Karaman Youth Club participated in a total of 16 EU youth projects carried out in 10 different countries within the scope of EU projects. A total of 68 individuals, consisting of 36 females and 32 males, participated in these projects. Among the participants, 49 were young people aged 18-30, while 19 youth workers, teachers, academics, trainers, and experts aged over 30 participated in these projects. Within the project scope, participants' expenses for food, accommodation, travel, and visas were covered by the project budget. The projects were implemented within the framework of Collaboration Partnership in the field of Youth, youth exchanges, training courses, and voluntary projects supported by the EU. In addition to various gains for the participants, the projects made a significant contribution to promoting the cultural values of the Karaman province on international platforms.
Collaboration Partnerships in the firld of Youth provide participant institutions/organizations with the opportunity to gain experience and strengthen their capacities through international collaboration, develop and enhance partnership networks, and produce high-quality innovative outputs/products. The projects implemented within this activity aim to foster joint initiatives that encourage the development, transfer, and/or implementation of innovative practices, as well as collaboration, peer learning, and exchange of experiences at the European level.
Youth Exchange projects provide opportunities for young people to enhance their competencies, gain awareness in socially relevant issues/thematic areas, especially through peer learning, discover new cultures, habits, and lifestyles, and strengthen values such as solidarity, democracy, and friendship.
Training Course projects support the professional development of youth workers and the improvement of the quality of Youth Work through Informal Education and Non-formal Education; supporting mobility at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
In Volunteering projects, young people are provided with the opportunity to engage in volunteer activities in projects that contribute to the benefit of society in their own countries.
Spain, December 4-9, 2023, "Don't Disturb"
The Erasmus+ Training Course project named "Don't Disturb," in which Karaman Youth Club Association participated, and coordinated by the Asociación Jóvenes Solidarios from Spain, took place in the town of Arenas de San Pedro, Spain, from December 4 to 9, 2023. Two youth workers from our association participated in the project to represent Karaman. The project involved 16 youth workers, trainers, teachers, and academics from Ukraine, Morocco, Spain, Poland, Turkey, and Portugal. Among the project goals were analyzing the mental health, mental states, and needs of individuals as youth workers, trainers, teachers, and academics; providing a collaborative working environment that promotes their mental health; creating the necessary environment for interaction and peer coaching; and conducting activities aimed at building networks.
During the project activities, there were exercises to allow youth workers and educators to take a break from the hustle of daily life, recognize their emotions, and cope with anxieties and fears they experience. The Feldenkrais method, a psychosomatic education method promoting correct body use, was applied, enabling participants to learn how to achieve harmony between the mind and body. Additionally, the training course provided an opportunity to promote Karaman and develop international cooperation.
France, November 25-30, 2023, "ESC2LEARN Plus"
Between November 25 and 30, 2023, the opening and preparation meeting for our Erasmus KA220 project, "ESC2LEARN Plus," took place in Strasbourg, France, with the participation of Karaman Youth Club Association, AMSED, Solidarity Tracks, and ACARBIO board members and project coordinators. Following important decisions about the project during the meeting, steps were taken towards new project collaborations. The goals of the ESC2LEARN Plus project include "enhancing young people's knowledge, skills, and abilities using innovative educational tools" and "facilitating the sharing of best practices among youth workers and educators." Project activities to be implemented until December 2025 include needs analyses, academic research, analyses, various local and international activities, meetings, training sessions, digital platform development, and creating educational content.
Spain, November 21-29, 2023, "Changing Attitudes, Promote Health"
The Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project named "Changing Attitudes, Promote Health," prepared in partnership with Karaman Youth Club Association and Abarka NGO in Spain, received a grant from the Spain National Agency and took place in Hondarribia, Spain, from November 21 to 29, 2023. The project involved a total of 32 young people and 6 team leaders from Germany, Slovakia, Portugal, Italy, France, and Turkey. To represent Karaman Youth Club and Karaman, 5 young people and 1 team leader participated in the project. The project aimed to encourage mental health and a healthy body among young people aged 18 to 24 with serious weight problems. Project goals included increasing awareness of obesity among young people, preventing negative attitudes, unhealthy behaviors, and exclusion among young people with obesity issues, developing skills and strategies to create self-esteem regarding healthy living and mental health, promoting inclusive and supportive environments for these young people, and encouraging them to share experiences and support each other. The project team, which included participants who had experienced peer bullying, were introverted, and had negative memories about themselves, achieved self-appreciation, self-acceptance, and integration into society through workshops, awareness activities, and various events related to mental health throughout the project.
