My name is Chiara Crosio, an entrepreneur passionate about social innovation and community-based education. My HE was Tiziana Cristiano, founder of L’isola che c’è APS specialized in non-formal education methodologies active locally and at European level. The collaboration focused on building a sustainable operational model in the non-formal education sector, consolidating managerial, educational methodologies and communication foundations. I first heard about the EYE programme through people who had already taken part, and Materahub provided all the details I needed to apply. We chose EYE because it offered a genuine co-creative exchange to develop real entrepreneurial skills within a meaningful collaboration. I acquired concrete competencies in project management, strategic communication, and stakeholder engagement, while co-designing administrative tools and contributing to non-formal education content.
During my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange, I gained hands-on experience across European project management, strategic communication, and non-formal education.
I analysed the host organisation’s structure and workflows, then helped develop operational tools such as financial tracking spreadsheets, reporting templates, and participant databases. I also carried out a stakeholder mapping exercise, building a structured database to support future local and European partnerships.A central part of the experience involved fundraising and project design: I researched funding calls, contributed to writing project proposals, and developed practical skills in partnership building.In non-formal education, I co-designed workshops based on LARP methodologies, facilitated sessions, and collected structured participant feedback — learning how to integrate innovative approaches into educational and European project contexts.
The exchange generated meaningful results across three dimensions: cooperation, skills, and networking. In terms of cooperation, I built a structured partnership database and actively contributed to European project proposals, strengthening the organisation’s capacity to collaborate at both local and transnational level. Working closely with the host team on real projects allowed me to develop a solid set of transferable skills — from financial monitoring and project reporting to facilitation of non-formal education workshops using LARP methodologies — all grounded in practical, day-to-day experience. Equally valuable were the professional contacts made throughout the exchange: engaging with stakeholders, partners, and practitioners across different sectors broadened my European network significantly and opened concrete opportunities for future collaboration.
This experience turned theory into practice — managing real projects, building real partnerships, and developing real skills. It didn’t just shape my professional path; it gave me the tools and the network to walk it confidently.
