01 · BerlinDE
Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
- Berlin Wall Memorial: political division and recovery
- German Bundestag and the Reichstag dome
- Experiencing multicultural Europe firsthand
Day 1 — 2 · 9–10 Aug
A ten-day rail journey across four EU cities. Five young people aged 18 to 21. Co-founded by the European Union 🇪🇺
DOTS — Democracy on Tracks is a fully funded DiscoverEU inclusion journey organised by Elysium+ Germany, a Leipzig-based organisation in partnership with our core NGO in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Five young people travel by train from Berlin to Strasbourg, visiting the institutions that shape European politics along the way: the Bundestag, the European Commission, the Court of Justice, the European Parliament, and other relevant institutions.
For many young people in our communities, European institutions feel distant and abstract. This project changes that. Participants travel across Europe, visit the places where decisions are made, speak directly with people working inside the institutions, and document the journey through a public project blog.
After the journey, participants bring the experience back to their own environments — sharing perspectives, discussions, and reflections within their schools, universities, communities, and everyday circles.
Five participants. Four cities. Ten days across Europe.
We are looking for five young people aged 18–21 who are curious about Europe, politics, media, and public life. You do not need professional experience. Some participants may already create content online, write articles, run small platforms, or work on creative projects. Others may simply be interested in European institutions and want to start exploring journalism, storytelling, or public communication for the first time. What matters most is curiosity, openness, and motivation to engage with the journey.
You apply with one work sample in any medium. There is no CV requirement and no portfolio website expected. Good English communication skills are required, as the project is conducted fully in English and includes discussions, workshops, and institutional visits across several countries.
You enjoy filming, editing, photography, or documenting places, conversations, and public life. Professional equipment is not required — curiosity and perspective matter more.
You are interested in writing articles, interviews, reflections, essays, or documenting political and social topics in your own way.
You are interested in Europe, democracy, public discussion, culture, or international environments, and want to understand European institutions beyond headlines and social media.
Requirements.
Young people with fewer opportunities.
Mornings begin inside the institutions — a visit, a briefing, a conversation with the people who actually work there. After that, the days open up.
There is time to wander a city, sit in a café, drift through a museum, talk to people on a square, and turn what you have seen into something of your own. Nothing here is a bootcamp.
The rhythm is steady but unhurried: enough shape to give the trip direction, enough room left for the unplanned — the detour, the long conversation, the photo you did not expect to take.
Mornings usually start with a visit — the Bundestag, the Commission, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice. Tours and briefings, and often a conversation with the people who work there. Questions welcome, prepared or not.
The rest of the day belongs to the city: museums, public squares, markets, cafés, and the ordinary places where European life actually happens. Time to walk, watch, and talk to the people who live there.
Optional creative and documentary work, however you like to make it — an interview, a photo set, a short film, a few hundred words, a voice note. Be creative!
Relaxed workshops and discussions about democracy, Europe and public life — sometimes a simulation or a debate, sometimes just an open conversation about what the day brought up.
Evenings stay loose: a shared meal, editing if you feel like it, free time, and a short group reflection to gather the day’s threads before the next city.
On the last day in Strasbourg we look back over the ten days together, map what everyone took from it, and issue the official Youthpass certificate — then talk through what each person wants to carry home.
The project runs under the Erasmus+ DiscoverEU Inclusion Action. Travel, accommodation, insurance and a daily allowance are all covered by the programme. Participants do not pre-finance anything: we book and pay for long-distance trains and accommodation in advance, in each participant’s name.
For any access need that is not anticipated here (disability support, dietary requirements, medical conditions, gender-related accommodation), please mention it on the application. The Erasmus+ inclusion budget exists for exactly this and we will plan accordingly.
The application is short on purpose. We are more interested in how someone sees the world than in how they format a CV. If anything in the form is unclear, or if you would prefer to apply in audio or video form, write to us first.
Name, age, country of residence and contact details. The form opens on 1 June at elysium.ngo/dots.
Tell us why this experience matters to you, what inspires you, and what stories, places, or people have shaped your view of Europe.
A video, article, social thread, podcast clip or photo essay, or other creative work. No sample? — Beginners are welcome.
The deadline is 10 July 2026, 23:59 CET. We'll review every application carefully and let everyone know the outcome after the selection process. If shortlisted, you'll be invited to a short online interview.
This call is open to legal residents of Germany. Don’t live in Germany? Don’t worry — leave your email and we’ll keep you posted about future opportunities across Europe.
Join the newsletter →DOTS is funded for legal residents of Germany only. If that’s you, welcome — read on and apply. If not, don’t worry: we run opportunities right across Europe, and our hub is the best place to find your next one.