Sveiki! I’m Finnja, and I had the amazing opportunity to intern at AY Institute for the last five months. I came to AY Institute seeking to understand how NGOs operate and to see if I could envision myself in such an environment in the future. After this internship, I can confidently say YES! The atmosphere, created by the fantastic team here, showed me the powerful impact of working alongside like-minded people dedicated to societal change.

Often, internships can make you feel undervalued and burdened with little responsibility. At AY Institute, prepare to be treated as an integral part of the team, entrusted with significant tasks, responsibility, and autonomy. What stands out here is the emphasis on personal growth and development, focusing on what you wish to learn during your internship—a rarity these days. Throughout my time in the AY Human Team, I had the chance to write my own projects and magazines, assist in organizing youth exchanges and training courses, and gain insight into the development, planning, and implementation of funded projects. This experience cemented my decision to specialize in project management in my future professional development. 

Thank you so much for this amazing experience and all the lessons I’ve learned, it was a perfect fit for me!

November’23 – April‘24

December’23 – January’24

My internship at AY Institute was an amazing two months of learning and growth. My Erasmus journey started with a study exchange in Portugal and some short-term projects after. This got me interested in the behind-the-scenes of Erasmus, leading me to AY Institute. I worked with the Skills Team, and they were really supportive and inspiring colleagues.

During my time at AY Institute, I learned a lot about how Erasmus youth organizations work, including KA2 projects and event planning. The team’s support made it a great learning environment. A big thank you to the whole AY Institute team! I am sure we will meet again.

Hi there! I’m a videographer from Ukraine who had the opportunity to intern at Active Youth or AY Institute from July to December 2023. This internship was an amazing way to gain hands-on experience in the video production industry while also contributing to a meaningful cause. I was involved in a variety of projects, including creating reels and YouTube videos for the RYMO training (Rural Youth Mobility Opportunities) project, raising awareness about human trafficking through the THAN (They Have A Name) project, and promoting obstacle races for youth and young adults through the Race Ability project. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the AY team, who are all passionate and supportive individuals. I highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in starting a career in videography or social impact.

September’23 – December‘23

July’23 – October’23

In the last 3 months I had the opportunity to scout out project management as a field. I have always been interested in it and thought it would suit me. This internship helped me to see various sides of this area. I got to work with a great and supportive team, who never left me with a question unanswered 

Heyo!
I’ve had a fantastic time during my internship with Active Youth. These past 3 months have been
enriching as I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to various exciting projects. One highlight of my
internship was the chance to travel to Italy for a project’s partner meeting, which was educational
and fun.
From the very first day, I was warmly welcomed into the Active Youth, and I quickly grew to
appreciate the friendly and casual atmosphere in the workplace. It made me feel right at home and
encouraged open communication, which made me feel as valuable as any other member.
I’m genuinely grateful for the valuable experiences and the support I received throughout my
internship. It has been an amazing start to my professional journey, and I look forward to staying
connected with Active Youth in the future.

Thank you for this incredible opportunity!

July’23 – October‘23

July’23 – October’23

This internship was truly a unique experience. It began right after I completed my first course of studies, while I frequently faced negativity from other companies about my skills. However, I was fortunate to find Active Youth with a supportive team that believed in my potential.
The most significant takeaway was the boost in my confidence. Here I overcome my self-doubt and gained trust in my abilities. Additionally, I gained hands-on experience in project management, event execution, and sharpened my copywriting skills. My ultimate goal here was to confidently say, “I can do it,” and thanks to my amazing team members/mentors, I can now say it with certainty.
This internship not only taught me professional skills but also helped with my personal growth, leaving me better equipped for both my career and life ahead 🙂

Hello! I am Saule, from Lithuania, and I worked as an HR intern at AY from June to September 2023. This internship provided a perfect opportunity to spend my summer meaningfully while advancing in my career field. Throughout this period, I had the chance to interview candidates, screen resumes, brainstorm team-building activities and workshops, create monthly reports, and even attend a conference. What made this experience truly special was the AY team – a group of fun, goal-driven individuals who all share the same values.
It is a great place for your first internship!

June’23 – September‘23

April’23 – July’23

My name is Joris, I am from Lithuania and I was an intern at AY from April to July 2023.

During my experience in AY, I got to meet and work closely with a lot of interesting and amazing people who have been nothing but supportive throughout the whole process.

I learnt more about the Erasmus Plus programme from within and also saw how a successful NGO functions.
In addition, there have been a lot of internal trainings and external opportunities to enhance my abilities in the field and my team lead was always encouraging me to partake in those (even if it meant that I would need extra time to finish already assigned tasks).
Lastly, I have been presented with numerous chances to go and represent AY abroad and despite that the time never lined up for me to actually go, I really appreciated the opportunities.

Hey! My name is Mara, I’m from Portugal, and I was an intern for AY from February to June 2023. During my internship, I not only gained valuable experience in an area I hope to work in the future, but I also got to work on some important interpersonal skills. Everyone was really welcoming and helpful, the working environment is honestly the best I’ve ever witnessed.
Overall I’m really happy I got to work with such amazing people in such a great organization.

February’23 – June‘23

September’22 – February’23

Hey there! I’m Saltanat, and I’m from Kyrgyzstan. I had this amazing internship at Active Youth from September to June 2023. It was all about project management, and let me tell you, I learned a ton of valuable skills that will totally help me in my career. But you know what’s even cooler? AY hooked me up with some awesome travel opportunities. I got to go to different places as part of various projects. 

Honestly, my time at AY was like an epic journey of learning and excitement. The mix of project management and travel made it an absolutely awesome experience.

During my three-month translation internship at AY, I gained invaluable experience working in a professional translation environment. The team was supportive and provided me with regular feedback and guidance. I was able to work on a variety of projects, which allowed me to develop my translating skills in different contexts. The internship also gave me the opportunity to learn about the industry of writing projects and better understand the intricacies of translation. Overall, it was an enriching and fulfilling experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such a knowledgeable and friendly team.

February’23 – May‘23

September’22 – February’23

My name is Katherine, and I am an Italian intern working for AY from September 2022 to February 2023. Within AY I found an international and very diverse environment in which one is stimulated from so many perspectives. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to work with everyone, but the team and the people I worked with were simply amazing. What I enjoyed the most, apart from learning skills which proved to be invaluable to my career, is the level of humanity and of kindness that I found. AY has a clear mission which is promoted by all its members, and it was a great pleasure for me to find this level of commitment, to be able to see how change can be brought about and how we can contribute to it. Working with AY represents an opportunity to challenge oneself, meet truly amazing people and see first-hand the hard work that goes into creating projects that aim at promoting diversity, creativity, inclusion, youth work and human rights in many different ways.

September’22 – January’23

Hey!

I’m Bianca, I’m 23, and I come from Italy.
Before Active Youth I was doing my MSc in Sweden, but for the longest time, I had been waiting for an opportunity to put everything I had learnt into practice.

Active Youth gave me this opportunity, and I will always be grateful for this. I would say Active Youth is the perfect place for young professionals to gain experience as project managers and project writers, not only because of the training and supervision the project leaders offer but also for the friendly environment you will find. Everyone in Active Youth is extremely welcoming, and you will instantly feel part of the crew. I never felt stressed or under pressure at Active Youth, every meeting felt like a chat, and people were able to express their opinions, concerns and expectations in a safe space. The office is also a lovely space to hang out with colleagues.

