Reaching 20 years is an incredible achievement, and I couldn’t be prouder of the journey we’ve taken together. Our success wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our team, the trust of our partners, and the courage of every participant who stepped into the unknown. Everybody who has been part of ZNI’s story has contributed a stone to this beautiful mosaic.

Personally, this journey has been life-changing. I’ve learned everything from scratch– about leadership, resilience, and the importance of building meaningful relationships. And I keep learning every day. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity given by our founder, Maja – her vision and trust have shaped not only ZNI’s success but also my personal and professional growth.

Here’s to building even more meaningful connections and creating new opportunities in the years to come!

-Directress Sonja

Discover how ZNI is spearheading a revolutionary approach to European mobility through the SOFT project. Join us as we delve into our partnership with leading European organizations, our ambitious objectives, and the transformative outcomes we aim to achieve.

Partnering for Change:
ZNI is proud to collaborate with esteemed partners across Europe for the SOFT project. Our primary partner, Eurotracks from France, shares our dedication to merging mobility with sustainable development. Together with AMT from Spain, IEP from Ireland, and IZI from Malta, we form a dynamic consortium committed to reshaping European mobility practices.

The first partner kick-off meeting was organized at our premises in Maribor. Representatives from Eurotracks attended in person, while the other partners joined online. As part of the partnership, we visited our hosting partner, POHORJE VILLAGE WELLBEING RESORT, holding 2 sustainability labels, Green Key and Slovenia Green.

What was the selection process like?
 
In March 2023, I took a written test and underwent a motivational interview to apply. In April, the results were released, and unfortunately, I did not make it into the ranking. Fortunately, in December 2023, I was included in the second mobility cycle. So now, from January 27th to February 27th, I am in Slovenia!
 
How do I spend my time here and how long will I stay?
 
I will stay here for a month. From Monday to Friday, I work in the ZNI office, taking care of the documentation for participants like me in these Erasmus plus projects. Sometimes, I also accompany student groups when they need guidance. On the weekends, I spend time with my roommates, sharing wonderful experiences.
 
What is it like living with people I didn’t know before?
 
I share my apartment with 9 other people, 8 girls, and 1 boy. Living together has never scared me, not even before leaving. I didn’t know these people, but in a short time, we managed to bond a lot. We get along very well, and I’m sure that the friendships we've created will also be maintained in our city.
 
Does my life feel different since I’ve been here?
 
Surely, some of my habits have changed, such as the fact that I am not going to school but to work and the fact that I live with other people. This experience is having a great positive impact on my life; it is stimulating me to grow on an emotional and cultural level.
 
What do I like most about the city where I am?
 
Precisely, I am in Maribor, a city in Slovenia. It is not a big city, but I like it a lot because it gives me serenity and tranquility. The people are kind, the city is very clean, and transportation works very well.
 
Why did I choose to leave on Erasmus mobility?
 
I chose to leave for various reasons, despite many people close to me advising against it since I have my high school exams in June, and "losing" a month of lessons is very demanding. I listened to myself because I knew that this experience would help me improve my level of English, lead me to make new acquaintances, and better understand how important it is to be independent. I recommend everyone my age to participate in experiences like these, even when they are doubtful; they will change their mind once there!

Gaia Leonetti

Sending organisation of the Bosnian group in June 2023 was IUS Lifelong Learning Center from Sarajevo. The mobility has been coordinated by our long term partner, Uniser Società Cooperativa Sociale Onlus from Forlì, Italy.

And we have completed another great mobility within the INTERVET Western Balkans project.

Sending organisation of the Serbian group in June was Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The mobility has been coordinated by our long-term partner, Uniser Società Cooperativa Sociale Onlus from Bologna, Italy.

​"On the way to Maribor, like everyone else, we were all quiet and withdrawn. As soon as we arrived to Maribor, we left our things and went for a walk together, it was a little awkward at first, but slowly the stories started. A walk along the Drava River is the most beautiful thing.
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The Hoffer store was like a second home to us. We developed a remarkable bond during the course of our mobility program in Maribor, going from being just acquaintances to becoming lifetime friends. Together, we went on innumerable excursions to discover the city's hidden beauties and fully experience its vivacious culture. Every moment pulled us closer, generating a strong sense of friendship, whether we were wandering the Old Town's picturesque streets or delighting in regional specialties at crowded markets. Our mutual experiences from participating in cultural activities to overcoming outdoor obstacles created priceless memories that forged our friendship. We learned the genuine meaning of friendship and the strength of cross-cultural bonds via laughing, late-night conversations, and mutual support. Maribor served us as a backdrop for our personal development as we developed new relationships and broadened our perspectives. Every week we traveled somewhere, on the 8th of August we took the train to Koper because we expressed our desire to swim in the sea and that will remain an unforgettable memory. A week before that, we were at Pohorje, church of St. Barbara, the terrarium and at the pool on an island called "Mariborski otok".

During my work experience in Slovenia, I embarked on a daily journey of 25 kilometers, which took me through picturesque landscapes, providing a serene start to my day. Arriving at the accounting office, I was warmly greeted by my colleagues, who embraced me as part of their close-knit team. One of the highlights of my time there was our shared lunch breaks, where we gathered around a table, enjoying delicious meals while engaging in heartfelt conversations. It was during these moments that I witnessed the beautiful bond between my colleagues, as they openly shared stories about their families and personal lives. This sense of camaraderie not only made the lunch breaks enjoyable but also created a supportive and inclusive work environment. My colleagues were incredibly kind, helpful, and nice. They warmly embraced me, offered guidance and support, and genuinely cared about my well-being. Working with them was a joy, as their positive nature and collaborative spirit created a harmonious environment. I am grateful for their presence in making my experience memorable. While working there I handled a range of administrative tasks, including organizing documents, processing invoices, scheduling meetings, managing communication, and providing general office support. The daily routine of traveling, combined with the warm interactions and shared meals, made my work experience in Slovenia truly memorable and enriched by the genuine connections I formed with my colleagues".

