The Global Activity Partnership (GAP) brings together three grassroots organisations from overseas territories — Tur Cos Ta Posibel (Aruba), Voice of the Youth (Sint Maarten), and Peupl’en Harmonie (French Guiana). Each of us plays a key role in local youth work and is actively involved in the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. However, despite our commitment, the participation of young people in these European mobility programmes remains limited in our regions compared to mainland France and the Netherlands.
Recognising this shared challenge, we joined forces to understand why so few young people — especially those facing additional barriers — take part in EU mobility programmes. We knew that obstacles existed but lacked formal research to define them clearly. Through the GAP project, our goal was to investigate these barriers, raise awareness locally, and start building more inclusive and accessible pathways for youth in our communities.
Over the course of 20 months, we conducted research, hosted consultation sessions, launched pilot actions, and created an awareness campaign tailored to our territories. The findings confirmed what we had observed: the number one obstacle was a lack of accessible and engaging information.
In response, we focused our efforts in two main directions:
- Developing communication materials and outreach tools to better inform young people and professionals;
- Working directly with young participants to understand their personal experiences, and co-create solutions that respond to their needs and realities.
This webpage showcases the steps we took, the voices we listened to, and the strategies we developed — all aimed at making Erasmus+ and ESC more visible, accessible, and relevant to the youth of Aruba, Sint Maarten, and French Guiana.
1️⃣ Results of our survey
PART ONE – Survey Findings: Access to European Mobility Programs
To better understand the low participation rates in our regions, we began by launching a survey aimed at exploring how young people in Aruba, Sint Maarten, and French Guiana perceive and experience European mobility programs like Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. Our objective was to go beyond assumptions and collect concrete data on the barriers to access, application, and engagement.
The results confirmed what our organisations had long observed informally: young people are interested, but they face significant obstacles. The most frequently reported issues included difficulty finding clear and accessible information, complicated application procedures, and economic or logistical constraints that limited their ability to take part — even in programs that are fully funded.
The responses revealed that many young people had either never heard of these opportunities or had discovered them too late to apply. Those who did participate often described a process that was confusing, discouraging, or overly dependent on outside help. For others, technical language, digital access, or a lack of guidance made participation feel out of reach.
These survey findings laid the foundation for our next step: understanding the personal stories behind the numbers. If the structural barriers were visible, we needed to explore the emotional and social dimensions of exclusion as well. This led us to Part Two — a qualitative study conducted with young people in Aruba to delve deeper into their lived experiences.
Read the booklet below for more details.
PART TWO – Beyond the Survey: Research into Real Obstacles to Participation
From the survey results, we clearly knew that young people in our region were facing significant challenges in accessing European mobility programs — particularly due to issues related to awareness, resources, and support. But to build an effective outreach and inclusion strategy, we needed a deeper, more qualitative understanding of the specific barriers these young people encounter.
This is where the work of Jennesee de Cuba, who joined our team as an intern from University of Aruba, proved invaluable. She conducted a qualitative study focused on the lived experiences of Aruban youth. Through two focus groups, she interviewed ten young people aged 14 to 18, all from different districts of Aruba and recently selected for their first Erasmus+ mobility project. Her research gave voice to their concerns, fears, and expectations — and revealed critical insights into what still prevents many from participating in opportunities designed for them.
Five major barriers
The main conclusion of the study is that five major barriers prevent many young people from participating in Erasmus+ programs, despite them being fully funded and intended to promote inclusion and opportunity. These barriers are:
- Cultural barriers
- Language anxiety
- Economic insecurity
- Lack of information
- Parental restrictions (for minors)
Participants also emphasized that inclusion means being heard, welcomed, and able to participate equally — and that Erasmus+ remains poorly known among those who could benefit the most.
Read the booklet below for more details.
The booklet
GAP Survey & Study by Tur Cos Ta Posibel
PowerPoint presentation
We also prepared a PowerPoint presentation to share our findings during seminars.
GAP Survey & Study – PowerPoint presentation by Tur Cos Ta Posibel
2️⃣ Analysis and expert recommendations provided by our consultant
Our consultant, an expert in communications, provided valuable insights and recommendations. The analysis includes an overview of Aruba, identified challenges, a portrait of Aruba’s education system, a review of the main languages spoken, the most popular social media platforms, and the impact and objectives of EU mobility programmes. It also outlines the target audience, key messages, language considerations, as well as specific challenges and opportunities. Finally, it presents 10 actionable ideas to promote EU mobility programmes among Aruban youth, along with a set of proposed slogans.
GAP Comms Strategy 21 12 2024 by Tur Cos Ta Posibel
3️⃣ Our strategy
Following the recommendations of our communications expert, we selected a series of targeted actions that we considered the most achievable, impactful, and effective in capturing the interest of young Arubans. These include:
- The production of a leaflet promoting European mobility programmes to young Arubans
- The production of a second leaflet aimed at professionals, to help strengthen and expand the mobility offer available to Aruban youth
- The creation of a dedicated webpage to centralize information and resources
- A stronger presence on social media — especially Instagram — with more regular promotion of opportunities and key messages about the programmes
- Participation in local events in Aruba to increase visibility and engagement
4️⃣ Production of two leaflets
A key element of our strategy was the production of two dedicated leaflets aimed at raising awareness — one for young Arubans and one for professionals.
For young Arubian
Objectives of this document: This leaflet, presented in Papiamento, aims to better engage young Arubans by highlighting the impact and diversity of European mobility programmes, while clearly explaining the steps to get involved.
For professinals
Objectives of this document: This leaflet targets professionals with the goal of expanding our network of partners and opportunities for young Arubans. It presents our work, encourages collaboration, and emphasizes the need for strong support systems to offer relevant and inspiring projects.
5️⃣ Creation of a special webpage in Papiamento
6️⃣ Events we took part in to promote the European Mobility programs
Youth information day Sint marten
Youth information community event skatepark SMX:
Project organised by Tur Cos Ta Posibel and funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union – The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
