STUDENTS from Blanchardstown Community Training Centre have just returned from Spain where they took part in a youth exchange trip.
The exchange consisted of 24 young people from six countries – Ireland, Estonia, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain. The idea was to prepare, deliver and participate in workshops on each nation’s culture.
Four young people from Blanchardstown were the only participants from Ireland. It was a big responsibility for them to act as ambassadors, not only for Blanchardstown CTC, but also for Ireland. They had to explain to other Europeans about Irish culture, traditions, food and in general what makes Irish people Irish.
Some of the young people from Blanchardstown had never been outside Ireland before. It was a new experience for them but they soon lost their shyness and shared their hopes, dreams and vision for the future with their European counterparts. They even gave an Irish dancing lesson in the town square!
The project was fully funded by Erasmus+ and the European Social Fund so there was no cost to the young people involved.