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Power Up: when five days can change the way you see yourself

What happens when you take a group of young people from across Europe, bring them together in the Portuguese countryside, and give them the space to truly work on themselves? Something quite extraordinary, it turns out.


🌍 From 15 to 21 March 2026, five of our participants travelled to Lapa do Lobo, Portugal, for "Power Up" - an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange designed to do exactly what its name suggests: unlock potential, build real skills, and remind young people of how much they are capable of.


Hosted by the wonderful Gap Year Portugal, this was not your typical week abroad. It was seven days of honest conversations, meaningful challenges, and the kind of growth that stays with you long after you've come home.


More than a trip. A turning point.


At the heart of "Power Up" were three things that matter more than most:

🗣️ Communication 🤝 Empathy 💡 Teamwork

Not as abstract concepts to be studied - but as living skills to be practised, through workshops, group activities, simulations and the kind of informal moments that often turn out to be the most powerful of all.

The premise was simple, and quietly radical:

The most important work you can do is work on yourself. And sometimes, the best place to do that is somewhere completely new, surrounded by people you've never met before.

In their own words ✨

Nothing captures an experience like the people who lived it.


💬 Silvia

"When I decided to leave, I took the opportunity to improve myself, to see if I could handle myself on my own, and to get to know myself better in an environment where no one has any idea who I am.

I loved the activities because they focused on personal growth and soft skills that are often under-appreciated in everyday life and I had so much fun with other people. I was delighted to meet all the participants and to have made new friends, whom I hope to keep in touch with.

UmanaMente helped us through every step of the journey and assisted us whenever we had doubts or problems. I will definitely carry this experience in my heart and remember it fondly for how I felt during the project. I am forever grateful for having had this opportunity and hope to be able to seize others in the future."



💬 Lucia

"In a world where everyone is chasing others, we need to learn to stop and realize that each person has their own path and that, in the end, there's no real need to run at all.

This is the message that the association Gap Year Portugal aims to share with young people during its events, activities, and, more generally, while supporting those who need guidance during their gap year. This is also the message behind this Erasmus+ experience.

Throughout the project, we worked on our soft skills: communication, empathy, and teamwork. By developing these abilities, which can always be improved, I realized how important it is to work on oneself, both individually and in relation to others.

Among the many activities we took part in at Lapa do Lobo during our Erasmus+ period, one in particular left a strong impression on me. It was called something like 'the more you walk, the luckier you were.' Essentially, the activity involved taking a step forward each time a statement was read aloud - for example, 'take a step forward if your parents never faced financial difficulties,' or 'take a step forward if you have never suffered from anxiety.'

This activity helped us understand that not everyone starts from the same place - and that's exactly why life is not a race... but a journey to be lived at your own pace."


💬 Adele

"Five days of pure 'mental training.' A short but powerful Erasmus, focused on collective growth rather than individual growth.

We trained in teamwork, communication, and empathy: the best physical shape we could achieve. Each exercise was a fundamental step in building new skills: we learned that teamwork requires listening, that communication goes beyond words, and that empathy is the most important muscle to train.

I return with a wealth of insights and the certainty that the greatest growth always occurs when we open ourselves to dialogue with others and challenge ourselves by stepping out of our comfort zone."



💬 Dario

"These five days were a real breath of fresh air.

I joined the project hoping to learn something new, and I ended up discovering how powerful teamwork can be when everyone feels safe to speak, listen, and try. What surprised me the most was how quickly a group of people who had never met before could create a real sense of connection. Little by little, through simple activities and shared challenges, we started trusting each other without even noticing.

There was something special in the way every exercise pushed us just enough to step outside our habits, never in a stressful way, but in a way that made you think, 'Okay, I can do this.' And the more we tried, the more we realised how much we rely on each other, even in the smallest tasks."


💬 Elizaveta

[testimony coming soon]


Why this matters - and why we keep doing it 🌱

Here is something we know for certain:

Young people who take part in experiences like this come back different. Not unrecognisably so - but sharper, more open, more confident in who they are and what they can offer the world.

Soft skills are having a moment, and rightly so. Communication, empathy, the ability to truly collaborate - these are the foundations of a fulfilling life, both personally and professionally. Yet they are rarely taught with the care and intentionality they deserve.

Projects like "Power Up" exist to fill that gap.

At UmanaMente, supporting these opportunities is not a side project - it is central to everything we do. And working with a partner like Gap Year Portugal - whose entire philosophy is built around slowing down, listening, and finding your own way - makes every step of the journey feel meaningful.

Every participant who boards that plane comes back a little more themselves. And a little more ready for whatever comes next.


🙏 A huge thank you to Gap Year Portugal for hosting us with such warmth and care, and to every participant who brought their whole self to this experience. You made it something special.


Until the next adventure. ✈️



 
 
 

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