If I would have to give a tip to future interns, it would be to make the most of your time in AY if you decide to move to Vilnius. Come to the office and hang out with your colleagues! It is a good opportunity, often underestimated, to meet amazing people.
Through this experience, I was able to grow both professionally and personally, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try out a career in youth work.

Good luck!

こんにちは! 안녕하세요! 你好! Hello! Sveiki!

My name is Migle- originally an East Asian Studies graduate 🙂

I had the pleasure to be part of the Communications team as a Web Developer. I came to AY to try out my skills and knowledge in web design but this time using a new program of WordPress.

I am grateful for the whole team for the patience and support with new members. During the whole internship, there were some stressful and tight deadline projects, like developing, updating and maintaining the Mind-Cloud app (probably one of the biggest experiences in programming and maintenance that made me rethink how much time and effort it takes to create an app and a page 🙂

Nevertheless, I felt relaxed and motivated most of the time because everyone was passionate about their work, understanding others, helping each other whenever they can, and trying to keep a good vibe.

I am thankful for Active Youth, it was a great place to start my journey!

April’22 – July‘22

April’22 – June‘22

Hi!
I’m Austėja, first year student of international business and communication at ISM.I came to Active Youth with an urge to explore behind the scenes of social media and found so much more. I found my communication team lead, most understanding, supporting through all my journey and goal-driven person. I found our graphic designer, most fun and amazing person as well. Here, I had found the community, which other organizations dream about, community, which is here for each other, humble and incredibly aspiring when it comes to making the world a better place. The internship in Active Youth has tough me many things. First, the community is everything. Second, never be afraid to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. Third, opportunities are everywhere! I loved my journey here and so will you! So, if you are still wondering, if AY is the right place to take an internship, just grasp this opportunity and you won’t regret it! You’re welcome 😉
Thank you, Active Youth! Hope it’s not a goodbye, only see-you-soon 

Heeey!

I am Angelina, I am from Belarus! I was an intern in Active Youth for 4 months, the first memory of my internship is connected with my manager, who did not let me get lost, directed and oriented me about the company. My mentor completely immersed me in the project management process in practice, there was always a positive atmosphere in the office, everyone was ready to help. I remember my internship with warmth, it helped me achieve great results. My internship at Active Youth took place in the Youth Development department. During the internship, I wrote articles about our projects, helped with organazing activities, prepared final reports on projects and even went on two trips to meet with our partners in Portugal and Hungary. The internship helped me to immerse myself in the field of project management and decide on my further path of development after graduation.

Active Youth will give you experience, as well as surround you with care and support. It is difficult for me to imagine a better place for my first internship

February’22 – June‘22

April’22 – June‘22

Hey! My name is Gabija. I am a second-year translation and editing student.

I was part of the communication team and it was a great pleasure working there. I came here to try a different genres of translation and expand my knowledge by using various tools. During my whole journey, I felt relaxed and motivated because everyone was understanding, passionate and joyful. This had an impact on my experience here! I am thankful for Active youth, it was a great place to start my journey in the translation field!

Heyoo, your friendly neighbourhood hitman here! I am a 4th-year student at Kaunas university of technology.

Time really does fly when you do something that’s rewarding, I’ve always been interested in making a change but never knew the extent of it until I found myself with AY; sure deadline season was rough but everyone was welcoming, loving, and generally fun to be around.

The culture of AY is something every organization should strive for, where everyone feels like an equal and respected; this is something that will stay with me for a while.

Oh can’t forget about the travelling, seeing new places throughout my short time with AY really opened my eyes on a ton of things, as well as brought back faith I had in humanity, to see the dedication that everyone in AY has towards a common goal of change and improving the outlook of those in need; that is something that everyone can get behind. To those joining AY, grasp the opportunity to do something good in the world, and who knows, you might find the niche that you belong to.

Thanks for the awesome 4 months.

February’22 – May‘22

February’22 – May‘22

Yellow. I am soon to be a third-year student of the Creativity and Business Innovation program at Vilnius University of Applied Sciences.

Here at AY, I was a part of two teams. One of them is Growth team and the other the Planet team. The three-month internship here was simply wonderful. I did so many interesting tasks, faced new challenges and learned a lot about myself. Most importantly, I met a lot of wonderful people that I wish to continue to keep a relationship afterwards.

Great place, great people. Thank you AY!

Active youth felt like home! Always welcomed, everyone is with smile and encouraging at each step I am so glad I gave chance to this opportunity! Due to that, I feel more confident in non-formal education field:) Thank you, AY! 

January ’22 – April ‘22

February’22 – April ‘22

Hey hey! My name is Viktorija, and I am a fourth-year new media language student at Kaunas University of technology.

Three months of being an intern at Active Youth went really fast. I was working in a communication team as a social media manager. This allowed me to understand where I want to go further in my life and what master’s I want to take.

I loved having such support from my teammates and getting feedback on my work that will be very useful in the future. I also got an opportunity to travel and went to Estonia to participate in the training.

I am very grateful for this adventure and the whole experience throughout the internship!

I wanted to start being in an environment of sports and health management and that’s why I started the internship. I got a chance to work with sports related projects, whore a project myself together with my colleague. It is a nice feeling to submit my first project, believe me 😀 Also I went to Hungary for international training. So AY really gives you opportunities to grow, especially when you’ve just finished university and looking a place to try yourself.

Sadly I’ve spent a lot of time working from home and didn’t get too meet many teammates. But the ones I’ve met – thank you, it was my pleasure 🙂

January ’22 – April ‘22

January’22 – April ‘22

Hey, as you bumped here, I want to tell you that all the opportunities you will take in your life, will get you closer to where you actually want to be. I’ve tried many fields of volunteering, internship and jobs and I finally realized that my main values in life are travelling and people. And here I got both. You can explore the world, you will meet amazing people, who will support you in every way possible and at the same time, you will explore yourself. So sign in and take that adventure!

Hey hey, my name is Gabija, I’m studying public relations at Vilniaus Kolegija/University of applied sciences and I want to tell you what a great experience it was to be a part of this amazing family for 3 months!

I joined AY to gain new experience in a field I knew just a little about. And turns out it was also a good way to get out of my comfort zone. I was working in the Human team with the best support from team members. Projects that we were implementing were so interesting to me, now I know so much about human rights, social issues and other problems that vulnerable groups are facing. I was working on different tasks, like writing press releases, creating communication campaign for social media, translating, helping with events and other creative things.

A big thing to mention is the opportunity to travel! I had a trip to Italy for a final meeting of Wear(e)able project, was very interesting to participate with partners from other organizations and to see how they evaluate the work they’ve done during the project. I also went to Estonia for training, where we had the opportunity to learn about easy to read language and visited the support centre for disabled people – JUKS.

I highly recommend Active Youth to everyone who is looking not just for the internship, but also for a very good experience working with such a great team.

January ’22 – April ‘22

January’22 – April ‘22

Hi, my name is Dženeta.

