Volunteering at the National Youth Foundation was a very real and practical experience for me. Right from the beginning, it showed me exactly what it takes to bring people together and truly build a community from the ground up. It wasn’t just about completing a list of daily tasks, but about learning how to take real responsibility, adapt to unexpected changes, and figure things out on the go. This dynamic environment taught me how to be flexible and proactive in any situation.
During this internship, I learned many valuable new things about public relations, communication, copywriting, and social media management. I was actively involved in creating engaging content for The Youth Center's pages, which allowed me to put theory into practice immediately. I participated in various activities and events specifically to take photos and record videos, capturing the true energy of the center. Through this process, I significantly developed my graphic design skills using Canva. I also gained a much better understanding of how to efficiently use the Microsoft suite to organize my work, which I know will be an incredibly helpful asset in my future career.
Beyond the technical side, the best part of this entire journey was the human connection. I made wonderful new friends with whom I worked daily. We collaborated closely to grow our social media accounts and to promote the youth ecosystem and the center's activities as best as possible. We worked really well together, shared a lot of laughs, and had a lot of fun every single day.
It was a genuine pleasure to work alongside such passionate and driven people. Seeing how our teamwork directly helped increase the visibility of the projects gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I am deeply grateful for everything I learned here, both professionally and personally. I would love to participate in similar initiatives in the future because it was a truly complete and rewarding experience.
Another completely different aspect that stood out to me was the chance to see exactly how a youth space operates behind the scenes. I understood how much unseen dedication is needed to keep such a center welcoming and active every single day. On a personal level, my biggest takeaway was gaining self-confidence. At first, I was quite hesitant to share my opinions, but the atmosphere here helped me find my voice, propose new initiatives, and be creative without the fear of making mistakes. Observing the reactions of the participants who came to our workshops, seeing their joy and how they relaxed, was truly heartwarming. That feeling confirmed for me that our behind-the-scenes work has a real impact and brings a positive energy to the people around us.
“Pathways to Belonging” (EU-UKR-PB), project number 101239630, is funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps, under the Key Action “Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas” (ESC-SOLID-2025-VTHPA). The 24-month project is coordinated by the National Foundation for Youth (Romania), in partnership with Collectif pour un Service Civique Européen (France) and Stowarzyszenie Projektów Międzynarodowych LOGOS Polska (Poland). It aims to support the social inclusion, civic participation and personal and professional development of young Ukrainian refugees, drawing on a safe-spaces methodology delivered through the network of youth centres coordinated by the National Foundation for Youth.