In early August, the ‘For Tomorrow’ Foundation will run its latest project of the year under the slogan ‘G.A.M.E. for Inclusion’. The project aims to showcase outdoor games as an informal educational tool and as an effective method for the social inclusion of young people with learning difficulties. The activities will be carried out jointly by young people from Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey and will focus on the use of games, sport and outdoor activities as inclusive tools that support the integration and personal development of young people with special needs.
The youth exchange is being organised under the ‘Erasmus+’ programme and will take place from 1 August to 9 August in the village of Dolni Rakovets, near Radomir. Sixteen young people and three group leaders from the ‘For Tomorrow’ Foundation, the Croatian organisation EUTOPIA and the Turkish organisation Back to Nature Sport Club – all of whom are developing a sustainable partnership under the Erasmus+ programme in support of young people with special needs – will take part directly in the mobility. In addition to these participants, young people from the local community – from the village of Dolni Rakovets and the town of Radomir – as well as young people with special needs from Blagoevgrad, Sofia and Radomir will also be involved in the activities. The aim is for the project participants to demonstrate non-formal educational methods based on a play-based approach in public, and for these to be disseminated and scaled up amongst a wider range of stakeholders.
“One of our main aims is to create an inclusive environment and to encourage cooperation between young people with different abilities. In this way, we not only help to develop the potential of children with special educational needs, but also create an informal network of active citizens from the participating countries, who are then ready and able to bring about positive change in their communities,” explained Borislav Slavchov, coordinator and trainer at the ‘For Tomorrow’ Foundation.
Over the course of ten days, the participants – young people aged between 18 and 30 with an interest in inclusive education, psychology and nature – will have the opportunity to interact with peers from different cultures and with different abilities. Participants will share knowledge and skills, as well as learn new methods for non-formal education, social inclusion and support for young people with special needs. As part of the programme, play-based methods from the three countries will be exchanged, including traditional outdoor games from each of the partner countries. In addition, participants will be taught the ‘gamification’ method, i.e. how to create games themselves and adapt them to the needs of people with special needs. Through working in small groups alongside young people with specific needs, participants will develop practical skills for using play-based methods in educational and social activities.
As part of the project programme, a public event entitled ‘Let’s Play Together’ will take place on 8 August at 3.00 pm in the courtyard of the Youth Cultural and Information Centre in Radomir, in partnership with Radomir Municipality. At the event, project participants will demonstrate what they have learnt and present various types of games, involving over 15 young people with special needs. The event is open to residents and visitors to Radomir, and young people with special needs and their parents are invited to take part.
The project builds on a series of activities organised by the ‘For Tomorrow’ Foundation, co-funded by the ERASMUS+ programme, aimed at supporting the social inclusion of young people with special needs and changing public attitudes towards them.
“The impact of such youth exchanges is extremely beneficial for young people with special needs,” said Petya Petrova, a psychologist and trainer at the ‘For Tomorrow’ Foundation. “Here they find a welcoming environment in which they can realise their potential, communicate freely and acquire many new skills that will enable them to integrate more successfully into society.”
The ‘For Tomorrow’ Foundation in Blagoevgrad works to improve the quality of life for people with special needs and to enable their full participation in society. The organisation promotes the exchange of knowledge, good practices and mutual support between professionals and families, whilst supporting the development and social integration of children and young people with special needs.
The activities under the ‘G.A.M.E. for Inclusion’ project form part of a youth mobility programme under project No. 2025-1-BG01-KA151-YOU-000299745 – LM-EXCH-P-4, funded by the European Union under the ‘Erasmus+’ programme.