I have been in the Active Youth for three months. This experience gave me a lot of knowledge about my sphere, for which I am very thankful. This company helped me improve not only as a specialist but also as a person. Daily communication with different people from different cultures helped me improve as an individual. For that, I am more grateful. In this period, I found my passion, way, and goals. I understood more about my weaknesses which I can improve, and more about my skills which I can use. I recommend being here and finding your way, improving your skills, and understanding what you want in your life.

Hey there!! To whoever stumbles upon this, I’m Laura and the 3 month internship at Active Youth was the finishing touch to my bachelor’s degree in Communication studies.

One of the reasons why I chose Active Youth – I just had a feeling that it would have a friendly and ambitious team of inspiring people. And I wasn’t wrong at all! What I didn’t know, is how professional the organization was, and how much genuine effort everyone puts into their work. That pushes you to grow and boosts your motivation even more.

My responsibilities included making sure that all the projects have the right communication strategy, and initially I was blown away by how many projects the organization actually runs. How unique, but equally important each one them was! It felt like a right place to be in, working on something that is actually meaningful and striving for a positive change in the world. The best part for me was that during whole internship, you are encouraged to learn, and you are constantly supported, while you search for your strengths, while you overcome challenges. You are free to try yourself in very different areas and try out different shoes if something doesn’t fit you. ❤️

January ’22 – April ‘22

August’21 – November ‘21

Hello Hello! My name is Emilija, and I’m a political science student. Probably you’re wondering why I ended up here.

I always felt the willingness to gain experience in NGO to see what steps are necessary to operate the whole organisation successfully. I always saw Active Youth as an organisation that creates many great opportunities for society and talks about topics close to my interests. When I saw that Active Youth is looking for an intern for sports projects, I felt even more glad. For as long as I can remember, I have always been that active kid who is passionate about movement.

I was trusted throughout my internship, even starting the first days, received support from my teammates, and always got helpful feedback. Believe me, here you do not need to do tedious, repetitive tasks such as file documents or bring coffee. In the beginning, I immediately had the opportunity to represent AY in training abroad, facilitate the other training and help organise the sports events. During my internship, I was responsible for various tasks: writing, doing research, generating ideas, organising events and step by step learning how to manage and write sports projects. There were so many different tasks that I never got bored and got the ability to understand where I’m good at and where I lack knowledge and need to improve. I think it’s an excellent example of how the internship here can help the person grow, not even professionally but personally.

I am grateful for this experience and the opportunity to learn so many things and meet amazing people. Without them, this experience would not be the same.

Sziasztok! Those reading this one word, probably wondering, what is this? It means „hi” in the
Hungarian language. My name is Vanessza from Hungary, and I spent a five-month-long internship in
Active Youth.

All in all, I spent nine amazing months in Lithuania, four months in Kaunas and five months in
Vilnius. Before moving to Lithuania, I did not know anything about the country. During the pandemic,
I did not even know how to travel here, what would wait for me or how to manage the language
barriers. Fortunately, everything turned out great! I was falling in love with the country day by day.
Initially, my plan was spending here only four months as an exchange student in Kaunas. But for me,
four months was not enough. I was pleased when I got accepted by Active Youth and could stay for
another five months in the capital city.

Frankly, being the only Hungarian in the team was challenging at first. But then, I quickly realized that
I was not the only foreigner in the team, and my Lithuanian colleagues were super friendly and open. I
was a part of the Norway Grants team, and my primary responsibilities were creating communication
plans, disseminating different events, looking for participants, keeping in touch with partners. None of
my days was the same, and I was never bored.

I suggest Active Youth for those who would like to learn during their internship, improve personal
skills, and make the world a better place. Thank you for Active Youth. I definitely left a piece of my
heart in Lithuania!

June ’21 – November ‘21

July’21 – October ‘21

Hey hey hey, It’s Raheem, a.k.a drake since the afro incident. To whoever is reading this right now, I hope I can really express how I feel to you about AY and the four months I spent with the awesome people of AY.

I started my internship in July 2021, right after I graduated, and no, this will not be a long paragraph. But, right after I arrived, it didn’t take me long to feel welcomed, accepted, and loved by the people of AY.

I had the chance to work on awesome projects such as the CO2 footprint guide, Malta Pride, and Workshop week, and much, much more…

I will never forget the time I spent with AY as an intern. I will always look back at it and smile. Thank you, AY peeps, for everything and how you made me feel; it wouldn’t have been possible without it all of you.

And I’ll see you when I see you ✌

Hello everyone! My 4-month internship was an excellent opportunity to develop many skills such as teamwork and working in an English-language environment. I chose this organization based on testimonials on the website. They were highly similar and of a positive vibe to the one you are reading now. Active Youth, as the name says itself cares about social and environmental issues. In my case, my goals and the organization’s goals are similar so choosing this place for my internship was a perfect choice. Taking part in projects about sustainability in the fashion industry or ocean pollution gave me a lot of information in this field I hadn’t had an idea of before.

Although Active Youth is not just about projects, it’s also about people you can get to know. All of them have their passions and skills that can make a difference and enrich the organization. It was such a pleasure to share this time with them. The huge advantage is that you are never alone and you can always receive help or some advice. Frequent team meetings also help you meet up with the whole team and make friends.

I can recommend this organization to all who intend to impact the surrounding world and society. I’m sure it’s going to be a substantial part of my resume.

Take care and see you soon!
Przemek

July ’21 – September ‘21

July’21 – October ‘21

Hey hey! I’m Dovilė and I have completed my 3-month-long internship at Active Youth!

The time spent at the organization was full of learning opportunities, possibilities to meet like-minded people, and a good time. 

I was a part of KA2 team and I loved working there. It felt that everyone was so professional and passionate about what they were doing. I feel to have been assigned to so many different tasks: from creating communication plans for projects to meeting with international partners. Thus, I never felt bored, felt really relied on and could try myself completing various NGO’s tasks. Moreover, it felt that people working at AY were socially aware and active outside the office walls. It was such a friendly, motivating and inspiring environment to do my internship in. <3

Hey! I am Gretė, a fourth-year journalism student at Vilnius University. Frankly, I went to Active Youth without knowing what was waiting for me and the project coordinator’s responsibilities. Nonetheless, I was very looking forward to my internship because I was going through a period of change at the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and I wanted to test myself in new areas.

In addition, I was very impressed by the various benefits of this internship – the opportunity to bring puppies to the office, the chance to travel – and was amazed that Active Youth talks about topics that are very important and interesting to me personally.

I remember as it was yesterday, the first day of my internship, and the impression left by the people who cared for me that day. I have never felt such a great sense of security in the workplace, a concern, and an understanding that you are a fresh, incomprehensible person in the team. I’ve never felt so calm that I can ask and ask a lot if only something is unclear to me!

These aspects did not change throughout the internship. It was good to see that even though I was a new person, the members of the team and the whole organization trusted me unconditionally and believed in my strength. Hence, they were not afraid to give me more responsibilities.

Active youth is a great place to start, learn and take the first solid step, even in areas you know nothing about.

June’21 – September ‘21

April’21 – July ‘21

Hi there! I’m Evelina and guess what? I am a Civil Engineering graduate at the Kaunas University of Technology. I know, right? So how did I end up in Active Youth?

