Direction: Europe!, Slovakia 2026
Between 25 September and 3 October 2026, Together Romania participated in the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange “Direction: Europe”, held in Kaluža, Slovakia. The project brought together young people and youth leaders from six European countries: Slovakia, Spain, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. In total, 24 young participants aged 18–24, six youth leaders and one facilitator took part in the mobility.
The project focused on media literacy, critical thinking, disinformation and active citizenship, with the aim of helping young people develop practical skills for navigating the digital environment in a more informed and responsible way.
As part of the preparation for the exchange, the Romanian team explored the situation of media and disinformation in Romania, looking at examples of conspiracy theories, hoaxes and misleading information commonly encountered online. This preparation provided a starting point for sharing experiences with participants from the other countries and for understanding the similarities and differences between the European contexts represented in the project.
Throughout the mobility, participants learned from each other and worked together in an international and non-formal learning environment. The exchange encouraged young people to question information, develop their critical thinking skills and become more aware of the role that media literacy plays in active citizenship.
The intercultural dimension was also an important part of the experience. Through the national cultural activities, participants had the opportunity to discover the traditions, food, culture and everyday realities of the other countries involved, strengthening mutual understanding and the sense of belonging to a diverse European community.
The project also places strong emphasis on sharing the results with local communities. Following the mobility, participants are expected to act as ambassadors for critical thinking and to organise at least one local peer workshop or school presentation on media literacy. They will also contribute to a two-week online campaign by sharing experiences, videos and key messages developed during the project. The materials created by the participants will contribute to an open-access toolkit for youth workers and schools across Europe.
For Together Romania, participation in “Direction: Europe” was an opportunity to continue our involvement in European youth cooperation and to support young people in developing relevant competences for today’s digital society. The experience strengthened international partnerships, encouraged intercultural learning and provided participants with knowledge and practical tools that can be shared with other young people in their local communities.
