My Time in Kopparberg, Sweden 🇸🇪 The “Be Brave” Youth Exchange Experience
Antonia (Age 17, Malta)
Participant in the “Be Brave” Youth Exchange
Sharing my first-hand Erasmus+ experience
In late January 2026, I had the opportunity to travel to Kopparberg Sweden, for the “Be Brave” youth exchange. It was an incredible experience where I joined other young people from Sweden and Spain to focus on personal growth and finding the courage to step outside our comfort zones.
💬 Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone
The youth exchange involved hands-on workshops where we developed practical skills such as:
🎤 Public speaking
🛡️ Self-defence
✊ Standing up against hate speech
But we didn’t just learn these skills passively.
We actually designed our own workshop sessions, complete with step-by-step instructions, so that other young people could replicate them in their home countries.
One of the most exciting moments was visiting the local city hall, where we presented our work to the community. It was a great opportunity to put our new skills into practice in a real-life setting.
🌍 Cultural Nights & Discovering My Identity
One of the best parts of the trip was the cultural nights.
Each national group took turns:
🍲 Cooking traditional meals
🎶 Sharing music
💃 Teaching dances
🎲 Hosting games and quizzes
It was fascinating to learn about Swedish and Spanish traditions.
But surprisingly, preparing Maltese food and creating quizzes about Malta helped me appreciate my own culture even more.
Sometimes you understand where you come from better when you have to explain it to others.
❄️ Snow, Örebro & New Experiences
We also took a day trip to Örebro, which looked beautiful despite the freezing temperatures.
After exploring the city, we had some free time to wander around before ending the day with a group bowling session. It was the perfect way to bond and relax together.
This was also my first time ever experiencing snow – and I absolutely loved it.
I even got to try:
🛷 Bobsledding
⛸️ Ice skating
Both were completely new to me and definitely among the highlights of the trip!
🧠 Reflecting Through Youthpass
Throughout the week, we focused on developing “key competences” – essentially the life skills we were gaining.
We documented our learning in our Youthpass and met every evening in “family groups” and national groups to reflect on our progress.
These discussions helped me recognise how much I was growing and ensured that I would remember these lessons long after the project ended.
🤝 What I Took Home
Looking back, this experience was truly rewarding.
I returned home with:
🌟 New friendships
💪 Greater confidence
🛠️ Practical life skills
🌍 A broader perspective
These are things that go far beyond what we usually learn in a classroom.
I’m very grateful for this opportunity and would definitely recommend a youth exchange to anyone looking to challenge themselves, grow personally, and meet inspiring people from around the world.
Be the First to Know!
Subscribe to our Newsletter