From 7 to 11 February 2025, we took part in Caring Connections: Recognising Emotional Intelligence, an Erasmus+ training course in Šibenik, Croatia.
The project brought together youth workers from North Macedonia, Croatia, Türkiye, Lithuania, Italy and Spain. Each partner was asked to send three participants aged 18 or older with experience working with young people.
What was Caring Connections about?
Caring Connections focused on emotional intelligence and socio-relational skills in youth work.
The training looked at how youth workers understand emotions and relationships when working with young people. Particular attention was given to young people who are disadvantaged, vulnerable or have socio-emotional needs.
Participants explored emotional skills as practical tools for their work with young people.
The topic was also connected to mental health. Before travelling to Croatia, each national team prepared examples of Erasmus+ actions related to mental health and youth from its own country.
Who took part in Caring Connections?
Youth workers from six European countries took part in the training.
Youth for Change represented North Macedonia. The other partner organisations came from Türkiye, Lithuania, Italy and Spain.
The project was hosted by Udruga mladih "Mladi u EU" from Šibenik. The organisation has worked with young people in the city since 2008.
The partner organisations were Kocaeli İl Millî Eğitim Müdürlüğü from Türkiye, TAVO Europa from Lithuania, InformaGiovani ETS from Italy and Asociación Cultural Euroaccion Murcia from Spain.
Each partner was expected to send three participants.
What did participants actually do?
The training combined workshops on emotional and relational skills with discussions about youth work.
Some sessions took place at the premises of Mladi u EU. Others were planned as field activities.
Before the project, every national team prepared a presentation about its sending organisation.
We also prepared examples from North Macedonia connected to Erasmus+ actions on mental health and youth. Other national teams did the same for their countries.
This gave participants a chance to compare how organisations in different countries approach mental health in their work with young people.
The programme then focused on emotional and socio-relational skills. These topics were discussed in the context of working with young people who may need additional support.
The project also included an intercultural night. National teams brought food, flags and other examples from their countries to share with the group.
At the end of the training, participants received a Youthpass certificate.
Where did we stay in Šibenik?
Participants stayed at Hostel Scala in Šibenik.
What did it cost to take part?
Participants were reimbursed for their travel costs according to the Erasmus+ Distance Calculator. The project followed the Erasmus+ guidelines for the mobility.
Why are emotional skills part of youth work?
Caring Connections treated emotions as part of the everyday work youth workers do with young people.
The training focused specifically on people working with disadvantaged and vulnerable young people. It also included work with young people who have socio-emotional needs.
That made the topic practical for the organisations taking part.
Youth workers often have conversations with young people about problems they face at school, work or in their personal lives. The project looked at the relational and emotional skills used in this type of work.
For our group, the training was also an opportunity to compare approaches with youth workers from five other countries.
What did YFCH bring back from Šibenik?
The project gave us new material to think about when working with young people in North Macedonia.
We looked more closely at emotional intelligence and relationships in youth work. We also compared examples of work connected to youth and mental health from the participating countries.
The international group gave us different perspectives on the same topic.
For YFCH, Caring Connections was another chance to connect our local youth work in Bitola with methods being used by organisations elsewhere in Europe.
How can you join the next YFCH project?
We regularly send young people and youth workers from North Macedonia to Erasmus+ projects across Europe.
Caring Connections was a mobility of youth workers. Participants had to be at least 18 years old and already have experience working with young people.
The requirements are different for every project. Always check the participant profile, dates and topic before applying.
Want to join one of our next projects? Check the Youth for Change website for new opportunities or contact us at contact@yfch.org.
Erasmus+ Programme
of the European Union
