Critical thinking
Weighing evidence, separating a claim from its source, and staying with a question long enough to answer it well.
Erasmus+ KA152-YOU Youth Exchange
To the point
To the point brings young people from Greece, Romania and Germany together to question assumptions, understand the forces behind radicalisation and turn critical thinking into democratic action.
Explore the project Who to contact
22 people 3 countries 8 activity days
The group
Eighteen young participants, three group leaders and one organiser and facilitator. Twenty-two people in total, from three countries, for eight days of activities in Athens.
- 22persons in total
- 18young participants, aged 18–30
- 3group leaders
- 1organiser and facilitator
- 3countries
- 8activity days, travel days excluded
How the twenty-two are made up
Greece 8
Mind Matters Club, applicant and host
Romania 7
Asociatia Institutul pentru Creatie si Dezvoltare, partner and sending organisation
Germany 7
Euroactive Germany, partner and sending organisation
- Young participant
- Group leader
- Organiser and facilitator
Why this project
To the point is a prevention project. It works against violent extremism through education, inclusion, participation and dialogue, never through suspicion. Wanting deep change is not the problem: disagreement, protest and demands for reform are how democracies improve. The line this project examines is the point at which someone begins to accept, justify or use violence against other people.
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01
Digital echo chambers
Online spaces can repeatedly confirm what someone already believes and quietly reduce how often another perspective appears. Certainty grows while the number of voices shrinks, and that feels like being well informed.
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02
Misinformation and manipulation
Emotionally charged or misleading content travels faster than careful explanation. It shapes how young people understand complex social issues, and it is often designed to do exactly that.
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03
Exclusion and inequality
Discrimination, unmet needs and social or economic inequality intensify feelings of injustice and alienation. People who feel written off are more open to anyone offering belonging and a simple explanation, whoever that is.
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04
From reaction to informed action
Young people need practical tools to question assumptions, listen across differences and act democratically, without reducing every issue to two sides shouting.
Objectives
Three objectives carry the eight days. Everything in the programme is there to serve one of them.
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01
Build critical thinking that holds
To develop objective, informed, evidence-based and nuanced critical thinking: weighing sources, noticing our own assumptions, and staying with complexity instead of collapsing it into a slogan.
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02
Understand the mechanisms
To increase understanding of the social, economic, cultural, political and educational mechanisms that can feed radicalisation and extremism, and of how individual choices meet structural conditions.
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03
Move from understanding to action
To strengthen young people's mobilisation for democratic participation, social inclusion, solidarity and the prevention of violence, starting in their own communities the week after they fly home.
Radical change vs violent extremism
Radical, even uncomfortable demands for change are part of democratic life. Violent extremism is something else: the acceptance or use of violence to impose a position on others. The project keeps the two apart, deliberately and repeatedly.
Justice, equality and privilege
Discussing extremism without discussing who is excluded covers half the subject. We look at unequal starting points, at advantages that are hard to see from the inside, and at what fair participation would actually require.
Critical consciousness
Not cynicism, and not doubt worn as a style. Critical consciousness is the practice of reading a situation, asking whose interests it serves, and deciding what to do about it.
Active citizenship
Voting, organising, volunteering, speaking up, building something with other people. Democratic participation is a set of skills, and skills can be learned.
Learning themes
Eleven threads run through the week. They are not lectures. Each one is opened through non-formal activities, discussion and things participants make together.
Media literacy
Reading how news, feeds and campaigns are built, and asking who benefits from the way a story is framed.
Confirmation bias and assumptions
Noticing the shortcuts our own minds take, and testing the things we treat as obvious.
Radicalisation and violent extremism
How people move towards accepting violence, what the warning signs look like, and where prevention actually works.
Social exclusion and inequality
Unmet needs, unequal access, and the grievances they produce over time.
Stereotypes and discrimination
Where labels come from, what they cost the people who carry them, and how to interrupt them.
Intercultural dialogue
Talking across three countries and many backgrounds without flattening the differences into politeness.
Empathy and active listening
Listening in order to understand rather than in order to reply. A trainable skill, not a personality trait.
Democratic participation
The practical routes young people already have to influence the decisions that affect them.
Conflict management
Handling disagreement without violence, and treating conflict as information rather than as a threat.
Erasmus+ and Youthpass
How the programme works, and how to name, document and use what you have learned.
The programme
The exchange is built as thematic phases, not as a timetable. Methods are non-formal, participatory and participant-led: young people facilitate part of the activities themselves, and the order adapts to the group as the week goes on. Activities run across the eight days from 3 to 10 December 2026.
Activity names are given in English, the working language of the exchange.
- Introduction to Erasmus+ and to Youthpass
- Expectations, worries and personal learning goals
- Activities: Domino · Dreams · Dear Friend
- Team building, trust, a group agreement and shared responsibility for the week
- The difference between democratic reform, radical positions and violent extremism
- Activities: Rumor Has It · The Judge · Where Do You Stand? · Cordless Phone · The Danger of Assumption
- Exploring complexity, evidence and the shades of grey between two loud positions
- Social, political, economic, cultural and educational mechanisms
- Unmet needs, discrimination, exclusion and inequality
- Grievances, perceived injustice and vulnerability to manipulation
- The relationship between individual choices and structural conditions
- Filter bubbles and digital radicalisation
- Confirmation bias and misinformation
- Consuming and sharing information ethically
- Activities: Labels · EuroRail · The Refugee · The Engineman · Making News
- Stereotypes, racism, intolerance and discrimination
- Empathy, active listening and intercultural dialogue
- Activities: Discriminate or Be Discriminated!