I have been active ever since I can remember from my childhood. I always had many activities after school, so it no wonder that in the University, I also somehow ended up in some extra activities (even though I didn’t even plan, oh well!) from volunteering to becoming a chairwoman of my faculty students union. Also, during my studies, I discovered Erasmus+ training courses and youth exchanges, which also opened my eyes a little more.

And step by step, while getting deeper into knowing myself better and following what Active Youth does, I understood that I see there more purpose and thrill than in my studies. I decided to join and I was happy to be accepted. At first, as a process manager intern, helping our Senior lead with internal tasks and platforms, then continuing as a project manager intern, having my own projects to plan, lead and implement. What a journey!

I was never 100% sure if what I was doing was good enough and felt like I did not know so many things (I still don’t), but I always knew that many people were ready to help and support me. The freedom to plan my time, when to work, on what to work, how to do the task, to raise my own goals I want to reach is what I value the most in Active Youth. I feel that this association matches my values and the way I look into life, so I am glad that I was brave enough to try changing my carrier path, to join Active Youth, and to stay there as a real project manager which is a very good and encouraging start! AY, thanks for that!

Hey there! My name is Rahşan and, I am a Philosophy graduate.

Last year of my studies I decided that I want to do an internship just to connect with the social concerns after some intense amount of studying a theoretical field. I always wondered how I can put my skills into use, it would be only on point doing an internship at a place that would allow me to practice my abilities. That’s why after thorough research I decided to reach out to AY, it seemed the perfect place for me to be able to expand my knowledge. And, luckily it was!

My internship last 3 months, I was a Communications intern and my responsibilities were managing social media channels, planning, and creating content. I have learned a lot during this internship and everybody was really kind and understanding whenever I come across challenges.

I think Active Youth is a great place to start! I am happy that my first ever work experience was with such nice people. It was an enhancing journey for my personal and professional growth. Thank you for having me guys, it was a pleasure!

May ’21 – September ‘21

May ’21 – August ‘21

Heyo! I’m Patricija, and I am a third-year history and sociology student at Vilnius University.

Before joining Active Youth internship, I already had many connections with them so I pushed myself to actually join the real working process and swim in that projecting, organising, searching and creating sea. This is how I appeared at Sports team, which was challenging and supportive through these three months of work.

This is the place where interns are treated so fine by organising meetings for them and setting the goals to theirselves. Here people are always checking on you, following your progress and support you to get more and more organised step by step, task by task.Thanks to each person who is part of Active Youth. This summer with you was a colorful experience, which changed a lot in my perspective of life. Thanks for letting me join the projects and tasks, talk to all of the openminded people, for giving me an opportunity to search and find, fall and get up, listen and hear.

Moving forward with this experience, good luck!

Deimantė Bakaitytė

May ’21 – August ‘21

Hello hello! My name is Deimante, and I am studying International Business at Vilnius University.

It is hard to describe what it meant for me to work in the Active Youth association in a few words. I have been passionate about working in the Erasmus field for quite a while. During my high school years, I was actively volunteering in 3 different organizations: “Learn before you vote,” “Team Europe Junior,” and “White gloves”. I was always passionate about involving young people in the decision-making processes, raising their voices and needs. In 2017 I discovered what youth exchange is. For me, it was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about Europe, met people from different backgrounds, and traveled alone for the first time. I caught “a fever of Erasmus”.

After around 10 youth exchanges and training courses, I thought, you know what, now it’s my time to create these great opportunities for the others. Sincerely, there is no better feeling than when someone says: “You know Deimante, I had this amazing experience because of you”. My first youth exchange was with Active Youth, and after 4 years, I got a chance to work with them in the KA2 team. They even announced that I was selected as an intern during my birthday. Honestly, the whole internship was one big celebration. Though not saying it was easy. Of course, there were many challenging moments, but I cherish them because I learned a lot about management, budgets, teamwork, and project writing. From my point of view, life is always about people, and I can assure you that every intern (or employee) in Active Youth will get to know many great people. Everyone is so professional, motivated, and open-minded.

I loved being part of this forefront organization that creates projects to impact the planet positively, thoughtfully notice the importance of inclusion, and truly cares about physical and mental health.

Hey! I’m Gintarė, and I am a third-year psychology student at Vilnius University.

Before joining Active Youth, I have been admiring their work for a while. I’d say that curiosity, interest in international experiences, and willingness to make a positive impact on society were the main things that led me to apply for the internship here. That is how I ended up as a part of the Growth team in Active Youth.

My main responsibilities were participant selection for Erasmus+ youth exchanges and trainings as well as partner search. In addition to that, I had an opportunity to learn so many things during those months and work on a wide range of tasks, including visual creation, writing blog posts, and even touching upon project writing. It was a great challenge but an exciting one for sure! 

All in all, it is a fantastic place for the internship! The combo of dynamic tasks and a team that is professional, supportive & always willing to help make it the perfect experience and place for personal & professional growth.

I am feeling grateful for this experience and the opportunity to meet such an amazing & inspiring people. Thank you, AY!

Gintarė Armalytė

February ’21 – May ‘21

Agnė Ramanauskaitė

February ’21 – May ‘21

Hey, I am Agne, and currently, I am studying Marketing and Design at Lancaster University.

I think you are wondering how I ended up in the Active Youth, So, being stuck in the UK and not able to do many things because of the COVID restrictions, I was bored sitting in my room and only studying. I used to be involved in different activities, organizations and make positive changes to society. By looking at different volunteering opportunities and internships, I found one perfect – Active Youth.

And here I am… An intern of the Capacity-building team and a member of the AY-Planet subgroup. Being responsible for correcting projects, writing, creating pages, doing research, surveys, generating new ideas, and many other tasks, there hasn’t been a day when I was bored – I always was doing different tasks. I cannot describe how much this internship has helped me to grow personally and professionally. And the best part of this internship is that I met many amazing people who inspired me a lot!

Thanks, Active Youth team, for making my days more exciting!

Ciao! My name is Sophia, and I recently completed a 7-month internship at Active Youth.

I am a Sociology student and globe trotter passionate about humanitarian work and gender equality. As part of my degree, my university allowed me to have a placement year, so I decided to take this fantastic opportunity to understand better how NGOs work and what position would suit me best. After researching opportunities, having an interview, taking a covid-19 test, and self-isolating in Vilnius, I finally arrived in Active Youth’s office in October 2020. 

I started off as a Communication intern, learning about social media management, blogging, and content development. After four months, I also joined the Capacity Building team, focusing on project writing, project implementation and research. 

It was incredibly empowering to learn many different things very quickly and be given a wide range of responsibilities from an early stage. Everyone was always kind and supportive, eager to help me develop any skill I desired and try out new things, and this made my learning process an incredible experience. 

For me, Active Youth has been a safe place to develop personally and professionally, where I have been able to share my knowledge and passion while also learning a variety of new skills. 

I’ll always be grateful to have spent these months with Active Youth and to have witnessed the organisation’s growth. Thank you guys, I look forward to seeing you at the forefront of youth organisations worldwide!

Sophia Raineri

November ’20 – May ‘21

Dominyka Galčiūtė

December – March ‘21

Hi there! My name is Dominyka, I am from the Norway Grants team, and I want to share my internship experience in AY with you!

