Follow-up (after the end of the project)

It might seem like the years have passed or like it was over in a heartbeat - but here you are, back in your home and opening the final chapter of the youth exchange learning path.

You have not been gone for a long time - a couple of weeks at the maximum - so your home should look exactly the same as you left it, yet it probably isn’t. Some things have shifted in you and no matter how small, they can have a lasting impact.

Therefore, we don’t take this last phase lightly and neither should you.

We prepared a number of activities for you, which should help you understand your experience and your learning from a distance and also support you in charting your next steps.

Of course, we also have one last set of reflection questions for you:

• What is the biggest change you notice in yourself since the exchange? How do you feel now about trying new or unfamiliar situations?
• What did you learn about working in a team? How do you see your role in a group differently now?
• How has your confidence in communication grown? (Languages, speaking in groups, expressing your ideas)
• What communication habits or strategies do you want to keep using in the future?
• How has your openness to other cultures and diversity changed? How would you approach someone from another country now?
• What is the most important thing you learned about the exchange topic? How did talking with international peers shape your thinking?
• How do you want to use this learning in your life at home? (School, community, future plans, or staying active as a young European)?

You may answer these questions in your own way and follow your reflection notes. If you want to explore your learning more deeply, organise your experience, or connect it to your future pathways, you can choose one of the suggested methods below. This reflection will also support you in writing your self-assessment for the Youthpass, helping you articulate your learning in a clear and authentic way.

Ask yourself “What do I need right now?” and choose a method if you want to explore deeper:

Purpose	Method	You will need:
To track my confidence and independence	Confidence in Action	or and
To translate my learning into Youthpass	My Youth Exchange Learning Story	or
To explore ways to use learning in real life situations	From Experience to Everyday Life	or and
To pass on my learning to future participants	Message to Future Participants	or or
To continue your cultural learning at home	Cultural Curiosity at Home
To keep the learning about the topic alive	Topic in My Life