Facilitators and youth workers recognize the art of storytelling as a non-formal educational tool for young people. Storytelling is a very easy to use set of methods for during mobility, young people can easily be involved in a shared learning process, as everyone has one or more stories of their own to share and discuss with others. Many aspects of stories are close to our everyday lives, to the way we think and understand the world around us: “each one of us is a story in itself…”. Storytelling is an effective way to engage young people and to acquire key competences such as verbal and communication skills in their mother tongue or in a foreign languages, imagination, creativity, intercultural and social understanding, etc. Although the storytelling method is highly valued as a means of developing key competences in young people, it is unfortunately less used by European youth organizations. This was the motivation and impetus for the Erasmus+ youth exchange application for The power of a Storyteller.

February 15^th 2022, Corund

The young delegates from Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Norway, Latvia and Lithuania  arrived in order, we were eagerly awaiting together with those who had already arrived. In the meantime, the participants who were already there, settled into their surroundings, had dinner and immediately started getting to know each other.

February 16^th 2022

After a rest, we presented the week’s program, ideas and house rules, then focused on getting to know each other. Two young people, colleagues of the Youth Forum of Odorhei lead this program with great success. Close bonds were formed between the participants right from the start of the exchange. And we couldn’t help but smile at the fact that such a brilliant team had come together, exceeding all our expectations. We had already realized that we would be dealing with 40 motivated, energetic young people ready to take action during the week.

February 17^th 2022

The first half of the day was also about deepening relationships through storytelling.

In the second half of the day, a young professionall introduced the young people gathered into the mysteries of storytelling. He demonstrated and taught specific methods of storytelling through various interactive activities.

This was followed by an intercultural evening with the Lithuanian and the Latvian teams presenting their respective countries.

February 18^th 2022

On this day we paddled into the deeper waters of storytelling, especially in the world of legends, where we used the word of mouth stories of our region as a tool for the program.

After the lunchbreak, we visited the Mini Transylvania Park run by Székelyföldi Legendárium, which turned out to be a very popular program. Some of our participants had already been to one or two Transylvanian castles, and for them it was a great experience to see them in miniature. For those who were visiting Romania for the first time, seeing Dracula’s castle was also a memorable moment.

Afterwards, we visited the Mayor’s Office of Odorheiu Secuiesc, where we were welcomed by the deputy mayor in the St. Stephen’s hall, where she told us her story of how she came to be in Odorheiu Secuiesc and to this position. She ended her performance with a cathartic reflection, teaching us that no matter where you come from, what your nationality, what color your skin is or what your mother tongue is, we all have many other common languages.

We then had free time in the city, and the team split into small groups according to their interests. Some people were sightseeing, some wanted to try the speciality cafes and gastro-pubs, others were looking for traditional places to visit or just to shop in the local supermarkets. Of course, kürtőskalács was also very popular.

Then at 8 pm there was the meeting at the Siculus Youth House, where the UFF members and volunteers were waiting with great excitement. We had some pizza, after which our volunteers performed folk dances in Sekler costumes. This had been an intercultural evening for us, the Romanian team. Soon the participants joined the dancers, so a great party quickly developed on the stage.

February 19^th, 2022

The day started a little rough due to the previous night’s debauchery, but an energizer helped the situation. Then we learned some cool visual storytelling techniques in a workshop with the aid of a volunteer.

Afterwards we created visual storytelling ourselves in small groups.

In the second half of the day the main topic was again storytelling, presented by one of the colleagues of the Youth Forum of Odorhei. She introduced us into the greatest secrets of writing by telling her own little stories. As it turned out, the greatest difficulty in writing is starting, so we were shown some great techniques to overcome these difficulties.

The day did not end without an intercultural evening, with the Norwegians and Croats as hosts.

February 20^th, 2022

It had been a long day. Knowing that we only had a week to enjoy each other’s company, we sang, used the hot tubs, danced, played board games, etc. at night, but even so, there were still not enough hours in the day.

