Into the Wild – Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Domaniewice 🌿
What happens when young people from different countries leave their everyday routines behind and spend a week learning, cooperating and discovering new perspectives together? This was the idea behind Into the Wild, our Erasmus+ Youth Exchange organised in Domaniewice, Poland.
For several days, Domaniewice became a space for international learning, new friendships and plenty of shared experiences. Participants from different European countries came together to take part in a programme based on non-formal education, cooperation and learning through experience.
Learning beyond the classroom
Into the Wild was not about sitting in a classroom and listening to lectures. Instead, participants learned by doing.
The programme included interactive workshops, group challenges, outdoor activities, discussions and reflection sessions. Participants had the opportunity to work in international teams, exchange their experiences and face situations that encouraged them to become more independent, communicate with others and step outside their usual comfort zones.
Being surrounded by nature also gave us a chance to slow down and look at some things from a different perspective. Away from everyday routines and distractions, participants could focus more on the group, their surroundings and the experiences they were sharing.
A full day on the trail 🥾
One of the most memorable parts of Into the Wild was our full-day hike without the phones. Spending the entire day outdoors was much more than simply walking from one point to another. It became a challenge in which participants had to support each other, manage their energy, cooperate as a group and keep going even when tiredness started to appear.
Hours spent together on the trail created a completely different environment for getting to know one another. There were conversations, jokes, difficult moments and plenty of opportunities to help someone else. Without the usual distractions of everyday life, the group could focus on the people around them and on reaching a shared goal.
The hike also reflected one of the central ideas of the project: sometimes we need to leave what is comfortable and familiar in order to discover what we are capable of.
By the end of the day, reaching the destination was not only about completing the route. It was a shared achievement and an experience that brought the group closer together.
„Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Polish National Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.“
Project number: 2025-3-PL01-KA152-YOU-000375830
Ecology, cultural heritage and dealing with stress 🌱
Into the Wild was also a space to explore topics that affect both our everyday lives and the communities around us. Through interactive activities, participants discussed ecology and responsible attitudes towards nature, looking at how individual choices can influence the environment. We also explored cultural heritage, sharing traditions, stories and perspectives from our countries and discovering how local heritage can help us better understand both our own identity and the people around us.
Another important part of the programme focused on stress and ways of dealing with challenging situations. Through practical exercises, group discussions and reflection, participants identified common sources of stress and exchanged strategies that can help them respond to pressure, uncertainty and difficult moments.
Most importantly, we wanted the learning from Into the Wild to remain useful after the exchange. Working together in international teams, participants transformed their experiences into practical results and materials that could be shared and reused after the project. These outcomes collected the ideas, methods and lessons developed during the activities, allowing participants and partner organisations to bring what we learned in Domaniewice back to their local communities.
In this way, Into the Wild was not only about experiencing something new for a few days, but also about turning those experiences into knowledge and tools that can continue to create an impact after the project ends.
Discover the results of Into the Wild 💡
One of the most important parts of Into the Wild was transforming what participants learned during the exchange into practical materials that can also be used by others. Working together in international teams, participants created three main project results:
🌱 EKO-STEPS – Small Changes, Big Impact
A practical collection of simple actions and ideas showing how young people can introduce more environmentally friendly habits into their everyday lives.[Discover EKO-KROKI]
🧘 THE MAP OF CALMNESS – Your Guide to Stress Reduction
A practical guide created by participants with techniques, ideas and strategies for recognising stress and dealing with it in everyday situations.
[Explore Mapa Spokoju]
🎥 Our Traces: Heritage that Connects
A cultural heritage video created as a result of our outdoor experiences. Participants used the material to show how local history, traditions, nature and the places around us can become a way of discovering and understanding cultural heritage.
[Watch Our Traces]
These results allowed us to turn the experiences of one Erasmus+ exchange into materials that can continue to be shared, reused and discussed long after the project itself has ended.