How Italy changed me in 15 days and a job shadowing experience

Thursday 6 August 2026

The experience described in this article is part of the European project Bottom-Up Talks and its Job Shadowing activity, an international mobility opportunity offered to one Youth Advisory Board (YAB) member from each partner country. Participants are selected based on their motivation, commitment throughout the project, and the knowledge and skills they have developed during the training programme.

For two weeks, each participant travels to another partner country to “shadow” the host organisation, gaining first-hand insight into its daily work while taking part in the project’s peer education activities. The exchange programme connects Italy, France, Greece, Lithuania, and Cyprus, creating opportunities to share good practices, strengthen intercultural understanding, and develop both personal and professional competences.

Throughout the mobility period, participants work alongside the host organisation’s staff, engage with young people from different cultural backgrounds, and experience new approaches to youth participation, mental health promotion, and gender equality.

Below, Vlantislav Sintorenkov, a 17-year-old member of the Youth Advisory Board from Cyprus, shares his two-week experience in Palermo at CESIE ETS. Through his personal reflections, he describes how this international exchange broadened his perspective, helped him build lasting friendships, and demonstrated the value of learning by experiencing another culture from within.

15 days, one job shadowing experience, a new perspective

How Italy changed me

When I was selected for this exchange in Palermo, I never imagined how much it would change the way I see everything around me.

I landed on 27 June and left the city on 11 July. My first experience, right after stepping out of the taxi, was a hug from my host family, something I never expected, and something that changed the way I saw Italy and the whole exchange from day one.

The next few days continued to be full of adventure. I got to see the city center, the old churches, tried a local café, and visited the GAM museum. Afterwards, I met YABs from another country for the first time, and it was fascinating exploring how different yet similar our cultures are. We had an amazing lunch and a great conversation covering all kinds of topics. The project itself, Bottom Up Talks, focuses on mental health and gender equality, and I learned a lot about it at events, including a movie night, a book presentation, and even a workshop.

As part of the exchange, I got to work at CESIE alongside other interns, which was a great addition to the trip. The people there are exceptionally open and kind, and I learned many new things, how events are organised, how projects are created and implemented, and all the work that happens behind the scenes.

Outside of the office, I learned about local traditions, such as the celebration of an 18th birthday, which I had the opportunity to attend. I also discovered how beautiful Cefalù is, tasted some exceptional food – possibly the best I’ve ever had – and shared plenty of fun moments with the local people. I never expected how open people here would be, or the sheer number of beautiful traditions that exist.

I learned many things during my two weeks in Sicily, and I got to experience a culture quite different from my own Cypriot one. I joined Bottom Up Talks not long ago, but this experience truly changed the way I see everything around me, and I think that’s the best part of it.

A big thank you goes to my host family, who treated me like part of the family from day one. We went on trips together, shared countless meals, and had so much fun along the way. That connection with them, and with the locals I met throughout the exchange, is what truly made this one of the best experiences of my life.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped me and treated me like family throughout this journey. It was the trip of a lifetime, and the friendships I built here will last for many years to come. To everyone who was part of this incredible experience, thank you, I will forever remember this trip.

Looking back, I realise that this Job Shadowing experience was much more than simply observing how an organisation works. I learned by taking part, asking questions, meeting people and sharing experiences with young people and professionals.

I returned to Cyprus with new ideas about youth work, new skills, meaningful friendships and a completely different perspective on what an international experience can be. Most importantly, I learned that sometimes, the best way to understand the world differently is simply to step into someone else’s.