A little background of me: I have been involved in youth work for the last 8 years of my life, which consisted of volunteering in different organizations, taking part in Erasmus+ projects, working along with Solidarity Corps projects. The opportunities and benefits these projects provide you are incredible and leave you feeling as a part of a community, inspire you to get into new activities, cultivate your curiosity for, really, all the things in the world. And I always knew Active Youth is a pro at this, that is why I decided to give it a shot and applied for the internship here. I understand every new beginning is a little scary, but oh, it is worth it.

In the past months, I have learnt to manage projects, organize events, communicate with partners from various countries, and perform all different kinds of tasks. Throughout my whole internship, I received support and guidance from my teammates and was really enjoying my time here, because working with like-minded people is a true blessing. This was a valuable experience that let me grow as a person. AY is a happy community where there’s space for everyone no matter who you are and how much experience you have.

So, if anything you have read from all of our experiences feels familiar to you, and yet you’re still hesitating to apply, this is the sign, just send that CV, you won’t regret it!

Labas! I’m Elzbieta from Vilnius, and I’ve done my internship in the Active Youth Health team. 

I come from various backgrounds, worked as a professional dancer and a journalist, but I’ve been eyeing Active Youth for quite a while. The organization seemed to check all the boxes that I’ve been looking for: projects with social impact, travels and workshops around the world, dynamic and forward-thinking team. So, once the opportunity was there, I applied immediately, and it was one of the best decisions. 

My internship was a fast process of learning about all the projects and activities while managing them simultaneously. I was trusted from the first tasks and got to know a lot along the way. Doing an internship during the pandemic had its challenges, but I felt listened to and supported by my teammates throughout the whole process.

It was a beautiful experience that opened my eyes, showed me how we all have an impact on each other and the world around us. Thank you!

Elžbieta Višnevskytė

December – March ‘21

Radvilė Urbelytė

January – April ’21

Hey! My name is Radvilė and I am a third-year student of Communication and information management technologies studies at Kaunas University of Technology. I can say that I was very lucky because I did my internship at the Active Youth association. And I had the opportunity to be a part of the Growth Team.

From the first day of my practice, I learned something new every day. During the internship (even if the covid-19 pandemic was raging), I met many cool, friendly, kind, genuine and professional people in a virtual way. I can guarantee that Active Youth team welcomes each new member very warmly and helps when needed.

These three months of internship brought me not only a lot of laughter and good emotions, but also a lot of knowledge in the field of communication.  Active Youth team allowed me to contribute to a wide range of tasks – from creating visuals with Photoshop to working with various Erasmus+ projects. Wow! Now I can say that I had an experience with writing projects! 

I am more than grateful for the opportunity to work with Active Youth team. You all inspired me with sincere love and passion for the work you do. Thanks guys!

Hey everyone, my name is Inga, I am from Lithuania and I was an intern at the KA2 team as a project manager.

How I ended up at Active Youth? A lot of weird life’s circumstances, I guess. I just came back home to Vilnius after a year of travelling in Australia and I was not ready to stop. I moved to Portugal for a European Solidarity Corps project yet as sad as it was, I had to come back home after a few months due to the whole world being in lockdown and all that jazz. But the best thing that happened to me before leaving back home – the organisation that I volunteered for in Portugal, mentioned AY and said that I should look up their internships. So even though my travels have ended and I finally needed to settle at home, I was more than excited to apply to their internship. So I guess sometimes the perfect thing comes at the perfect timing.

During the two months, I spent with AY, I worked on so many different tasks and ideas. Some of them were with refugee integration, sustainable fashion, (ex)offender integration. I was a part of writing a project on domestic violence and learned so much about the topic of equity and human rights. During the internship, I attended a lot of meetings with international partners and worked on tasks from very different projects. So all in all, this is not one of those boring internships where you make coffee and file documents. It was challenging and exciting. And together with that, I met a team that supported me in every possible way, taught me so many things, and were ready to be there for me every step of the way. The people were the best part.

Thank you, Active Youth, what a ride!

Inga Vederytė

January – March ’21

Otilija Ruseckaitė

July – October ’20

Hey! My name is Otilija and currently, I am studying International Business and Communication. This summer I was an intern in the Capacity-building team.

How did I end up in Active Youth? Well, during the summer I was searching for an internship in the field that was the most interesting to me – international projects. Once I was part of it as an Erasmus+ volunteer for 6 wonderful months in Romania. Ever since this experience, I was wondering about the other side of the project – what does it take to create it? Here, at AY, I had an opportunity to work on several projects, which raise awareness about plastic pollution, senior exclusion, and sustainable fashion. I was doing research, videos, surveys, writing, and had a chance to present one of our projects at the conference. Moreover, I had amazing colleagues, who were always ready to help and answer all my questions.

Thank you, AY!

Heyoo! My name is Vismante and I was a communications intern at “Active Youth”.

I have graduated from the University of Reading Politics and Economics course and somehow I ended up back in Lithuania in the place, which activities I was following for years, helping Communication’s team. I guess faith has its own ways… However, communication was not something I had much experience in, except from the fact, that I love seeing and posting cool pictures with interesting descriptions on Instagram.

Since day one of my internship, I have been learning every single day. Everyone here is super cool and knows what they are doing. It feels like you are a part of one family with many dogs (as we always have at least one in the office). It is super exciting to be surrounded by such a group of people (and dogs) as everyone can teach you something from their field.

Thus, if you see a super cool poster pop up in your feed, it might be because I have just been taught how to use Photoshop haha. As well as if I start a podcast, as I have learned everything about that too!

If you have any suggestions for improvement of our communication, hit AY up on Instagram! The team loves having a connection with people and genuinely cares about that :p

Vismantė Ežerskytė

August – October ’20

Ieva Malickaitė

July – September ’20

Hey! I am Ieva and I study Social Policy. Over the last summer, I did my internship at “Active Youth” and it was an incredible experience!

I found out a lot about how to write and implement Erasmus+ projects, organise events, research fundraising opportunities and so much more! For these 3 months, I joined the sports team and because we bonded so well, I had a great time working together with Augustas and Adriana. Overall, everyone in the office was extremely welcoming, warm and made me feel as a part of this great team. I did not only learn a lot while being here, but I also found new friends, enjoyed my time and had an opportunity watch how this team works so hard to make the world a better place to live. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and all the good times that I had while working with AY ❤️

Hi there, I am Efe from Turkey. During my master studies, I had several classes about EU Project management in general but also Erasmus+ projects. I was learning how to write, apply and fundraising etc. So I wanted to see how it works in practice rather than theory and gain some experience about how to apply, manage and write the projects properly. That was the main motivation for me to apply for this internship at AY. Many thanks to everyone for answering all my questions and other interns for sharing their experiences with me, after some weeks I was sure that it was the right choice. They all helped me a lot. Everyone was super friendly and super welcoming, always asking do you need anything?, Do you have any questions?  This professional but also really warm environment encouraged me to write my own project.

In general what I like during this internship, everyone was really helpful and friendly. I loved my time in Vilnius. I have so many new, great friends even though our time was limited. I learnt what I wanted to learn. How to write a Project, how to apply and how to manage. All in all, I felt great during my time in AY.

Efe Pirlibeylioğlu

May – October ’20

Justė Mykolaitytė

March – June ’20

Hello hello! My name is Juste and I’m a third-year student of International Communication at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, Groningen.