- Conflict management and non-violent responses
- Solidarity with people pushed to the margins
- International teams create six videos of one to two minutes each
- The videos promote critical thinking and the reduction of extremism and radicalisation
- Participants work on concept, script, filming, editing, ethical messaging and online dissemination
- Intercultural evenings organised by the three national groups
- Sharing food, music, stories, traditions and everyday culture
- An intercultural visit to an archaeological and cultural site in Athens
- Local history as context for the topic: the visit is part of the learning, not sightseeing
- Daily reflection and documentation of learning
- Final evaluation of the exchange
- Youthpass reflection and certification
- Planning dissemination and local follow-up
- Personal commitments for democratic participation after the exchange
Stay, workshop and food
Everything happens inside a few hundred metres of Makrigianni, under the south slope of the Acropolis: you sleep, work and eat within a short walk.
Accommodation
Athens Backpackers
12 Makri Street, Makrigianni11742 Athens, Greece
+30 210 9224044
info@backpackers.gr
backpackers.gr
- Next to Acropoli metro station, on Line 2
- About a four-minute walk from the metro
- Within walking distance of major cultural and historical sites
- Room allocation is confirmed with participants once the group is complete
The workshop space
- About a six-minute walk from the accommodation
- Roughly 100 m² of usable space
- Set up for interactive learning, teamwork, presentations and creative production
- Screens and televisions, flexible areas for group work, and creative and technical equipment
- The exact address is shared with selected participants before arrival
Meals
- Breakfast every morning at Athens Backpackers
- Lunch and dinner in small local restaurants in central Athens
- A range of Greek dishes rather than the same menu twice
- Vegetarian and other dietary alternatives where they are declared in time
- Allergies and dietary needs are collected privately after selection
Travel
Athens International Airport is connected to the accommodation by one metro change or by the airport bus. Both take you to within a few minutes' walk of Makri Street.
From the airport by metro
- Take Metro Line 3 from the airport towards the city centre.
- Get off at Syntagma.
- Change to Metro Line 2 in the direction of Elliniko.
- Get off at Acropoli.
- Walk to Athens Backpackers, 12 Makri Street.
From the airport by express bus
- Take the X95 Airport Express bus towards Syntagma.
- From Syntagma continue on Metro Line 2 to Acropoli, or walk to the accommodation.
Athens International Airport, public transport OASA, Athens public transport Accommodation on Google Maps
Fares and timetables for public transport can change. Check them again shortly before you travel.
Travel reimbursement limits
| Country | Maximum amount | Travel type |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | €56 | Green travel |
| Romania | €417 | Green travel |
| Germany | €395 | Standard travel reimbursement |
Travel rules
- Every itinerary and price must be approved in writing by your sending organisation before you buy anything.
- Reimbursement can never exceed the approved limit for your country.
- Keep your tickets, invoices, receipts, payment confirmations and boarding passes. All of them.
- For green travel or carpooling you must submit the supporting documents the organisers ask for.
- Tickets bought without prior approval may not be reimbursed in full.
- Accommodation, meals and the official activities are covered for the official project period.
- Personal purchases, optional activities and extra days are not covered.
- There is no participation fee.
Prepare
Who the exchange is for, what each national group prepares before flying, and what to put in your bag.
Who we are looking for
- 18 to 30 years old
- Resident in Greece, Romania or Germany
- Interested in critical thinking, media literacy, inclusion, dialogue or democratic participation
- Available for the whole mobility and for the follow-up afterwards
- Ready to take part actively in non-formal activities
- Open to working in an intercultural team
- Able to communicate in English, though perfect English is not required
- Previous Erasmus+ experience is not required
- Newcomers and young people with fewer opportunities are prioritised and properly supported
What each national group prepares
- Research or examples of misinformation, polarisation or youth radicalisation in your country
- One interactive contribution connected to the topic
- Materials for the intercultural evening
- Music, games, food, stories or traditions to share
- Preparation of participants on group rules, safety, Youthpass and active participation
Packing list
Tick things off as you pack. The list is saved in your own browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere, and no one else can see it.
Partners
Three organisations, one in each country. Each one selects and prepares its own national group and stays responsible for it throughout the project.
Greece
Mind Matters
Club
Applicant and host organisation
Romania
Asociatia
Institutul pentru
Creatie si Dezvoltare
Partner and sending organisation
Germany
Euroactive
Germany
Partner and sending organisation
Questions and answers
The things people ask before applying, answered properly.
A Youth Exchange is a short international project funded by Erasmus+. Groups of young people from different countries meet for a few days and learn together through non-formal education rather than through lectures: activities, discussion, teamwork and things they create. Travel, accommodation and meals are funded by the programme.
