In the period from May 5 to 12, 2023, the youth exchange "Your body is your gym" took place in the city of Lodz (Republic of Poland), in which 24 activists from four countries of the world – Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Macedonia – took part.
The main goal of the project was to raise awareness of the importance of forming healthy habits for life. And the main task of the participants was to develop knowledge and skills, as well as to learn about approaches and means to popularize sports and physical activity among young people. Therefore, throughout the project, the participants exchanged knowledge about various useful exercises aimed at fighting excess weight, cardio exercises, and were inspired by varied relaxation methods and helpful recipes for healthy food. Also, the participants, previously divided into four international teams, conducted meaningful outdoor workshops aimed at working out different muscle groups. Such activities provided an excellent opportunity not only to learn about new types of exercises, discuss the correct technique, but also to try them directly in practice in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic" was represented by Anna Nesterenko, a fourth-year student of the specialty 035 "Philology" of the Faculty of Philology, Psychology and Pedagogy, who shared her impressions after the project.
"On the first day, we shared our expectations from the exchange, our inner fears and opened the curtain on what contribution each individual can make to the implementation of the project. In the afternoon, the participants performed the first group task, walking through the streets of Lodz, exploring local sights and immersing themselves in the history of the city's origins.
The next day, I and other members of our team already held the first workshop in the city park, dedicated to training the chest, triceps and shoulder muscles. And in the evening, we all had the opportunity to plunge into our childhood, visiting the Holi color festival and showering each other with colored powder.
A lot of unforgettable impressions and positive emotions remained from holding a joint picnic on the territory of the "Stawy Stefanskiego" complex. It’s hard to say what we haven’t done – we played beach volleyball, talked, ate baked Camembert with fried sausages, played badminton, and had fun with interactive energizers. I am sure that that sunny day will remain a pleasant memory in the heart of every participant!
In addition, a visit to the Museum of Sports and Tourism in Lodz was quite an interesting experience. There, in a modern sports complex, there is a permanent exhibition depicting events, famous figures, awards, diplomas, medals, as well as places related to the history of sports in the city of Lodz. Personally, I really liked the section of the museum where you could virtually ride a bike.
Since we were staying in a youth hostel, the cultural evenings of each of the participating countries were held in a small, and at the same time, cozy kitchen. It added a kind of magical homey feeling to every presentation. It's always interesting to learn some unexplored facts about each country, immerse yourself in its uniqueness and taste national dishes, and when you learn all about it from the culture bearers, it becomes a million times more interesting.
At the cultural evening of Ukraine, our team not only introduced the other participants to the Ukrainian flavor, treated them to special pancakes and fragrant kvass, but also reminded them of the bloody war that russia started on the territory of Ukraine, the desperate struggle of Ukrainian defenders and the indomitable spirit of our people. After watching a documentary video about the realities of the Ukrainian confrontation, some participants from other countries could not even hold back their tears...
I would like to express my special gratitude to the Ukrainian NGO "Development and Initiative" for the opportunity to become a part of this project and directly to the project coordinator Kateryna Priazhnykova for her constant support and quick coordination of organizational issues. Special thanks to my teacher, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation of the Poltava Polytechnic Anna Pavelieva, without her support and guidance I cannot imagine my participation in such projects. Finally, I want to add that Erasmus+ projects are a unique opportunity to live a completely different, exciting and amazing life in just one week. It's time to participate, to discover a new world and a new self!" – commented project participant Anna Nesterenko.
Recently, a philology student became a participant in a youth exchange dedicated to inclusion in Romania, Polytechnic students took part in a youth exchange dedicated to discrimination and gender inequality, studied the preservation of natural resources and economic growth of young people with the help of a healthy lifestyle, a translation student became a participant in a youth project against discrimination, xenophobia and bullying, Polytechnic students took part in the Erasmus+ project dedicated to the development of environmental awareness among Europeans and held a charity auction, philology students mastered practical skills in the field of ecology and environmental protection, considered the problem of alcohol addiction and methods of combating it, raised the level of awareness of cultural diversity, studied the problem of refugees/migrants and internally displaced persons.
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National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
