I am a 21-year-old psychology student from Poland, interested in non-formal education, creativity, youth work and international projects. My Host Entrepreneur was Milena Gad from YouNet APS, a non-profit organisation based in Bologna, Italy, working on European projects in youth, inclusion and education. My business idea is to create a social enterprise supporting young people and organisations through non-formal education, coaching and leadership training. I plan to start with Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and Training Courses, and later develop professional trainings, online courses and art-based workshops focused on leadership, intercultural communication and wellbeing. I discovered EYE while looking for an international opportunity to gain practical experience and learn from an experienced entrepreneur. I joined to develop my business idea, gain entrepreneurial skills, build international connections and better understand how to turn my interests into a sustainable professional project.
During my EYE stay, I was involved in different areas of YouNet’s work. I contributed to the development of Erasmus+ project proposals, reviewed project materials, supported communication and newsletter content, and helped prepare workshops and training activities. I also worked on creative tasks such as designing Youthpass materials, social media content and video-related activities. One of the highlights was supporting the DIGI-HY training course in Rimini, where I helped with activities, reflections, energisers, logistics and participant materials. I worked closely with my Host Entrepreneur who involved me in ongoing projects and gave me space to contribute my own ideas. Our relationship was based on open communication and collaboration. I could ask questions, discuss my ideas and observe how she approached project development, teamwork and problem-solving. This allowed me to learn not only through assigned tasks, but also through everyday cooperation.
During my EYE stay, I gained practical experience in writing and developing Erasmus+ projects, preparing and delivering training activities, creating communication materials and working with international partners. I improved my project management, facilitation, communication and content creation skills and became more independent in organising my work. I built contacts with people and organisations from several European countries, which can be useful for future Erasmus+ cooperation and project partnerships. The exchange also helped me develop my own business idea. I gained a better understanding of how Erasmus+ projects are developed and managed, how partnerships are built and how educational activities can be designed for different groups. I plan to use this experience when developing my own educational and training activities in Poland and internationally.
EYE gave me much more than professional experience. It pushed me to take initiative, try new things and trust my own ideas. I came to learn how projects work and left with a clearer idea of what I want to create myself.