As part of European Youth Week, the project “Maitsev Euroopa” (April 12–19, 2024) brought together 102 young people from 12 youth centres across Estonia to explore European cultures through cooking and to learn about Erasmus+ opportunities. Participants came from Viljandimaa, Jõgevamaa, Saaremaa, Valgamaa, and Pärnumaa, making the event a nationwide collaboration.
Each youth centre prepared traditional dishes from different European countries, researched their chosen country, and discussed cultural aspects related to food and ingredient availability. Through this engaging and hands-on approach, young people not only gained cultural awareness but also discussed mobility opportunities, such as Erasmus+ and Eurodesk programmes.
The Viljandi valla noortekeskus team (9 members) played a key role in coordinating the action, creating a registration system and facilitating participation through the Eurodesk network. The event’s impact was extended through social media engagement, with three video clips shared under #viljandimaaeurodesk and #eurodesk, reaching 1,839 views.
The project received positive feedback, and its success inspired Eurodesk’s international team to consider implementing a similar initiative on a European scale in 2025.
