Key Project Details
"Speak to Succeed" was implemented between 11 and 19 August 2023 in Bagaciu, Mureș County, Romania.
The project gathered 40 young participants, aged 18–25, from Romania, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, along with 10 group leaders and 2 facilitators, totaling 52 participants involved in the mobility.
The initiative was coordinated by Cloud Five (Romania), with the support of:
Fiatalok Egységben Egyesület (Hungary)
Stichting E-Unity (Netherlands)
Greek Youth Mobility (Greece)
VsI "uMunthu" (Lithuania)
All partners contributed to the project preparation, participant selection, mobility facilitation, and result dissemination, ensuring the success and strong impact of the project.
Objectives and Activities
The goal of "Speak to Succeed" was to improve the level of communication and public speaking competences among 40 young people aged 18–25 from Romania, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.
The specific objectives included organizing a 9-day youth exchange to offer practical communication and public speaking training, empowering young participants to lead workshops and overcome stage fright, and strengthening the capacity of partner organisations to run communication-related projects.
During the mobility, participants engaged in a dynamic program based on non-formal education methods. In the first days, they explored Erasmus+, YouthPass, key competences, and participated in team-building activities. From the third day onward, the focus shifted toward communication and public speaking workshops. Activities included memory and communication games such as "speed dating," improvisational theater exercises, team challenges, advertisement creation, and emotional management workshops. One of the highlights of the project was the delivery of individual speeches, allowing each participant to practice speaking in front of an audience.
The project also included a study visit to Sighisoara, where participants engaged in team missions and intercultural exploration. The final days were dedicated to reflection, evaluation, and dissemination planning.
Why the Project Was Implemented
The "Speak to Succeed" project was developed as a response to a growing need among young people to improve their communication and public speaking skills. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many young people experienced increased social anxiety, shyness, and a noticeable decline in their ability to express themselves openly. Additionally, the expansion of social media and virtual environments contributed to less face-to-face interaction among youth, further weakening essential social skills.
At the same time, rising youth unemployment rates in participating countries highlighted the urgent need to strengthen young people’s employability competences, including communication during job interviews. Through this project, we aimed to create a supportive and engaging environment where young people could overcome their fear of public speaking, learn practical communication techniques, and develop greater confidence both socially and professionally.
