CO-CREATINGERASMUS+ AND THE EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY CORPS

DiscoverEUA citizen’s idea makes its

way to Erasmus

Source: DiscoverEU traveller Floor van Houdt, Head of Unit

Youth, Volunteer Solidarity and Traineeship Office

DiscoverEU - Introduction

& key objectives

• Strengthen young people’s sense of belonging to the EU

• Enabling them to develop key skills and abilities of value to their future life

• Encourage sustainable travel

Behind DiscoverEU-Meet the presenting team

Mathieu

Orphanides

Celine

Nellen

Daphné

Robberechts

Background, state of

play & future

Greening Europe

2020

The travel

experience

Floor

van Houdt

Discussion +

Q&A

How did it all start?

• Campaign by Herr & Speer

• Picked up by European Parliament

• Development pilot project by

European Commission

• June 2018 – launch of 1st round

Feedback after 20 months of implementation

Four application rounds on the European Youth Portal

Outreach to diverse group of 18 year-olds across Europe thanks to its simplicity

Source: DiscoverEU traveller

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4

# young people that

applied100,500 79,000 95,000 75,000

# young people

awarded a travel

pass15,000 15,000 20,000 20,000

Who are we reaching?

85% is either in school or higher education

57% has never been active in youth

organisations

30% has never travelled before without

parents/caregivers

6%

41%

53%

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

100,0%

No This was part of my plans beforemy DiscoverEU experience

Yes

Round 2

6%

37%

57%

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

100,0%

No This was part of my plans beforemy DiscoverEU experience

Yes

Round 3

Following your DiscoverEU experience, would you consider other

opportunities to study, travel or volunteer in Europe?

Financing the travel pass and trip

Average

for the

three

rounds

Almost

65 %

Would not have been able to finance sucha travel pass.

76 %

Did not encounter financial difficultiesduring their trip.

The most common ways to manage other expenses (e.g.

accommodation, food, excursions or souvenirs) were using

personal savings, support from parents/family and side jobs.

Average

for the

three

rounds 0,5%

0,9%

47,9%

61,3%

74,0%

I raised money through crowd funding

I asked friends for financial support

I had a (side) job to pay for it

My parents/family supported me

I used my personal savings

Average of round 2 and round 3

Travelers with special needs

101 participants on

15.000 participants

110 participants on

20.000 participants

Round 2 Round 3

8611

3

14

No special needs

Accessibility companion

Additional costs (ex: insuline fridge)

83 26

1

27

No special needs

Accessibility companion

Additional costs (ex: insuline fridge)

Round 1

30 participants on

15.000 participants

254

1

5

No special needs

Accessibility companion

Additional costs (ex: insuline fridge)

Travel destinations and activities

How much time did you spend in ...

65% 44 % 27 % 23 % 13 %Average

0,00%

10,00%

20,00%

30,00%

40,00%

50,00%

60,00%

70,00%

Capitals Other cities Nature sites Small towns Villages/ countryside

Average of rounds 2 and 3

Calculated on the average of the three rounds.

Which countries did you visit?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Malta

Cyprus

Latvia

Lithuania

Estonia

Ireland

Finland

Greece

Romania

Bulgaria

Luxembourg

Portugal

United Kingdom

Slovakia

Sweden

Poland

Croatia

Denmark

Slovenia

Spain

Belgium

Hungary

Czech Republic

Italy

The Netherlands

Austria

France

Germany

The top 8 countries are stable

Round 1: Poland & UK were in the top 12

Round 2: Newcomers in top 12 wereSlovenia & Croatia

Round 3: Slovakia joins the top 12

Which of the following activities did you engage in?

86%

80%78%

77%

66%

54%

37%

16%13%

Sight-seeing Experiencing localcuisine

Meeting otherpeople

Museums Cultural HeritageSites

Outdoor activities Guided tours Festivals Sports

Average of the three rounds

Gains for the participants

What did you learn from this experience?

73%

73%

56%

31%

Discovery of Europe

I learned from other European habits,traditions and ways of life

I learned more about European culture

I learned more about European history

I became engaged in European society

81%

78%

76%

63%

54%

39%

Soft Skills

I learned how to plan and organise

I learned how to deal with unexpected situations

I learned how to be independent

I learned how to manage my money

I improved my language skills

I explored my own limits

66%

50%

38%

30%

Travel Experiences

I tried new food

I experienced travelling with my friends

I explored nature

I experienced travelling alone

Did you speak another language other than your mother tongue while travelling?

34 % 4 %62 %Average

Sustainable green Europe

DiscoverEU as a learning activity Opportunity for sustainable travelling by rail

Sustainable Green Europe as a theme for 2020

Promoting and sharing eco-friendly mobility choices

Visits to sustainable projects as part of the learning programme

DiscoverEU travel journal

2020 theme ‘greening Europe’

Meetups in European Green Capitals including visits to sustainable projects as part of the learning programme (locations tbc)

Hamburg (European Green Capital 2011)

Ljubljana (European Green Capital 2016)

Lisbon (European Green Capital 2020)

‘Green Travel Route’ with the European Green Capital Awards & European Green Leaf Awards

Source: DiscoverEU traveller

Meeting other Europeans

Would you recommend DiscoverEU to others?

3%

12%

Promoters 85%

Average Score 82

Meet Ryan and Maja!

DiscoverEU in the future

What is next for the pilot project?

30,000 young people to be selected in spring 2020 for the 5th round

• Applying possible between 12 and 26 March 2020

• https://europa.eu/youth/discovereu_en

• Answer 5 questions + subsidiary question

• Travel dates between 1 July 2020 and 28 February 2021

6th & last application round in autumn 2020

The future of Discover EU under the 2021 – 2027 Erasmus

Part of Key Action 1 – Learning Mobilities for individuals

For residents of programme countries

Central application process via European Youth portal

Cooperation with National Agencies regarding inclusion & support for

participants

• Organisation of theme-related community-building activities e.g. meetups linked to a theme, visits to youth centres etc.

• DiscoverEU label for organisations to propose activities to enhance learning experience

• Online information on European Youth Portal including theme-based routes & practical info

• Access to online webinars to foster learning on EU values & identity, intercultural awareness

• DiscoverEU support scheme to reduce the costs

• Easy-to-use and light self-assessment tool building on experience from the Youth Pass

2021–2027 Erasmus: ‘structured’ learning mobility

work in progress, part of the co-creative work for the future Erasmus programme

DiscoverEU general contest

• 2 application rounds on European Youth Portal

• Flexible formats: short trips & group travel

• Top-up for remote areas & special needs

• Wide promotion and outreach

DiscoverEU Inclusion

• For organisations involving young people with fewer opportunities

• Organisations receive travel passes & support young participants

2021-2027 Erasmus: Accessibility and Inclusion

Source: DiscoverEU traveller

work in progress, part of the co-creative work for the future Erasmus programme

QUESTIONS, ANSWERS & EXCHANGE

Three dimensions play an important role under the DiscoverEU action: learning,

inclusion and green practices.

• Do you know of best-practice examples in the youth field that could support

or promote these dimensions?

• How do you think these topics and the experiences of the young people can

affect their future path as European citizens?

@EuropeanYouthEU

EuropeanYouthEU & #DiscoverEU Official

@european_youth_eu

DiscoverEU Social Media channels

Thank you!

THANK YOU!