The project had a strong emotional and educational impact on both the young participants and the wider community, precisely because it took place in a school with deep personal significance: the school where I studied as a child. Returning to this rural community after living and working in Romania’s major cities and being involved in international projects carried a powerful symbolic message, one that resonated deeply with the youth.

For many of the participants, this was the first time they had met someone who had followed an international path starting from the same village, the same classrooms, and similar social and economic conditions. Seeing this trajectory made European opportunities feel real and attainable. The message that “it is possible” and that “it does not matter that you come from a village” became tangible, not abstract. This contributed to a visible shift in attitude: curiosity replaced scepticism, and self-doubt gave way to confidence.

The young people participated actively and enthusiastically in the games and interactive activities, especially during the quiz-based learning session. They asked questions, worked in teams, and showed genuine interest in understanding how the European Union works and how they can be part of it. Many were particularly impressed to learn that programmes such as DiscoverEU, Erasmus+, or the European Solidarity Corps are accessible to them—opportunities they had never heard about before and did not believe were meant for “people like them.”

Beyond individual learning outcomes, the project helped strengthen trust in European values and institutions within a community where such trust is often fragile. By creating a direct connection between personal experience, local identity, and European opportunities, the project empowered young people to imagine broader futures for themselves and to see participation, mobility, and democracy as realistic paths open to them.