Greece, November 11-18, 2023, "Video tutorial Engineering for youth: Solve problem, be engineer"
Our Karaman Youth Club Association participated in the Erasmus+ Training Course project named "Video tutorial Engineering for youth: Solve problem, be engineer," which took place on the island of Lefkada, Greece, from November 11 to 18, 2023. To represent our city and country, 1 teacher and 1 lecturer from our organization participated in the project. The "Video tutorial Engineering for youth: Solve problem, be engineer" training course project started with various orientation activities with the participation of 18 participants from different countries. Participants both had fun and learned through team activities and educational games. As part of the project, an international culture presentation night was organized for educators, youth workers, academicians, and teachers from each participant country to introduce their cultures.
Bulgaria, September 23-30, 2023, "Active Sport Communities"
Seven young people and one team leader from Karaman Youth Club participated in the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project named "Active Sport Communities." The project involved a total of 28 young people from Bulgaria, Romania, and South Cyprus. The project took place in Bansko, Bulgaria, from September 23 to 30, 2023, with the aim of developing community sports and physical activity skills and increasing awareness of sports for a healthy lifestyle through various activities. During the organized activities, participants first presented the sports statistics of their respective countries. Subsequently, they emphasized the positive effects of sports on communities, both in terms of engaging in sports and physically insulting each other, and exchanged ideas on how sports can be used as a tool. Workshop sessions were conducted covering various topics, from evaluating even the smallest movements of individuals as physical activity to discussions on the definition of sports, the importance of healthy sleep and nutrition. To demonstrate that financial constraints, one of the obstacles to sports habits, are not as significant, they organized a public event to show that sports can be done with basic equipment in city parks. Participants established friendships and engaged in cultural exchange by sharing their experiences throughout the activities.
Greece, September 1-10, 2023, "Connect & Act"
Three youth leaders from Karaman Youth Club participated in the Erasmus+ Training Course project named "Connect & Act," accepted within the Erasmus+ framework and involving Karaman Youth Club. The training course project took place on the island of Lefkada, Greece, from September 1 to 10, 2023. Youth workers, educators, academicians, youth leaders, and experienced young people in youth work from Austria, Aruba, Bulgaria, Algeria, Czech Republic, Armenia, French Guiana, Italy, Poland, Romania, Tunisia, Turkey, and Jordan participated in the project. The training course aimed to create real and virtual youth spaces for young people and enhance the capacity of youth work accordingly. The course activities included activities and studies based on widespread learning methods and participatory principles. Within this framework, training sessions were conducted on the future of real and virtual youth spaces, the participation of young individuals in decision-making processes, the design and management of youth projects and spaces with a participatory perspective, youth spaces in the context of social participation, and the design and production of relevant tools.
Greece, June 2023, "For Better Evaluation in Non-Formal Education"
Two representatives from Karaman Youth Club participated in the Erasmus+ Training Course titled "For Better Evaluation in Non-Formal Education" held in Lefkada, Greece. A total of 36 trainers, teachers, youth workers, organization representatives, and project managers from different countries such as Turkey, France, Algeria, Armenia, Italy, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Jordan, Poland, Romania, Spain, Tunisia, and Sint Maarten came together for the project. The aim of the project is to provide intercultural learning among participants about the quality and evaluation methodologies used in non-formal education, as well as European and international developments. The project facilitated the sharing of experiences and best practices in various evaluation techniques used in non-formal education among trainers, teachers, youth workers, organization representatives, and project managers from different countries.
Bulgaria, June 9-17, 2023, "Money&Me"
The Erasmus Youth project "Money&Me," focusing on financial literacy, took place in Bansko, Bulgaria, from June 9 to 17. One leader and six young participants represented Karaman Youth Club, Karaman, and Turkey in the project. The participants from Turkey, Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland engaged in various ice-breaking and team-building activities in the early days of the project to get to know each other. Following this, they explored the project city through a "Treasure Hunt" activity. Subsequently, workshops using non-formal learning methods covered topics such as financial literacy, budget preparation and tracking, first encounters with money, financial goals, and decision-making and management, allowing participants to develop themselves and gain new knowledge.
