„Together for Girls: Finnland and Deutschland in Dialogue“ – Youth Encounter
Within the framework of an intensive youth exchange project, young women from Germany and Finland had the opportunity to further develop their skills in youth work and the field of education. The project was based on Lernimpuls's experience in carrying out international youth exchanges and drew on the 25next study, which highlights innovative approaches for cooperation among young people. The aim was to convey a shared foundational knowledge to the participants and to foster a sustainable exchange.
At the beginning of the project, the German participants travelled to Helsinki, where, through various workshops, team-building activities and city tours, they learned more about Finnish culture and the youth work environment of Finpolar. The exchange enabled the participants to experience Finpolar's way of working up close and to take part in their projects. Especially noteworthy were the excursions to Finland's sights and special features, which gave the young people a deep insight into the country and its people.
Afterwards, the participants travelled to Oulu, where they visited Finpolar's newly established association location and took part in further projects. The stay included not only collaboration in youth work but also exciting leisure activities that further strengthened the team-building. The exchange was rounded off with a concluding meeting and an evaluation of the methods that had been learned.
Through the project, the young people were encouraged to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and to define their competencies for the future. An essential aspect was the exchange of experiences, which was continued via a digital platform. The aim was to establish the dialogue between the young people over the long term and to intensify the cooperation – also through the planned return visit of the Finnish participants to Germany. In this way, a sustainable and continuous exchange platform emerged, which brought the young people back into youth work as multipliers for their experiences. We would like to sincerely thank the Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL), whose funding made it possible for us to carry out this valuable project.