The Second Phase of the “Creative Pathways to Self-Expression” Project Was Held in Mersin

The second phase of the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project “Creative Pathways to Self-Expression,” implemented in cooperation between Yenişehir BİLSEM Science and Art Center (Yenişehir BİLSEM) and Brno For You from Czechia, was held in Mersin between the 7th and 14th with the participation of young people from Türkiye and Czechia.

Following the first mobility held in Czechia, Turkish and Czech young people came together once again, this time in Mersin, hosted by Yenişehir BİLSEM Science and Art Center. The programme, organised in cooperation with Yenişehir BİLSEM and Brno For You, focused on creativity, self-expression, intercultural learning, and active youth participation. Throughout the programme, students were not only participants in the activities but also took active responsibility as designers and facilitators of their own workshops.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the project was the student-led workshops. Young participants designed and facilitated their own workshops in storytelling, creative writing, art, movement, and theatre, working together with their Turkish and Czech peers. Through this process, students transformed their ideas into real learning activities while developing important skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, planning, creativity, and responsibility.

The project activities were not limited to the school environment. Some of the workshops were held at Yenişehir BİLSEM, while others took place outdoors in the natural surroundings of Tisan. These creative activities in nature enabled young people to experience movement, art, drama, and self-expression in different learning environments and demonstrated that meaningful learning can take place both inside and outside the classroom.

Throughout the programme, participants learned from one another through warm-up games, creative activities, group work, theatre and movement practices, storytelling, and writing activities. The learning environment created through the cooperation of Yenişehir BİLSEM and Brno For You enabled Turkish and Czech young people to discover different perspectives, create together, strengthen their intercultural communication skills, and build new friendships.

The young participants also produced videos to make their experiences and learning outcomes visible. In this way, the activities and experiences of the project were transformed into digital content, creating lasting project outputs that could be shared with a wider audience.

At the end of the project, a Youthpass session was organised, giving participants the opportunity to reflect on the knowledge, skills, and competences they had developed throughout the programme. By considering their experiences in relation to the Erasmus+ key competences, young people became more aware of their own learning processes and personal development.

The programme concluded with a Youthpass certificate ceremony. Czech and Turkish songs and dances brought colour and joy to the celebration, beautifully reflecting the friendship, cultural exchange, and strong connection that had developed between the young people of the two countries throughout the project.

Implemented through the cooperation of Yenişehir BİLSEM Science and Art Center and Brno For You, “Creative Pathways to Self-Expression” offered a powerful learning experience in which young people were not simply participants, but also designers, creators, facilitators, and producers. By bringing together creativity, active youth participation, intercultural dialogue, and learning by doing, the Mersin phase provided young people from Türkiye and Czechia with an unforgettable Erasmus+ experience.