Croatia, May 9-15, 2023, "LeAF"
Three youth workers from Karaman Youth Club represented the club in the training course "LeAF," which took place in Karlovac, Croatia, from May 9 to 15. The participants, consisting of three representatives from nine different countries, attended the courses organized by the host association. In addition, youth workers presented the current situations in their countries related to human rights in the project focusing on "Human Rights." Throughout the project, youth leaders from multiple countries reached an agreement on creating joint projects and had the opportunity to start working on them during the project.
Lithuania, May 1-10, 2023, "BEE Creative, BEE Community"
The Erasmus Youth Exchange project named "BEE Creative, BEE Community," in which Karaman Youth Club participated, took place in Renvas, Lithuania, from May 1 to May 10. Six young participants represented Turkey and Karaman in the project, along with a total of 30 young people representing Poland, Sweden, Georgia, Italy, and Lithuania. The project aimed to enhance the entrepreneurial skills of young people. In the first two days, groups got acquainted and bonded through fun gamification activities. Each country group initially introduced the entrepreneurial activities of their country through visual presentations. Subsequently, challenges in entrepreneurship, economic and bureaucratic obstacles were explained to the groups through slideshow presentations. After gaining sufficient knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship, a company simulation activity was conducted. The project team was divided into teams, and each team created its company logo, emblem, and slogan for presentations. As the project output, each country prepared and presented jars of honey using the nuts brought from their respective countries within the company structure.
Spain, April 2023, "Growing Access Inclusion Network"
The Erasmus Training Course project named "Growing Access Inclusion Network," in which Karaman Youth Club participated, took place in Lleida, Spain, in April 2023. The project involved participants from Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Poland, Estonia, and Turkey. Two teachers from Karaman Youth Club represented the association in this project. The project, lasting for five days, focused on sharing best practices for individuals with special needs in different countries. The project began with introductions, creating a warm atmosphere among participants, followed by defining the profile of disadvantaged individuals. Problems faced or likely to be encountered by disadvantaged groups were discussed, and similarities and differences between disadvantaged groups were addressed based on countries, along with factors contributing to these similarities and differences. Brainstorming sessions were held regarding possible solutions.
Spain, March 1, 2023 - March 1, 2024, Dialogues for Peace and Participation
Two young participants from Karaman Youth Club are involved in the "Dialogues for Peace and Participation," a long-term European Solidarity Corps volunteering project. The European Solidarity Corps, targeting young people aged 17-30, aims to encourage their personal, educational, social, civic, and professional development. It provides opportunities for young people to volunteer, work, or engage in networking activities, benefiting the community either in their own country or abroad.
Romania, February 7-12, 2023, "ACT Pursuit"
The Erasmus Youth Exchange project named "ACT Pursuit," in which Karaman Youth Club participated, took place in Valcea, Romania, from February 7 to February 12, 2023. The project included a total of 28 participants from Macedonia, Spain, Romania, and Turkey. Representing Turkey and the city of Karaman, 6 young individuals joined the project. The project involved creating and staging scenarios on "exclusion, drug use, and bullying," "Fake news," and "Cultural Differences." Subsequently, brainstorming sessions were conducted to address and find solutions to the significant problems noted by each country. The project also featured interactive team activities focusing on using body language, digital skills, cultural learning, and enhancing young people's fundamental skills.
Finland, February 1-4, 2023
Two members of the board of directors of the "Youth, Society, and Participation" Association participated in the Erasmus+ Seminar named "Youth, Society, and Participation," organized and hosted by the Piispala Youth Center in Finland from February 1 to 4, 2023. The seminar brought together 30 youth workers, trainers, teachers, academics, and representatives of youth organizations from 16 institutions representing 10 countries. The seminar addressed the inclusion of young people through digital innovations and interactive management applications. Additionally, it contributed to the "All Youth Want To Rule Their World Research Project 2018–2023," an academic research initiative. The seminar provided an opportunity for the development of new projects between institutions and the creation of new collaborations.