When I had to look for an internship, I was sure that it has to be an NGO or non-profit organization since I was volunteering in several organizations before.  But I wasn’t sure about the location. I had the best time in the Netherlands, loved culture there and was surrounded by genuine people all the time. But at the same time, I forgot what it feels like to live in my home country for longer than 2 weeks per year. Shortly, I started to look for an internship in Vilnius, Lithuania. Just a week before the internship deadline I received a call for an interview with the DOPE organization – Active Youth Association. Exciting news!

I didn’t have any expectations before my internship, but I learned so much from all the team. I was able to use theoretical and practical skills while working in the communication department, created several websites, wrote a project about gender equality, had a chance to observe my colleagues how they were working in the field of project management.

I’m more than grateful for all the team at Active Youth, was surrounded by so many beautiful people! Just because of them I grew up professionally and personally. Thank you, guys! 💜

Hi there! I’m Chris, from Jordan. I am a graduate student at the Institute of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. My internship at Active Youth was a rewarding experience and I really didn’t know what was waiting for me. I learned a lot about the preparation and implementation of Erasmus+ projects and was able to bolster my skills in organisation and project management. I enjoyed our weekly team meetings, workshops and brainstorming for projects. The team was D.O.P.E.! And if you don’t know what D.O.P.E. stands for in AY dictionary, no worries. Sometimes full-time staffers forget it too. It stands for.. Mhm.. wait, I got this! Go google ‘DOPE Active Youth Association’ and figure it out yourself 😀

The internship was a beautiful journey and I am always going to associate myself with the amazing work AY is doing. Cheers!

Christopher Ghaiath Almajdoub

January – June ’20

Adriana Lavrukaitytė

January – March ’20

Vivien Kühnen

August-October ’19

Hey, dears!

I am Vivien. Originally from Germany, but I also consider the Netherlands my home… and after some time living in Lithuania, I would say I made Vilnius my home as well. From that, you might assume that I liked it here- you are more than right.

I am really glad that I choose Vilnius and Active Youth to be part of my path. I studied psychology in the Netherlands. However, I wanted to gain some experience outside of my field. That I haven’t heard of Erasmus+ was no obstacle and everyone at AY is super welcoming and I got to see behind the curtains of Erasmus+. So take-home message for you: Even if you think your CV might not be suitable, don’t hestiate. What they are really looking for is your motivation and willingness to learn. If you have this and are interested in working with people who care about their (social) environment, just do it like I did- apply!

Lucie Fišerová

May – August ’19

Hello! My name is Lucie and I come from Czech Republic. I am in the last year of Management and Supervision in Social organizations studies.

The first impression that I had about Active Youth was: Organization with a young, dynamic spirit where employees do care about the impact of their activities. Therefore I wanted to get to know better this cool non-profit association with meaningful goals. I had many various tasks during my internship – from research and evaluation work to creating social media content. The next benefit of being the trainee here is that projects are focused on different target groups, therefore you can choose the topic that interests you the most. As I am a social worker, I was involved in social related projects – social inclusion through sport and project enhancing reintegration of young offenders into the society. These topics were completely new for me and I´ve learned so much about preparation and implementation of projects. At the end of the internship, I took a chance to write my own project.

Last but not least, this organization would be nothing without great employees. Your colleagues never let you struggle for a long time, always offering support and kind words. At the same time, this internship was full of challenges and new experience and I am grateful for that. It was a pleasure to be a part of this organization. Lithuania and Vilnius became part of me for sure!

Hey there, I am Thaïs from France. When I found the internship offer and discovered this association, I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it (and not just because they have free coffee).
I always enjoyed travelling, but it is after spending a semester on an Erasmus exchange that I realize how much I love being abroad, to discover new people from all around the world, new cities and lifestyles. With Active Youth I got to work in an international environment, which is an incredible opportunity! I also love to challenge myself, and I am glad that I had the chance to be a part of this optimist and energic NGO. I have learned so many things here, from how to write and implement Erasmus+ projects to creating websites etc. I also went on three youth exchanges and facilitated activities for participants, which was an amazing experience. Moreover, the AY team is so friendly and enthusiastic that I immediately felt comfortable working there.
Last but not least, I really enjoyed living in Vilnius, which is really different from France and I am happy to have discovered a country as little-known as Lithuania. An internship at Active Youth is a fantastic and unforgettable experience.

Thaïs Poullot

March – July ’19

Taylor Alexander

February-April ’19

Hey there! I’m Taylor, from the United States. I’m currently in the final year of my studies as an International Relations student at a German university. When it came time to find an internship for my final semester, I wasn’t quite sure where to look. I stumbled upon Active Youth while scouring the internet for internship opportunities, and I’m so glad I did! Since I started three months ago, I’ve learned so much. The team here at AY has been so supportive and helpful from the start. In such a short period of time, I’ve completed research for projects with incredible objectives, built websites, worked on social media, and learned a great deal about the creation, facilitation and implementation of Erasmus+ projects. I’ve become more confident in myself and my ability to adapt to new job roles, and I am so thankful for Active Youth for teaching me all of the above and more, while having fun at the same time. I am sad to be leaving Lithuania and Active Youth, but I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to come here to complete my internship!

Bonjour! I am Pauline from France. I came here to do my Master’s internship in European Project Management.
When I told my friends and family that I was going to go to Lithuania for my internship, they just kept asking me one question: “Why Lithuania?”. It is true that Lithuania is not the most popular country (especially when you come during winter). But I have to say that I do not regret my choice. Vilnius is a lovely city and I got to know a lot more about Lithuania, a country I knew nothing about. I really enjoyed spending time in this country, this city, and especially in Active Youth. Working here, I had the chance to work on various tasks: from daily tasks to writing a European project myself, building a webpage, working on existing projects and taking part in a European project. Co-working in this organisation is really easy since everyone is so friendly and always willing to help.

Working in such an atmosphere makes you think you are not even working, I guess that it is what happens when you really enjoy what you’re doing and when you are surrounded by great and inspiring people 🙂

Pauline Benoist

January-April ’19

Ekaterina Ponomareva

January-March ’19

Hi! I’m Ekaterina from Russia. I have been studying in Finland and decided to have an internship in Lithuania at Active Youth. My major is industrial management. Learning about Erasmus+ projects, from planning to implementation has been extremely interesting for me. I did a lot of different tasks: writing and participating in a project, preparing/organizing researches and surveys and working with social media. This internship boosted my professional and intercultural communication skills and I’m really thankful for each kind and amazing member of the team who made it possible. I always loved meeting new people and intercultural atmospheres, and my first Erasmus internship made it all possible. Lastly, I fell in love with Vilnius, its architecture and its people. Since my internship was mostly in the winter and the beginning of spring, I dream to one day visit it in the summer time!

Active Youth is a home for people who try to make our world a better place. I’m honoured to say that I was part of the team!

Since my first day as an intern in Active Youth organization I knew that this will be a meaningful experience for me. Everyone there was always kind and helpful and most importantly the atmoshere was so inspiring to learn and to try new things. During my internship, I had a chance to try myself in various activities. One of my task was to call to schools and arrange interactive lessons for students about active citizenship. Moreover, in the end of my internship I had an opportunity to participate in Erasmus+ youth exchange and to be part of the organizing team. I sincerely could say that this was one of the best part of my internship. I have learned many practical things from these incredible 9 days. All in all, during these 3 months internship I have improved my communication and organizational skills and always enjoyed working with an amazing team.

