from Romania.
    • Please make sure you have read and accepted the terms and conditions of GEYC European mobility programs before you apply.

    Please notice that this call is for Romanian participants only. Other applications will not be considered. 
    Deadline to apply: October 12th, 2015. Apply now!

    Contact
    If you have any questions feel free to contact us through the Contact form or by Facebook (as a private message). Please mention ”YE Cyprus” when you contact us.
    When you apply, the system will display an automatic confirmation message on the screen. Don't expect another confirmation e-mail for your application. Make sure you have a stable internet connection before you fill the form.
    For this project, all candidates will receive a feedback on their application before October, 31st. In order to facilitate the communication of this project, please contact us in case you don't receive any feedback before October, 31st. Before this deadline, the selection process might be in progress and we might be unable to provide you with other updates.