Andela Mijailovic

In the framework of the Intervet Western Balkans project, Institute for New Age Education (ZNI) hosted a group from Kosovo that stayed here from September 3rd until October 1st in 2022. Sending organisation of the group was CEM Chamber of Economy of Montenegro and the project was coordinated by our long term partner, Uniser Società Cooperativa Sociale Onlus from Forlì, Italy.

Students Damjan, Anja, Milena, Lazar, Jelena, Emina, Jovana, Isidora, Velizar, Jovana and Nora arrived to Maribor from Zagreb Airport on 3rd of October. They were accompanied by their tutor Radomir. The group had a few days of preparation which included many activities: presentation of Mobility program and getting to know each other at the ZNI office, Safety at work course at IVD centre, Interview simulation and CV workshop, presentation of Slovenia and visiting National Liberation Museum with a Guided city tour: What can Maribor offer me?

The group's mentor was Lea Korošec and was guiding and mentoring the group through their mobility in Maribor. As part of mobility programme activities, the group went on a trip to Pohorje hill, must see hiking spot in Maribor, where they had an opportunity to get to know each other better and spend quality time in nature. 

Practical trainings for the students were organised by ZNI mobility coordinator Rebeka Čeh in different companies in Maribor. Students were placed in the following companies: hotel 5START d.o.o., marketing agencies Verus d.o.o. and Rdeča Oranža d.o.o., designing company Studio Habitat d.o.o., IT company WideLabs d.o.o., beauty and cosmetics salon Perfect Body owned by Maja Žižek s.p., company that offers ergonomical solutions Ergonomske rešitve d.o.o., electronic PCB boards production company Smartronik d.o.o. and pharmacy Lekarne Maribor. In the companies the students had been given the opportunity to develop, both personally and professionally, and had improved their knowledge in different fields. 

The main goal of this mobility was to encourage students to learn, as well as socialise and meet new people. Students spent their free time going around Maribor, walking by the Drava river and going to the city park. They loved  exploring the city as much as they could and spending time with people they met here in Maribor. Students expressed their wish to come back to Maribor in the future. They grew professionally but also personally. They bonded as a group, met a lot of new people and made life-long friends.

Damjan (Verus d.o.o.)

»My name is Damjan, I'm 17 years old and I come from Podgorica, Montenegro. I was working at Verus d.o.o. in Maribor. This is a marketing company which specializes in marketing and websites. My one month of the internship here was amazing because I could improve my skills even more and I am looking forward to come back here to study because I think the city is beautiful.«


Emina and Jovana (Studio Habitat d.o.o.)

»My name is Emina, I come from Podgorica and I worked together with Jovana in Studio Habitat.«
»My name is Jovana. We worked as assistants of an architect. I think this experience will be very heplful and valuable for our future careers.«
 

Anja (5START d.o.o.)

»My name is Anja, I'm 17 years old and I'm from Montenegro. I stayed in Maribor for one month as a tourism student. I worked at 5START d.o.o. at Hotel Bolfenk on Pohorje. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot there. This experience will be great for my further education and for my future job. I would also like to get a chance to go out of my country again in the future.«
 

Jelena (WideLabs d.o.o.)

»My name is Jelena and I'm an IT student. This experience here in Maribor will for sure help me in my future job and studies. I mostly learned how to be more independent and met many new friends with whom I wish to stay in touch for the rest of my life. Other than that I learned how it is to work somewhere out of my country. The time here passed do fast and I don't really like the fact that we must go home.«


Lazar (Rdeča Oranža d.o.o.)

»My name is Lazar, I'm 17 years old and I'm from Montenegro. I stayed in Maribor for one month and I worked at Rdeča Oranža d.o.o. that is a marketing company. This experience is important for my future education and job. I really liked my time here and I would reccommend anyone to try new things and try this mobility experience for themselves.«
 

Velizar (Smartronik d.o.o.)
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»I'm Velizar, I'm from Montenegro and I'm 17 years old. I stayed in Maribor for one month and worked in Smartronik where I was working on motherboards for computers. I'm very satisfied with my work experience and would like to continue working in this field in my future.«
 

Jovana and Milena (Lekarne Maribor)

»My name is Jovana and I come from Montenegro. I worked at Lekarne Maribor as a pharmaceutical technician. I was mixing creams and sometimes prepared medicine for patients. I'm really glad that I took this opportunity and got this experience.«

»My name is Milena and I'm from Montenegro. I worked in Lekarne Betnava and my experience was amazing. I was taught how to make creams, my coworkers introduced me to some medicines and my coworkers helped me to learn more about this job. I will definitely continue my work as a pharmaceutical technician.«

 
Isidora (Perfect Body)

»My name is Isidora and I come from Podgorica. I worked as a beauty technician in Perfect Body beauty center. I'm very satisfied with my experience and I'm happy that I didn't miss this chance to see Maribor and to work here which was very nice. I had a chance to observe a lot of treatments such as LPG, RF, massages, relaxing massages for face and body, maderotherapy and much more. I could also work with clients and had a chance to communicate with them. I earned a lot of new things and I'm very happy that I came here.«
 

Nora (Ergonomske rešitve d.o.o.)

»My name is Nora, I come from Montenegro and I worked at Ergonomske rešitve d.o.o. where I worked at the field of digital marketing. I learned about new programs and also worked a lot of content for social media. From this experience I learned how to work in my field. I had amazing colleauges who were always there to help me. I wouldn't change this experience because it was really great.«