Active Youth organization is an inspiring place for everyone who is motivated to achieve their aims and objectives!

Samanta Tumpytė

September-November ’18

Klaudija Samulevičiūtė

September-October ’18

Hey! My name is Klaudija and I come from Lithuania.
You might ask how I’ve ended up in Active Youth office when I am about to finish my fashion industries studies (which is not that much related to Erasmus + youth mobility/ trainings).
I should begin with Istanbul story. Back in 2016 I moved to Istanbul, Turkey with Erasmus studying program and at the end instead of 4 months I’ve choose to stay there about two years, that experience completely changed me and my attitude towards life.
When I came back to my home – country Lithuania from Istanbul, all I wanted to do was to travel, meet new people and learn new things. That’s how I’ve discovered Erasmus +, youth exchanges, trainings and Active Youth. This leads us to the story why I’ve came up with the idea to do an internship there and besides that according social media Active Youth seems to be the best NGO in Lithuania.
My internship has started on 22th of September in 2019 and it has lasted for two months. During that time I did a lot of different things. Starting with boring administrative things to organizing events about Erasmus + opportunities and travel stories, healthy lifestyle and writing a project related to ecological subjects.
I was really enjoying that time there, the atmosphere which is created in the office and freedom to realize your ideas which you have in your minds & colleagues are amazing!

All in all, I am glad to say that now I am one of the team members in Active Youth ❤

I am not here; I am not there; I am around. 24-year-old Economics bachelor student from very heart of Turkey. I have always been interested in languages, countries, culture and travel. Thanks to Erasmus+ Internship in Active Youth I have managed to turn my passions into a profession. Before this internship I was not aware of the full scope of Erasmus+ program. Also, I didn’t have a chance to visit any of the Baltic countries and was a bit confused about the location of Latvia and Lithuania on the map. During this internship, I not only learned plenty of information about NGOs and Erasmus+, but also had the chance of experience Lithuanian way of living and thinking thoroughly. During this short summer time, I have been truly amazed by the professionality, efficiency and originality of Active Youth family. They are all beyond co-workers and close friends for me. I closely observed that productivity and efficiency increase immensely in environments which makes you feel like home.

Active Youth will always be around for me, forever!

Abdulkadir Mülayim

June-September ’18

Greta Kunickytė

June-September ’18

I am 18 years old school leaver from Lithuania. Talking about my interests, I must admit that I am engaged in a number of hobbies. The one that I mostly focus on is volleyball and the second activity that I am keen on is traveling. I have participated in Erasmus+ projects since 2014. All these projects were interesting, full of memorable time and experience gained here was highly important for me. This is the main reason why I always wanted to contribute in making these projects and to see how it works. I am responsible for preparing Facebook posts, sending emails and selecting participants for Erasmus projects. I can say that the working environment in this organization is perfect for those who want to have co-workers as friends because people here are communicative, always fun, reliable and kind.

Active Youth is a place where different people communicate with one promising team!

My name is Irena Horjak, I am 28 years old and I come from Slovenia. I am finishing my master’s studies in Sociology. I always wanted to work in an environment where I can make a change and leave an impact. I love challenges, traveling and meeting new people. Before coming to Lithuania I didn’t know much about the country. That was one of the reasons that I was so interested to go and see it with my own eyes. I already had experience with Erasmus + before when I went on an exchange a few years ago, but I really wanted to experience Erasmus+ internship. To be an intern in an NGO that does projects and works with youth was my desire and that is why I chose Active Youth. During the internship, I had different tasks. I have worked with Photoshop, learned how to create web pages, went on mobilities where I could observe my colleagues‘ projects and met people from all over Europe. I had the task to select the next intern who will have the opportunity to write his/her own story in Active Youth. Also, I had a chance to write my own project. Working in this organization gave me a lot of experience. I was lucky to work here because I met a group of super friendly people who always gave me guidance and support. I was surprised that people in Lithuania are so loving and caring. Lithuania is a beautiful country since there are lots of forests and lakes. I had the opportunity to visit the seaside with sandy beaches, which brought me a lot of joy.

Active Youth is an organization that is motivated and driven. It gives you a lot of possibilities to grow and develop. They are like a family because they accept you just the way you are.

Irena Horjak

February-August ’18

Monika Grinevičiūtė

January-March ’18

I am Monika, a recent graduate of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. I love traveling, exploring new cultures and meeting new people. I was always in love with the Erasmus+ program since I went for an Erasmus+ studies exchange, also I was familiar with other Erasmus+ program opportunities, but I never knew how it looks to be on the other side, working and organizing the exchanges. That‘s why the internship in Active Youth was a perfect chance to learn something new. During Erasmus internship, I was looking for new partners, working with social media and particular projects. I am happy with my internship because I gained new skills and I learned a lot of new things.

Active Youth is a great team with a clear vision.

I am a Political Science student, with lots of interests: music, dancing, sports, traveling. I am open-minded and easy going – always looking to try out new things, meet different people from all across the globe and experience something new. I have been living in Vilnius since I was born. I love my city and I am excited to see it grow. During my Erasmus internship in Active Youth, I was involved in a long-term project „Together: Refugees & Youth”, which focus is helping the refugees in Europe to integrate more easily. Also, I organized social activities, educated people through social media platforms and took a part in other youth exchange projects. I learned that no matter where you are, wherever you come from if you have the determination and will, you can adapt easily as there are always people willing to help you. Active Youth is not only an organization, which should be seen only in terms of work. It gives you more than that. Wonderful people, I met there set an example for me. My colleagues were working with the organization from Honduras on planning a continuous youth project over three continents: South America, Africa, and Europe and it made me realize that the opportunities are everywhere.

Active Youth: great opportunities, great work ethics, lifetime friends and so much more than that!

Teodoras Grigaliunas

October-January ’17

Grazia Cristino

June-September ’17

International Relations graduate, Human Rights activist, globetrotter. I love reading, writing, playing volleyball and meeting new cultures. Before the internship, I have already had an Erasmus experience as an exchange student in Warsaw, thus I knew Erasmus+ could positively change your life and that Eastern Europe countries have several good surprises in store. On the other side, I was uncertain about what would my internship experience will be. I knew I will be working for a youth organization, taking part in different projects, but had no clear picture of it. During my Erasmus internship, I had the chance to improve my skills and build some new skills also. I was writing a blog and social media posts, facilitating Erasmus+ youth projects, taking care of relations with partners, organizing and participating in social events. I was also guided to the writing of my first Erasmus+ youth exchange project, which later was implemented by Active Youth itself. Going back home, I left an office where I also had a lot of fun, had my colleagues who were also friends and I left a small, but tenacious country. My heart is full of good memories linked to my Lithuanian summer!

Active Youth is a perfect gym to professionally train yourself and enhance your career!

