Polish-Russian Youth Exchange 2021

In 2021, the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of borders between Poland and Russia, once again made it impossible to conduct a full-scale youth exchange. For the second time, the Centre decided to offer interested parties to participate in a remote form of youth exchange through modern means of audio-video communication.

Each project should involve organising, via electronic means of communication, at least four meetings of between ten and twenty pupils or students (not including tutors) from each partner country. During these meetings, there should be real-time two-way communication where pupils or students can interact freely. During the project, young people shall implement the programme of the project proposed by the applicants.

The competition "Polish-Russian Youth Exchange 2021 remotely" received 6 applications.  Applicants requested funding for their projects for a total amount of 147,494.61 PLN, which gave an average of 24,582 PLN. The highest amount applied for was PLN 36,500, and the lowest – PLN 17,220. 

We received 2 applications from Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and one application each from Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lubelskie, Małopolskie and Opolskie Voivodeships. Russian partners came from Kaliningrad Region – 2, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg and Moscow.

All applications met the formal requirements and were submitted for consideration to the Competition Commission, which, at its meeting on September, 3, recommended 5 projects for co-financing:  126,494.61 PLN (from 17,220 PLN to 36,500 PLN). By 26 October, 5 agreements were signed.  Unfortunately, in one case, the Russian partner of the Polish applicant withdrew from the project and one of the applicants did not send the final report and was asked to return the grant awarded. As a result, by October, 31, three remote youth exchange projects were implemented, in which 81 children and youth from Poland and Russia participated together with 17 tutors.