As part of our major European project, Peer Coach 2.0, young, creative talents from all over Europe recently came together once again. The program at the ROOTS & ROUTES Peer Coach Academy in Heek focused on intensive exchange, methodological learning, and creative development.

During this time, Delal actively supported the RRCGN team as part of an internship and was involved in the on-site organization and supervision. In the following text, she shares her personal impressions of this intensive period and the unique group dynamics:

This year, as part of the ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne team, I had the opportunity to participate in the Peer Coach Academy 2.0 in Heek, where I was primarily involved in the organization, support, and collaboration with the participants.
The Academy brought together young people from diverse cultural backgrounds and artistic disciplines to learn together, exchange ideas, and explore creative methods.
I particularly loved how open and respectful everyone was toward one another. Although many different perspectives and experiences came together, it quickly became clear just how much mutual support and genuine interest there was. It was very exciting to see how much everyone was able to learn from one another—both creatively and personally.

A real highlight for me were the daily morning warm-ups and the peer-organized evenings. The warm-ups not only gave us energy for the day, but also helped us grow closer and closer as a group.
Especially during the intense days in Heek, these shared moments created a truly wonderful and intimate atmosphere.
Overall, the experience was marked by creativity, exchange, and many special encounters, from which I’ve definitely taken away a lot of motivation and new insights.

You can find more information about the project’s stages on the ROOTS & ROUTES Peer Coach Academy 2.0 project page.

The ROOTS & ROUTES Peer Coach Academy 2.0 is funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ program.