During the period of December 1-11, 2023, we participated in a youth exchange titled H.E.A.L.T.H. 2.0, organized by our Hungarian partner, the Foundation for the Youth Balatonalmádi. The main topic of the youth exchange was to enhance awareness about the importance of mental health among young people. The youth exchange involved participants from partner organizations from Poland, Hungary, Georgia, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

At the beginning of the youth exchange, participants got to know each other and practiced working in an international group to smoothly go into tasks related to discussing the main theme of the exchange.

In the initial phase of the meeting, we created a video material showcasing the beginning of the youth exchange, allowing you to see how the exchange starts.

Participants of the youth exchange took part in various workshops that inspired ways to cope with stress and difficult situations in life. These included workshops on karate, meditation, art therapy, yoga, as well as sessions focusing on awareness of one's voice and body.

December 5th is an International Volunteer Day. The coordinators of our exchange organized a meeting with volunteers from different countries who are participating in volunteering in Hungary as part of the Solidarity Corps. We got to know volunteers from Spain, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Serbia, Ireland, and France on this occasion. After lunch, additional thematic workshops took place, providing inspiration on how to relieve stress and momentarily disconnect from problems. This time, in small groups, we created mandalas.

The format of the "World Cafe" method allows us to discuss a topic of interest from various perspectives. It also enables a quick exchange of knowledge and experiences. That's why we used this method to talk about the mental health of young people. The entire meeting was creatively moderated by our Polish participants who took on the roles of waiters and waitresses. They designed an intimate restaurant setting and prepared suitable relaxing music. Participants from other countries entered the restaurant and took seats at tables where instructions and conversation topics were visible. Thanks to these activities organized by HEurekians, the group discussed: The most common challenges in school related to stress and how we can help each other cope with them; Strategies for coping with stress and societal pressure that are considered effective; Psychological support at schools/universities in our communities; Factors influencing the mental health of young people in today's world.

During the youth exchange, we visited Veszprém and Budapest. These moments were valuable for us as they provided a break from our collaborative activities at the center in Balatonalmádi.

We would like to express our gratitude to our Hungarian partner for the collaboration and the invitation to participate in the youth exchange. We invite you to watch the video material prepared by us, presenting the youth exchange.