Between 03.07.2025 and 11.07.2025, 32 youth workers from 8 different countries — Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Italy, Romania, Latvia and Portugal — took part in an Erasmus+ training course entitled “Press On: Volunteering for Social Inclusion”. Held in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, the project aimed to raise awareness about marginalized communities and what could be done to help integrate them into society.
Firstly, participants were taught the core tenets of inclusion — namely, the difference between equality and equity, the benefits of volunteering, and the different factors that may lead to social exclusion. All throughout, they took part in group activities that not only helped solidify what they’d learned, but also helped them form strong bonds and friendships.
Beyond that, they visited the local community center, gaining invaluable insights about the struggles of disenfranchised youths in Bulgaria. When they weren’t hard at work, they had the chance to immerse themselves in Stara Zagora’s beautiful landscapes and fascinating history.
At the end of the project, the youth workers synthesized their newfound knowledge and worked in groups over several days to plan events that help foster social inclusion. The end result was a series of innovative concepts which, if implemented, have the potential to greatly mitigate social exclusion in the participants’ local communities.
What the participants said
During the “Press ON: Volunteering for Social Inclusion” project in Stara Zagora, I was really impressed by their youth center — so many inspiring and practical ideas that could easily be applied in other cities too. We had some genuinely valuable conversations with youth workers from different countries, and it was interesting to hear different perspectives and approaches to youth work in practice.
— Tamara Farmakovski
During this project, I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of social inclusion. Collaborating with people from different parts of the world and supporting each other’s ideas felt like a driving force pushing us forward. Experiencing things from different perspectives, visiting youth centers, engaging with the local community, and participating in volunteering activities enriched my view on how inclusion can be practiced in real life and how meaningful change often begins with simple human connections.
— Andrej Janković
I have been working with young people for over two decades and I face challenges every day, especially when it comes to social inclusion. The main reason I applied for this training was to gain new knowledge and exchange experiences with colleagues from other countries. I was particularly interested in the work of the youth center, as I have been advocating for a similar initiative in my area for quite some time.
— Zdravka Majkić
I applied for this training because I was genuinely interested to learn more about social inclusion. What I enjoyed the most was the opportunity to visit the youth centre and learn more about their work and to exchange experience with other participants.
— Dragana Vasilijević-Valent