I am a young international economist with 11 years of research experience. Aside from research, I love to volunteer for organizations and motivate people. I knew from the very beginning that I was going to enjoy this internship since I love working on projects. After reading about Active Youth and their projects I was more than sure that it is a great place to get mentors and make friends. I participated in all projects that were on-going by the time of my internship. I learned a lot and enjoyed making new friends. I worked as a Projects Manager, so I was involved in writing new projects, working as a trainer/facilitator, and learned about budgeting. Now call Lithuania my second home. I learned a lot and had fun also. Erasmus internship offered me an opportunity to improve my projects writing skills. Honestly, it’s an experience I will forever cherish.

Active Youth is not just an NGO but a game changer and a pacesetter in contributing to development in Europe and beyond. It is a hub of ideas, a home for the youth, and a center of excellence.

Charles Mensah

February-June ’17

Carlos Galvany Aguilar

January-June ’17

Hey! I’m Carlos from Spain. I was studying Sociology & Politics at the time I went to Lithuania. The Erasmus internship in the Active Youth offered me a chance to do two of my favorite things: to be a part of the Erasmus+ and to discover new places. Before working here I took part in a few Erasmus+ exchanges that made me fell in love with the idea of joining the Erasmus+ community. It wasn‘t my first time in Lithuania and I was really excited about living in such an amazing country, so fascinating and different than my own. During the internship in Active Youth, I worked in the whole process of creating and implementing Erasmus+ Key Actions. We created and developed them, designed the activities and the way to do them. Also, I participated as a trainer in the projects held during my internship. To work with Active Youth is to work in a young, dynamic atmosphere with informal methodologies. It means to be part of a close, supportive team that looks after each other. I never expected my experience in Lithuania to be so good (and I had very high expectations when I moved there!) I had a bit of a culture shock on the first days, but it was soon gone. Lithuanians are very cool, smart and nice, and with a fun sense of humor (believe me, they do have it. You just have to know where to look). The country itself is fascinating, full of history and stories to be discovered. It‘s hard to believe the number of incredible places in such a tiny country. My advice to those who go to Lithuania is to go beyond its surface. The country is full of relatively unknown cool places: from lovely villages to great pubs. Ah! And the landscapes. The landscapes are breathtaking.

The Active Youth experience is absolutely recommendable, no doubt!

I am a young professional from Romania, I love to travel, explore new countries and cultures, and in my free time I watch movies and read about the history (especially about communist regimes in Eastern Europe), I like Italian cuisine and I am a sports fan. Before my  Erasmus internship, I was a little nervous because I haven‘t worked in an office before, but my new colleagues were very friendly and patient with me, so I adapted to the job quickly. I wrote two European Union projects in the field of non-formal education, I did online research about NGO’s, I had tasks related to social media (Facebook page about refugees in Europe), and I volunteered in a youth exchange project. My experience was very good because I learned a lot of job skills, I have met many interesting people from different countries in the youth exchange project and I enjoyed my time in Lithuania because I had the opportunity to explore this amazing country and different cities.

Active Youth is an excellent place to begin your career.

Victor Ciobotaru

August-September ’16

Ewelina Parzych

August-October ’16

My name is Ewelina Parzych and I come from Poland. At the time I did my internship in Vilnius I was 23 and it was my second Erasmus experience. Before that I spent one semester at the University of Amsterdam and, in my mind, Erasmus was closely related to university stuff. I had no idea that you can do so many other Erasmus things like youth exchanges, training or EVS.

At that time I have just finished my second bachelor’s and I thought: “Hey, maybe it’s the last opportunity to go for an Erasmus!” I fell in love with Vilnius for one weekend I spent there a year before my Erasmus internship. Somehow it reminded me of Poland, but in fact, it is very different. The city has its own soul. I decided I want to go back, and then the opportunity came. I helped in the preparation of activities for projects, I could take part in three of those and see how they were done. I researched everything about projects, forms, EVS. After my first training “Let’s digitalize youth organizations” in Kaunas I had many ideas and I met so many inspiring people that, under the guidance of the team, I started writing projects: “Project your own city”, which was later held also in Kaunas and “Make love speech”. It was amazing to see how projects which I helped create have developed and were implemented later. Active Youth team showed me many ways of running NGOs and projects in EU, which is a great opportunity if you want to have your own business or organization (not necessarily for youth). For me, it was very intensive and inspiring time. Lithuania has many great places to visit, like Klaipeda, Kaunas, Nida, which are easily reachable and not that touristy as they deserve to be. You can also discover tiny and pretty villages around Vilnius and stunning nature.

Active Youth is a strong, innovative and powerful team. I keep my fingers crossed for all things they do!

Hey!
My name is Goda, and right now I am a psychology student!
Before joining AY for an internship, I observed and admired their work from a distance for a long
time. And this summer, I finally made a move to join them.

During my internship, I was responsible for a few tasks, such as writing posts, helping out while
organising and implementing workshops, visual creation, participating in meetings, communicating
with project partners, and many more. To be completely honest, you can try yourself in almost every
sphere if you want to. And if you have ideas, they will listen and encourage you. The people I met
here were always willing to listen and help, so the atmosphere always felt welcoming!

To sum up, everything I experienced during those three months in Active Youth, it was an excellent
place for professional and personal growth.

Active Youth is a great place to gather experience and work with projects that can make an
improvement! I am grateful for the opportunity to do an internship at AY!

Goda Skinkytė

July-October ’22

Liuda Stancikaitė

September-December ’22

Hey hi! My name is Liuda, and I’ve just completed my 3 month internship in Human Team.

As someone who finds it really important to work with people of similar values and attitudes, I’ve had my eye on AY for a very long time. After spending three months here, I can attest that this was precisely my experience in Active Youth! The team is warm and light-hearted yet very professional and passionate about what they are doing, which helped immensely when tackling various tasks.

Throughout the internship, I got to both learn new and apply the skills I have already had, becoming more confident in them. Since AY works with so many different topics, it is certain you’ll find some that fuel your fire even more. The same happened to me when I got the chance to work on a project about human trafficking; having never touched this topic before, I am now extremely invested in how it is being handled here in Lithuania and how I could be of help.

Active Youth is a great place for one to explore themselves and their capabilities and learn even more about the world around them.:)

Hey! I‘m Silvija, fourth year student of creative communication at Vilnius University.

I had the greatest time working here as a part of the communication team. I came here to gain more
experience and to share my skills towards the better communication of the Active Youth.

During this journey I had an oportunity to work with the most friendly colleagues who always help and
listen if there are any doubts.

These three months here flew too fast and I‘m very grateful for the exprerience throughout the internship
in the AY.

Thank you AY, and hope to see you soon ❤️

Silvija Savickytė

September-December ’22

Deimantė Radišauskaitė

September’22-December ‘2

Hi there!

I am Deimante, and I‘m in my last university year studying political science at VU. In our 4th and last year, we have to do an internship at the place of our choice. So without hesitation, I chose Active Youth! And I absolutely do not regret it! This organization and the people working there are brilliant and pure professionals. The projects they do are so inspiring, and I‘m happy I was able to be a part of it!

I did my internship at the Planet Team, which focuses on climate change, environmentalism and sustainability. And being a part of this team, I have grown as a person, and I was able to use my knowledge and skills for various tasks. I got to do many great things, like travel abroad to partner meetings or organize super fun events!

They say that time flies when you are having fun, and I can absolutely say that it is true. I didn‘t even realize how I started it; now it‘s ended. It was a wonderful experience, and I can‘t wait to see what the future holds!