Trilateral Student Exchange

Presentation

A stay abroad is perfect for the development of intercultural skills in young people. Trilateral youth meetings often can strongly influence students’ learning and have a deeper effect on them than classic binational programs. During an exchange with an international group, participants learn to work on interdisciplinary topics from different European perspectives and thus to approach them in a lively way.

Considering the increasing responsibility of France and Germany in Europe and the deepening relations with third countries, the FGYO therefore encourages and helps trilateral student exchange programs. 

The transfer and sharing of experiences from the Franco-German reconciliation process after the Second World War plays a special role for the FGYO in the hope that other countries and regions will take this as inspiration in order to overcome their own conflicts. Because the youth meetings cover current topics and events, theoretical content becomes more tangible and children and young people learn to see themselves as active participants in current topics and questions. 

At the same time, a trilateral meeting and international group dynamics are a suitable pedagogical framework for the acquisition of important social skills. They promote flexibility among participants and their ability to engage with the unknown and to accept other points of view. 

Priority regions for trilateral programs are the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, the Mediterranean as well as European countries in a crisis. It is also possible to organize projects with other countries in Europe if the subjects addressed are in line with the guidelines, priorities and objectives of the FGYO. However, the above-mentioned regions remain priority regions.