INCLUDE+ в Брашове: первый из трёх международных обменов нового партнёрства Erasmus+ для CRDC

In 2026, the Public Association Regional Center for Community Development expanded its portfolio of international partnerships by joining a new Erasmus+ collaboration – INCLUDE+, a process that will include three international exchanges and mobilities dedicated to developing competencies in youth work.

The international training course held in Brașov, Romania, represented the first of the three mobilities planned within this new partnership, bringing together organizations and youth workers from Moldova, Lithuania, Poland, Türkiye, Italy, North Macedonia and Romania.

Representing the CRDC community were Daria Coșer, Volunteer Coordinator and Youth Specialist at CRDC, Iulia Cașineanu, Youth Specialist at the Cahul District Youth Center, and Boenciuc Octavian, Volunteer Coordinator at Caritas Moldova Charity Foundation.

The training aimed to develop and test educational methods that can be used in youth work, with a focus on four areas: inclusion, wellbeing, employability and green practices. Participants also contributed to the co-creation of the INCLUDE+ Educational Toolkit, which will bring together methods and activities that can be easily adapted to different contexts.

Inclusion: from concept to concrete action

One of the working days focused on how inclusion can be translated into everyday activities with young people.

Participants analysed the barriers faced by young people with fewer opportunities, including economic, geographical, social, educational and health-related barriers.

Based on case studies and the experiences of participating organizations, activities were redesigned using the Activity – Barriers – Adaptation approach, with the aim of making them more accessible, flexible and safe.

For CRDC, this approach is particularly relevant in the context of working with young people from communities where access to opportunities is unequal and where activity design must take into account very different contexts and needs.

Wellbeing and mental health in youth work

Another day was dedicated to wellbeing and mental health, with a focus on the role of youth workers in creating safe and supportive spaces.

Through reflection exercises and “emotional check-ins”, participants explored their own emotional states and how the diversity of experiences influences group dynamics.

During the session on myths and realities related to mental health, participants discussed beliefs that can affect young people’s participation, while analysing situations from different perspectives – that of a young person, youth worker, parent or institution – helped strengthen empathy and critical thinking.

Theatre-based methods and Emotion Freeze Frames exercises were used to explore real group situations and practise simple non-clinical micro-interventions that can be applied safely in youth activities.

The competencies developed included emotional awareness, facilitation of safe spaces, reflective practice and inclusive activity design.

Green practices integrated into youth education

Sustainability was approached not only as a topic for discussion, but also as part of the way educational activities are designed and delivered.

Participants analysed the difference between awareness of environmental issues and the actual adoption of sustainable behaviours, as well as the barriers that prevent young people from turning intentions into action.

Working in international teams, participants created simple and easily replicable green educational activities that encourage responsible consumption, waste reduction and stronger links between sustainability, inclusion and wellbeing.

One of the key conclusions of the training was that green practices should not be treated separately from other dimensions of youth work, but rather integrated into decisions related to organization, facilitation and the use of resources.

The first step in a broader international process

For CRDC, this mobility represents only the first stage of the INCLUDE+ journey planned for this year. The partnership will continue with two more international exchanges, each built around a different component of youth work and the development of tools that can later be adapted at local level.

This model of cooperation is important for the organization because it ensures continuity: participants return not only with the experience of a single training course, but as part of a broader process of learning, testing and transferring methods among partner organizations.

The methods and tools developed within INCLUDE+ will later be applicable in CRDC’s local and regional activities, including work with volunteers, young people with fewer opportunities and diverse groups from communities in southern Moldova.

Through this new partnership, CRDC continues to strengthen the international dimension of its youth work and connect its team and community with European experiences in non-formal education, inclusion and participation.

The INCLUDE+ training was organized in Brașov by our partners from International EduCenter within the Erasmus+ programme.

Photos: International EduCenter.