1 million Youthpass certificates

On September 16, 2019 Youthpass has reached an important milestone: the 1 millionth Youthpass was issued. This means that -now- more than 1 million occasions of learning have been created by countless European projects. With the curiosity to know more about the experience of working with Youthpass and on what kind of an impact it has in European youth work, Youthpass Team in SALTO Training & Cooperation Resource Centre opened a call for a friendly competition among the people who have been using it: the participants and the learning facilitators!

Those who have been working with Youthpass and those who have received a Youthpass in a European project were invited to share their Youthpass experience and by doing so, they could promote the impact of Youthpass and they could be one of the two lucky winners of this competition. You can have more information on the conditions and terms of this competition here. A total of 27 testimonials were received for the competition. You can see all the received testimonials here below.

A jury, composed of Violeta Birzniece, Petra Vukas, Mark Taylor, Hanjo Schild, Anna Roganova, Corinna Robertson-Liersch and Manfred von Hebel as the Commission and National Agency representatives, Youthpass Advisory Group members, youth workers and a young person, determined the winner as Nikolina Garača -from Bosnia and Herzegovina- based on the relevance and content of her Youthpass testimonial.

Denisa Gordan -from Romania- was chosen as the audience winner by the likes her Youthpass testimonial received on social media.

We congratulate Nikolina and Denisa and thank all the participants for bringing the stories behind the numbers into light. We hope that you enjoy reading and watching these Youthpass stories and get inspired!

Youthpass testimonials received for #1MYouthpass competition

Name and Country	Quote from Testimonial	Link to Full Testimonial
Nikolina Garača - Bosnia and Herzegovina	"What I tried to portray in this story is a path I took from gaining my first YouthPass to gaining a few more, learning and growing through non-formal education, being able to secure jobs and scholarships for myself and, finally, discover my inner passion and find my dream job. To everyone second guessing themselves: don’t. Try! There is nothing to lose, and so, so much to gain. Thanks, YouthPass!"
Maria Belén Serrano Valenzuela - Spain	"After my participation, I came back to my country and me and my work-team created an innovative system called Portfolio in order to recognize competences and Sustainable Development Goals."
System & Generation - Turkey	"For me Youthpass is a big chance to become a more aware person."	Kako bismo zaštitili vašu privatnost, nismo automatski učitali video System and Generation od Youtube / Google Ireland Limited. Kada učitate ovaj video, osobni podaci (poput vaše IP-adrese) mogu se prenijeti na Youtube / Google Ireland Limited. Učitaj video
Efthymios Karousos	"As it turns out the world makes much more sense, once you get to see it and experience it yourself"
Maurizio Liscia - Italy	"Still today it happens to think the moment that I received my first Youthpass, but, surely, I didn’t know that Youthpass would be the first of many."
Jana Dimitrijević - Serbia	"“Let’s talk about shame” has strong meaning and it was also my moto in Matera. Somehow, I find out that there is no fear and no shame, I can do everything I want or need. After all, I have matured."
Maria Sierra - Spain	"I believe the world needs volunteers. But those volunteers, also need recognition. Not because is the aim of the volunteering, but because it can open doors as it helps others to understand what has been learned."
Marta Grillo - Italy	"This is my experience."	Kako bismo zaštitili vašu privatnost, nismo automatski učitali video 1MYouthpass: Marta Grillo od Youtube / Google Ireland Limited. Kada učitate ovaj video, osobni podaci (poput vaše IP-adrese) mogu se prenijeti na Youtube / Google Ireland Limited. Učitaj video
Daniele Risa - Italy	"Thanks to this project and my Youthpass, I was called by a company that was working on social problems in the suburbs of my city."
Egle Vaitekenaite - Lithuania	"I believe, that Youthpass is a proof of how many great skills and new competences-things you can learn while participating in the project and interacting with different people from around the world. I am sure, these experiences will help me as an individual, improve my personality and as a professional, show my motivation, to grow as a specialist."
Isabel Gutiérrez Domínguez - Spain	"...precisely when there was not so much time until finishing the project that something made me put a little order what this year had injected me, something that not only helped me to understand, but it would also open many doors later, something that somehow became my new great little identity card..."
Luka Gudek - Croatia	"…it meant a lot because it was a testament of a group of people growing closer together while learning from each other."
Svetlana Petrovic - Serbia	"Enriching personal life with the experience of another country and cooperate with different people is something irreplaceable."
Cristiana Onea - Romania	"Since that day, every night I am going to bed thinking of what I’ve learned and, every night, I happily sleep knowing that today my mind has “grown” a little more."
Aydın Coşkun - Germany	"I felt extremely safe, it was kind of like a loving family, where you openly could share your problems and other things that haunt you, without being judged or mistreated. Or just simply enjoy being around those people."
Shushan Keshishyan - Armenia	"Sometimes I learn or re-learn things through kids again."
Vanja Bunderla - Slovenia	"With the help of Youthpass and my mentor I started to believe in myself, see my potential to grow and reached my goal. I believe that was just a small piece of puzzle in the big picture of success, but now I see how Youthpass can help me to achieve much more in my future career and personal life."
Tuğba Bademci - Turkey	"These Youthpasses helped me in my teaching career."
Chabane Yannis Bachouchi - France	"The circle continues as I’m trying to create a Youth Exchange with the help of my organization, hoping that it will change someone else’s perspective just as it changed mine."
Diana-Adela Ionita - Romania	"...while I am presenting Youthpass to the participants, I always emphasize the fact that this certificate is not only a recognition of their non-formal learning outcomes, but also a tool to reflect upon and understand their becoming"
Victor Flaut	"Now in this moment in the job where the Erasmus and Youthpass experience helped me to get, I use and consciously develop my skills applying the great exercise of contemplating, self evaluating and setting goals every 2 weeks."
Ashot Gabrielyan - Armenia	"Because it opened a lot of doors for me, for my professional career and basically to the environment where I can proudly say that I am going to be a world citizen."
Abdurrahman Parlar - Turkey	"And all these improvements make me think 'This was the best thing I have ever done' and Youthpass documents this invaluable time for me."
Astghik Vardanyan - Armenia	"Youthpass is not just a certificate of your acquired skills, but also a key to your success."
Florentina Qorri - Albania	"There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination and finish with the education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning."
Anca Zaharia - Romania	"The vulnerability, the openness, the growth. The difficulties and limitations that lead to creativity and innovation. The sense of dwelling in possibilities. This is how it feels right now. Like my future is wide open."
Denisa Gordan - Romania	"By the time I went back home, I left Austria with wonderful yet educative memories, memorable experiences and new friends that helped me to develop as an individual even more."