356 applications from seven countries for “It is OK”

Between 2 July and 5 August 2026, 356 young people applied to join It is OK, our Erasmus+ youth exchange at the Blue Whale Education Center in Tauchen, Austria. They wrote to us from seven countries, and more than half of them told us about an obstacle they live with. We want to share what those applications look like, and thank the people behind them.

What “It is OK” is about

The exchange gives young people space to work on self-discovery and emotional resilience. Participants look after their well-being, try out creative expression, learn from each other across cultures, and build a group where inclusion shapes the daily programme rather than sitting in the annex of a report.

Those themes clearly speak to people. We expected interest. We did not expect this much.

Where the applications came from

Türkiye leads by a wide margin, with 226 applications. Italy and Spain follow, and our home country Austria sits fourth with 14. Even the smaller groups matter to us: four young people in Ukraine applied to spend nine days in the Austrian countryside working on resilience, which says something about why we run this project.

A busy final week

Applications arrived steadily through July, then the pace changed. In the last seven days before the deadline we received 234 applications, 65.7% of the total.

Two thirds of the group decided in the final week, which tells us how many young people weigh up a nine-day trip abroad right until the deadline. Our thanks go to the partner organisations, alumni and members who shared the call, and to everyone who forwarded the form to a friend.

Who applied

Of the 356 applicants, 343 (96.3%) are between 18 and 30, the age range the project was designed for.

206 applicants, 57.9% of the total, reported at least one economic, geographical, social, cultural, educational, health-related or disability-related obstacle. Applicants could tick more than one category. Economic obstacles came up most often, followed by geographical and social obstacles, then cultural differences.

Reading the obstacle figures

We designed this exchange around inclusion, and those numbers show us we aimed at the right group. Nearly six in ten applicants face something that makes international mobility harder: the cost of a plane ticket, a village two trains away from the nearest airport, a first time abroad without anyone from home.

Erasmus+ funding covers travel, food and accommodation for this project, which removes the barrier that stops many of these applicants before they start. When 113 people name money as their obstacle, full funding stops being a line in the grant agreement and starts doing the work it exists for.

Thank you

Writing a motivation letter takes time, and telling strangers about your obstacles takes more than that. 356 people trusted us with both. We read every application, and we are grateful for the openness in them.

What happens next

An application is not a place on the exchange. Our team is now reviewing every submission, and we will contact each applicant with a decision.

The selection focuses on:

• Eligibility against the Erasmus+ criteria and the age range.
• Motivation, and what someone wants from these nine days.
• Group balance across the partner countries.
• Inclusion, giving priority to young people facing obstacles.
• Fit with the objectives of the project.

Places are limited by the grant, so we will turn down many strong applications. That decision reflects the size of the group, not the quality of the person who wrote to us.