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C-LEAD: Learning, Connecting and Bringing New Ideas Home 🇮🇹🌿
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Between 30 August and 07 September 2026, two Bulgarian youth workers had the opportunity to take part in C-LEAD – Community-driven Learning, Education, and Design for youth workers, an Erasmus+ Training Course held in Alatri, Italy, and hosted and coordinated by KLAP APS.
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Together with participants from nine countries – Italy, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina – we spent a week learning, creating, reflecting and, perhaps most importantly, learning from each other.
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One of the most important lessons we are taking home is also one of the simplest: Meaningful youth work starts with listening.
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Instead of designing activities only for young people, we explored how to design them with young people – understanding their needs, listening to their perspectives and creating spaces where they can actively participate, contribute ideas and take ownership of the process.
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This was especially relevant when thinking about people with fewer opportunities and the barriers that can prevent them from becoming actively involved in their communities.
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Learning by doing
What made C-LEAD special was that we were not simply sitting and listening to presentations. We were constantly involved in the learning and facilitation process.
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We personally tested different methods as facilitators, worked in groups, exchanged feedback, reflected on our experiences and challenged ourselves to look at familiar situations from different perspectives. From creative activities and group challenges to facilitation and co-design exercises, the week gave us opportunities to experience the methods ourselves before thinking about how we could use them in our future work.
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The learning also continued outside the formal sessions.
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The beautiful natural surroundings of Il Favogoloso gave the whole experience a different rhythm. Hiking, outdoor activities, swimming, discovering the area, meditation, animal petting, sharing meals and simply spending time together became part of the learning journey as well.
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We even had the opportunity to discover more about local traditions and products, including honey and olive oil, thanks to Davide, the owner of Il Favogoloso who is also housing several different animals that were subject to human cruelty in the past. These small moments helped us connect not only with the local environment, but also with the people and culture around us.
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Learning from people
Of course, one of the biggest parts of Erasmus+ is the people.
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Meeting youth workers from different countries meant being exposed to different experiences, cultures, working methods and ways of approaching similar challenges.
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During the week, we shared stories, ideas, laughter, food and everyday moments. Some of the most valuable conversations happened not during a workshop, but around a table, during a walk, after a session or late in the evening.
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Living and learning together slowly turned a group of people from nine different countries into a real community.
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For us as Bulgarian participants, this international exchange was an important reminder that although our local realities may be different, many of the challenges faced by young people are shared. And when we exchange ideas and experiences, we can find new ways of responding to them.
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“C-LEAD reminded me that sometimes the best way to improve our work is to stop, listen and look at the situation from the young person’s perspective. I am going home with new methods, but also with new questions and ideas.” – Stilyan Ivanov
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More than a training course
Looking back, C-LEAD was much more than a week of professional training.
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It was a week of stepping outside our usual routines, meeting people we would probably never have met otherwise, trying new things, being challenged, making mistakes, laughing, reflecting and growing.
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There were moments of concentration and moments of complete relaxation. There were workshops and group challenges, but also walks, music, conversations, photos, swimming, shared meals and spontaneous moments that were not part of the official programme but became part of our memories.
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This combination made the experience feel real.
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The natural environment around Alatri also encouraged us to slow down and be more present. Away from the usual everyday rhythm, we had the space to focus on the people around us, the learning process and our own reflections.
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“I am returning home with much more than a collection of methods. I am taking new perspectives, international connections and a stronger understanding of how important it is to give young people real space to participate and co-create.” – Kristiyan Andreev
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Bringing C-LEAD back to Bulgaria 🇧🇬
The most important part of a training course begins after it ends.
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The knowledge and methods gained during C-LEAD will be shared and adapted to our local context. We want to bring these ideas into our future youth work, exchange them with colleagues and use them when designing activities for young people in Bulgaria.
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The project itself also supports this process through the use of the C-LEAD Toolbox, which brings together methods, tools and practices that can be adapted and used in different communities.
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For us, the challenge now is to turn the experience into action:
To listen before designing.
To involve young people instead of simply inviting them.
To make participation meaningful.
To create more inclusive learning environments.
To adapt methods to the people and communities we work with.
And to remember that sometimes a small change in the way we approach young people can create a completely different experience for them.
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The journey continues
When we arrived in Italy, we came with our own experiences, expectations and questions.
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When we left Alatri, we carried home new knowledge, practical tools, memories, friendships and deep connection with people from across Europe.
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But perhaps the most valuable thing we brought back is a renewed motivation to keep learning and to keep improving the way we work with young people.
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C-LEAD showed us that community-driven youth work is not about finding one perfect method. It is about being curious, listening carefully, adapting to reality and creating opportunities for people to become active participants in shaping their own communities.
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The training course may have ended in Italy, but the learning does not end there.
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Now it is time to bring C-LEAD home, share what we have learned and turn new ideas into local action. 🌱🇧🇬🇪🇺
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This project was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
C-LEAD – Community-driven Learning, Education, and Design for youth workers
Erasmus+ KA153-YOU – Mobility of Youth Workers
Project code: 2025-1-IT03-KA153-YOU-000303429
Alatri, Italy | 31 August – 6 September 2026
Hosted and coordinated by KLAP APS
#CLEAD #ErasmusPlus #ErasmusPlusYouth #YouthWork #NonFormalEducation #YouthParticipation #Inclusion #YouthWorkers #CoFundedByEU
