

What is Erasmus Plus Youth Exchange?
Erasmus Plus (Erasmus+) is the European Union’s largest education, youth and sports program. Under this program, whose main title is Erasmus Plus (Erasmus+), there are many sub-programs related to education, youth and sports. The most widely known of these sub-programs is Erasmus, whose official name is “Higher Education Student Mobility”. However, under the Erasmus+ program, there are more than 50 sub-programs such as Erasmus etc. Another of these sub-programs is the mobility activities (projects) that young people benefit from but can participate without the requirement of education and foreign language, have short-term (between 5-21 days) activity periods, and participate in groups. These projects are called “Youth Exchange – Youth Exchange” projects. In the Erasmus program, which university students benefit from, being a student at a higher education institution, passing a foreign language exam and a university in which your school works in a contracted way in Europe are required, while there are no such conditions in youth exchange projects. Youth exchange projects are usually implemented by informal youth groups (established by at least 5 young people) and organizations such as youth associations. When you take part in youth exchange projects, you participate in workshops, trainings, group work and outdoor activities on a particular theme with your peers from other program countries or neighboring partner countries. Being a student for youth exchanges, being a university graduate, knowing a foreign language, having a green passport, etc. There are no conditions. Anyone in this age range, including 13-30 years old, can benefit from this program as a participant. In addition, each country’s participant group is accompanied by a group leader over the age of 18. There is no upper age limit (30 years old limit) for group leaders.
Youth exchanges take place with the gathering of partners (youth group, youth association, etc.) from at least 2 programs or neighboring partner countries, and at least 16 and maximum 60 participants, excluding group leaders, can participate in an activity at the same time. Project partners (youth group, youth association, etc.) participate in the activities by forming groups of young people from their own country. The duration of these activities can vary between 5-21 days. In addition, the participants who will take part in the project are provided with travel, accommodation, meals, visas, etc. Financial support is provided for their expenses.
What is Youth Workers Mobility?
Erasmus Plus (Erasmus+) is the European Union’s largest education, youth and sports program. Under this program, whose main title is Erasmus Plus (Erasmus+), there are many sub-programs related to education, youth and sports. The most widely known of these sub-programs is Erasmus, whose official name is “Higher Education Student Mobility”. However, under the Erasmus+ program, Erasmus etc. There are more than 50 subprograms. Erasmus Plus has three important sub-programs only/directly on youth. These are youth exchanges, youth worker mobility and volunteering projects. The information contained herein is about YOUTH EMPLOYEE MOBILITY, which is one of these three programmes.
Youth exchange and youth worker mobility programs are very similar programs and are often confused. You participate in both as a group, both have activities from more than one country at the same time, and both are short-term exchange programs (5-21 days for youth exchanges). However, while young people between the ages of 14-30 participate in youth exchanges, all YOUTH WORKERS over the age of 18 can participate in youth worker mobility without any age limit.
Although the youth worker mobility program is essentially a program planned in line with the above purpose, many youth organizations today accept young people as participants in the YOUTH WORKER MOBILITY program, regardless of whether they are youth workers or not. But the point to be noted here is that not every institution makes this mistake and can get confirmation/request an official letter from the organization it represents (in Turkey) to make sure that its participants are youth workers, not young people.
What is the European Solidarity Corps-ESC Program?
“European Solidarity Corps (ESC)” or “European Solidarity Program (ADP)” in Turkish is the new volunteering and solidarity program implemented by the European Union in 2019. Within the scope of this program, young people between the ages of 18-30 (including these ages) can participate in volunteering programs from 2 weeks to 12 months in any EU country or their own country. Since Turkey is a candidate country for European Union membership, it can benefit from this program on an equal basis with other EU countries.
Volunteering projects are divided into two in the ESC program. These are short-term (14-59 days excluding travel time) and long-term (2-12 months excluding travel time) volunteer projects. Each young person is entitled to only 1 short-term + 1 long-term volunteer project. After using these rights, he can no longer participate in ESC’s volunteer projects. If you first participate in a long-term ESC’ volunteer project, then your right to benefit from this program ends without using your short-term right. For this reason, as Pi Youth Association, we recommend that you plan to participate in a short-term project first and then a long-term project.