The Italian Youth Agency has recently published the Erasmus+ 2026 call for proposals, opening up extraordinary new opportunities for associations, schools, and youth organizations throughout Italy. Erasmus+ is not just a funding program: it is a gateway to the world, a unique opportunity to enjoy intense learning experiences, engage with different cultures, develop skills, and build lasting European networks.
For our Association, Erasmus+ has already meant unforgettable experiences. With our first KA182-SPO project, we set out to discover other European realities, participating in exchanges and training activities abroad that allowed us to observe innovative working methods, discover new ideas for engaging young people, and return enriched by concrete and stimulating experiences. We still remember with emotion the moments spent in international workshops, where discussions with instructors and animators from other countries taught us more than any manual or theory. Another special moment was the visit of Sergio, a Belgian executive, who came to see us during the Italian Team Championship and had the opportunity to meet the President of our National Federation, Maggi: a brief but intense opportunity for exchange, discussion, and new perspectives.
Today, we are continuing with our second KA182-SPO project, which is still ongoing, allowing us to consolidate what we have learned and try out new activities. Through workshops, youth tournaments, and training sessions for instructors, managers, volunteers, and referees, we see every meeting as an opportunity for growth: young people learn to plan, collaborate, make decisions, and face challenges, while at the same time forging bonds with their European peers and opening up to new cultures. Every trip abroad, every international tournament, every workshop is a small piece of a larger experience that goes beyond the game of chess and becomes education for life, open-mindedness, and cultural exchange.
This is precisely why we want to look ahead and open ourselves up to new collaborations. We are looking for associations, schools, and youth organizations that want to join us as partners or propose new ideas for shared projects. You don’t need to have previous experience with Erasmus+: all you need is passion, a willingness to get involved, and a desire to offer young people unique educational and European experiences. Imagine Italian students participating in a chess workshop in Spain, or instructors discovering new educational methods in Belgium or Malta: these are experiences that change the way you see the world and the way you learn, leaving a lasting impression.
As Sofia Corradi, the mother of Erasmus, used to say: “When they return, engineering students who participate in Erasmus are not so much better engineers as better people.” This is precisely the essence of our projects: it is not just about learning new techniques or strategies, but about growing as people, developing openness, curiosity, and the ability to engage with the world and different cultures.
If you are interested in building an Erasmus+ project together, please contact us. We can organize online meetings to share ideas, experiences, and ways of collaborating. Our projects have taught us that every trip, every workshop, every tournament can become an educational adventure, capable of inspiring young people and adults alike. And now we are ready to set off again, together with those who want to join us, to continue creating experiences that enrich, engage, and leave lasting memories.
For information and contacts: Info@IrpiniaScacchi.it
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