The morning was dedicated to a walk to the bazars in the center of Corund. We browsed around, many people buying souvenirs for home, others taking photos, everyone impressed by the many stalls. We had lunch and then we gave the floor to talented young musicians to show how music can be used to tell a story.

And in the evening, the Turks will have us taste their fancy food and the Spanish their sangria.

February 21^st, 2022.

This day the participants were divided into small groups, whose first task was to tell each other a lot about themselves, and then find a single point in their lives that they had in common. That is their common story. They worked all day to present their own story on the big day after.

Finally, in the evening, the Greek and Italian teams presented their countries.

February 22^nd, 2022

The big day had arrived. The small groups took turns to present their own collective stories in different styles, such as comic, written, video, or even Google meet.

Afterwards, most of the group started writing letters to people they had become really close to during the week, or to whom they wanted, sharing a kind thought or a memory.

In addition to the brief evaluations held each day, on the last day we also wanted to get an overall picture of the week’s events from the participants’ point of view, so we asked them to write their own slam poetry, their own story of the week. We would like to present a few of them:
”Lithuanians enjoyed the stay in Corund
But needed to steal a coat from Jon Snow
The rooms were warm
Although not like home
Hot tubs were the best
But not the smell
Mountains and beer was the best
Did not meet the bears
Bazar in Corund might be bis
But boring a bit

Breakfast and dinner was worth to wake up
Lunch and the soup not that much
Desert is always a cherry on top
But meat lovers needed to hunt
Workshops were better than we could expect
Because trainers, music and games were the best
Storytelling techniques were uniqeu
Although we required more sleep
We love UFF and call them ultra fun friends
Because the project was organized impossibly well
We will miss fun volunteers and Hungarian friends
Other as well”

”This is the first…
This is the first venue that has hot tubs we’ve never seen before
This is the first soup that we’ve not said as a soup before
This is the first youth exchange that we’ve never joined before
This is the first trip for 23 hours that we have never had before
This is the most professional association that we’ve never met before
This is the first breakfast that we’ve never seen without olives before
This is the project with troublesome task before”

”5 students gathered to enjoy Romania
Norway to Bucharest until they had a train ride.
Tchk tchk tchk on and on until we are tired.
Hoping to go back to Norway but then we came to Corund. to jump  into hot tubs in the calm nature.
What could be better than flavorful food?
Flavorful when becomes repetitive you start skipping it.
Repeat it repeat it repeat it
Soup it pork it bread it
Sleepless us needed energizers
Storytellers us needed music
Speakers us needed podium.
We never needed energizers for nights
Night owls we are
Drunk owls we are
All of boys bring on Dixit and conversations
Call it a best moment to give us time to relax.
Call it a best moment to take us on a trip
All of this was possible because of UFF
UFF be nice to give us free time
UFF you are caring and friendly
Let me tell you we came to Hungary in Romania.”

“Liquid distribution confused us…
Soup never ended, but water always did.
We were waiting for a coffee who was usually not there.
Our yaya will be mad because the food was not enough.
Crackers were nice.

We wanted to share our pictures of the beautiful place,
But the internet had a different opinion..
The hot tubs where smelling like tonninio.

We especially loved the gossip and acting workshops,
but during the photography presentation, we were mentally at the shops

Volunteers and facilitators were more than great
Energisers were fun
Good, Bravo, yay

Dimitris only stoped coughing when dead on the stair.
Argyro was constantly looking for products for her hair.
Eirini found the food exceptionally good, she had to see it again.
Ioannis was losing the eggs and paschals,
while Antonis was partying on his own… forever alone.

We had a real great time
and, despite the dehydration, we are all gonna cry.”