Critical thinking, media literacy, inclusion and the prevention of violent extremism. Eighteen young people from Greece, Romania and Germany spend eight days in Athens examining how misinformation, exclusion and polarisation actually work, and what democratic participation offers instead.
Anyone aged 18 to 30 who lives in Greece, Romania or Germany, is interested in the topic and can take part in the whole mobility. Applications go through the partner organisation in your country, which selects its own national group.
No. Newcomers are welcome and are given priority, together with young people with fewer opportunities, who also receive the support they need to take part.
Accommodation, meals and the official activities are covered for the official project period. Travel is reimbursed up to the maximum for your country, against an approved itinerary and the supporting documents.
No. There is no participation fee.
Only after your sending organisation has approved your itinerary and its price in writing. Tickets bought before that approval may not be reimbursed in full.
You book the approved itinerary, travel, and keep every ticket, invoice, receipt, payment confirmation and boarding pass. After the exchange, once your documents are complete, your sending organisation reimburses you up to the maximum for your country: €56 for Greece with green travel, €417 for Romania with green travel, and €395 for Germany as standard travel reimbursement.
Travel where the main part of the journey uses low-emission transport instead of flying: a train, a coach, or a car shared with other participants. Erasmus+ supports it with its own rate, and it needs the same prior approval and supporting documents as any other itinerary.
At Athens Backpackers, 12 Makri Street, Makrigianni, 11742 Athens, next to Acropoli metro station and about four minutes away on foot. Room allocation is confirmed with participants once the group is complete.
In a workshop space of roughly 100 m², about six minutes on foot from the accommodation, equipped for interactive learning, teamwork, presentations and creative production. The exact address is shared with selected participants before arrival.
Breakfast every morning at the accommodation. Lunch and dinner in small local restaurants in central Athens, with a range of Greek dishes rather than the same menu repeated.
Yes, where they are declared in time. Dietary needs and allergies are collected privately after selection.
English. Perfect English is not required: the activities are designed so that people at different levels can take part, and in practice the group helps each other constantly.
See the packing list in section 08: identity documents, insurance, comfortable shoes, something for rain, your charger and power bank, any personal medication, and materials for your intercultural evening.
Yes. All 22 people receive a Youthpass certificate on completing the learning process: 18 young participants, 3 group leaders and 1 organiser and facilitator.
Youthpass is the Erasmus+ tool for recognising non-formal learning. It describes the project and, more importantly, what you did and what you learned, in the language of the European key competences. You write your own part of it, with support during the exchange.
No. Full participation in all activity days from 3 to 10 December 2026 is required. The official arrival day is 2 December and the official departure day is 11 December. There is no arrival after activities begin and no departure before they finish.
You may request an itinerary with up to two extra days before or after the project, and every itinerary needs prior approval. Accommodation, meals, local transport and personal costs for those extra days are yours to pay, and reimbursement still stays within your country's approved limit.
Each partner selects its own national group, weighing motivation, interest in the topic, availability for the whole period, what you could contribute, inclusion, and the balance of the group as a whole.
31 October 2026, at 23:59 Athens time.
Write to the partner organisation in your country and ask for the application. Their email addresses are in section 09, and the deadline is 31 October 2026.
The partner organisation in your country: Mind Matters Club in Greece, Asociatia Institutul pentru Creatie si Dezvoltare in Romania, and Euroactive Germany in Germany. Their email addresses are in section 09.
Expected results and impact
The exchange has not taken place yet. Everything below is planned: what the group intends to produce, and what the project is designed to change. Real videos, photographs, infographics and testimonials will appear here afterwards.
Planned outputs
- Planned output6videos of one to two minutes, made by international teams in 3, 2, 1 Go!
- Planned output100+project photographs
- Planned output14infographics created by participants
- Planned output22Youthpass certificates for 18 young participants, 3 group leaders and 1 organiser and facilitator, on completing the learning process
- Planned output7participant testimonials in total: at least two from each country, plus one more
- Planned output21interactive social media posts: quizzes, polls and countdowns
- Planned output1project page and results area, which this section will become
- Planned output1visual identity for the project
- Planned output1promotional video about Erasmus+ and Youth Exchanges
After the exchange
This area is reserved for the finished work: the six videos, the photographs, the infographics and the testimonials, added here as they are produced. Nothing needs to be redesigned to publish them.
Expected impact on participants
- Evidence-based and nuanced critical thinking
- Understanding of the mechanisms behind radicalisation and violent extremism
- Media literacy and resistance to manipulation
- Empathy, tolerance and respect for cultural diversity
- The ability to challenge stereotypes, racism and intolerance
- Solidarity and civic courage in support of people pushed to the margins
- Active citizenship and democratic participation
- Intercultural communication and practice in English
- Teamwork, leadership, organisation and conflict management
- Self-confidence, independence and decision-making
- Recognition of that learning through Youthpass
Wider impact
- A dissemination target of at least 700 young people aged 16 to 30 across the three partner countries
- Online and offline follow-up in each local community
- Educational outputs the partner organisations can reuse
- Stronger cooperation between the three organisations
- Promotion of inclusion, dialogue and democratic participation