„We liked the good food
They give us best mood
We didn’t use beds
Because we drink all night

We always stay cold
But Laura falls in love
The project changes lifes
And put some shine in eyes

The workshops are cool
And energisers too
I can’t say just UFF
The UFF was really UUUFFFFF

(x2) We liked the good food
They give us best mood
We didn’t use beds
Because we drink all night”

„This is a story of a journey from the Comfort Zone to the Learning
one.
It was a beautiful place with snow & a scorching sun.
Huts like how we used to draw in childhood as a fun
There is a dreamy swing & two hot tub & HOT in the merely a pun.
This is a story of a journey from the Comfort Zone to the Learning
one.

Straight away from Carbonara to the sweet pasta in a plate
Italian can’t bear the peas on the pizza, for god Sake!
But we are satisfied by the freedom vegetables have
In the soup they wander around like they have no breaks
Don’t forget about the sweets that we get after lunch
It is more comforting than looking at your loved ones.
This is a story of a journey from the Comfort Zone to the Learning
one.

Everything there is a task that seems like pain in the ass
We are so cool that we laugh it off in a pretty sass
Sangria, Palinka, Wine or beer, we drink till we pass out
But still manage to get up and call the morning good
Even though our faces scream, have some shame aloud!
This is a story of a journey from the Comfort Zone to the Learning
one.

UFF is like a grandmother that makes you spoil and fat
With care and love, a lot of food and memories fixed in mind
Before this we never knew that learning could be fun
Until today as we know that we are almost done.
We hope and wish you luck for the future that has to come
Thanks timi, ester, and UFF to make this journey comfortable and fun
This is a story of a journey from the Comfort Zone to the Learning
one.”

„How does a Spanish
team end up in a small town,
forgotten spot in the middle of Transilvania,
it was the Hungarian side of Romania or was it the romanian side of hungaria what is this area the hot tubs had bacteria
*It’s a very cool place but we didn’t have space sharing beds I think somebody slept in the suitcase  *
to grab a bite was like a horse race,  wouldnt be so bad right
just to get some water was a street fight nobody was polite people had lunch outside

soup for breakkie
soup for lunch
soup for dinner every night
or its fried or its bread you don’t get anything else (x2)

we had several seminars storytelling all the time sitting on our flat ass
some sport wouldn’t kill us
all the guests are in fact very nice even had a film star played guitar had some fun
but we lacked the cool facts almost died in Tonno’s car
getting stuff for that night the sangria was so wild
Dimitris almost lost his sight
All or minds in a blank we don’t remember that much
After that storytime for some teams was so easy but for others was so hard

soup for breakkie
soup for lunch
soup for dinner every night
or its fried or its bread you don’t get anything else (x2)

*so guys to wrap up volunteers were so nice
but we missed Hungarian night.
Our stay here was alright
Gonna miss you all so much
I think we’re gonna cry
Enough tears to fill a tub
** (drop the mic)**”

„The venue was charming, the hot tub rash alarming, but we did not care.
We experienced joy fun and games, local’s ploy to engage was on full display.
Healthy food was not lacking in this project,
But we really missed more meat, almost as much as the sun and the heat.   But then again, Sangria.
We were always on time, while others were often late, but we hold no grudges, we feel no hate, infact we love you all.
We really liked all the workshops, and Timi you’re a real one for keeping everything on track, if you would have us again we would be happy to come back, and back, and back.
Our stories differed but were all sort of the same, none of them perfect, none of them lame, but still uniquely ours.
Who knew that UFF would turn out to be such a goof, the volunteers soooo cute and the team of powerful ladies never on mute, Salud!
We drank beers with bears, next to the evergrowing stream, basically living the dream, but surprisingly we were mostly fully awake.
Through the bites of the gray cat we learned how to fight, but sadly we soon will be taking our flight, but we know,
That friendships made here will not perish soon, as they were built on love and laughs stacked up all the way to the moon. Trust.”

At the end of this, we will close the exchange with a farewell party, marked more by tears than happiness.

February 23^rd, 2022

The young participants from Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Norway, Latvia and Lithuania set off to the airports. We all knew that we should make the most of the few minutes or hours that remained, but in the meantime, we could barely make a sound.