MULTI 2026 – An Unforgettable
The 2026 edition of the international MULTI youth exchange in Oberhausen came to an end on 29 August. More than 120 young people from 13 countries took part in this year’s project, including seven students from I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Leona Kruczkowskiego in Tychy.
Our students spent two weeks in Oberhausen, from 16 to 29 August, staying with local host families. This was the third time that young people from Tychy have taken part in the MULTI international exchange organised in our partner city. Tychy and Oberhausen have officially been partner cities since 2020, with youth exchange being one of the most important aspects of this partnership.
This year’s MULTI project was held under the motto “Our World. Our Future.” Over the course of two weeks, young people from Poland, Germany, Turkey, Ecuador, North Macedonia, Italy, Greece, Estonia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, China, Israel and Ukraine came together to take part in a wide range of activities.
The MULTI 2026 programme offered something for everyone. Participants took part in a city game around Oberhausen, project workshops, sports and artistic activities, cooking, music, sewing and handicraft workshops, public-space painting, family events and a trip to an amusement park, as well as exploring Oberhausen and the surrounding area.
One of the highlights of the programme was a joint picnic, bringing together participants from different countries and their host families. It was a great opportunity to relax, get to know one another better and simply enjoy spending time together.
But above all, MULTI is about people – bringing young people from different countries and cultures together. Working on projects and taking part in activities together encouraged participants to communicate, cooperate and remain open to new perspectives. English and German were the main languages of communication, giving everyone plenty of opportunities to practise their language skills in authentic, everyday situations.
For our students, their stay in Oberhausen was about much more than visiting our partner city. It was a chance to discover new cultures, experience everyday life with German families, make international friendships and overcome language barriers.
Our students came back delighted with their experience, the atmosphere of the project, its excellent organisation and, above all, the people they met. They particularly appreciated the openness of participants from other countries and the opportunity to spend so much time together. Between workshops, trips, conversations and time with their host families, the two weeks simply flew by.
Here is how some of our students remember their MULTI experience:
“Taking part in MULTI in Germany was an amazing opportunity to meet people from all over the world, try new things and push my boundaries. I was lucky enough to stay with a wonderful family, which made me feel completely at home. They showed me around Oberhausen, but also took me to other cities in Germany and the Netherlands. The two weeks flew by, and I hope I will have the chance to take part in MULTI again.”
— Julia Czapek
Przemek Szczepaniak particularly appreciated the opportunity to put his German into practice:
“What I particularly enjoyed was the opportunity to speak German with the other participants and practise the language at the same time. Although I was already happy with my German before MULTI, being completely immersed in the language gave me so much more.”
Julia’s and Przemek’s experiences perfectly capture what MULTI is all about. It is much more than a trip abroad – it is an opportunity for young people to step outside their comfort zones, discover new perspectives, connect with others and develop valuable skills.
The group from Tychy was accompanied by Maciej Gruchlik, Director of Youth Cultural Centre No. 1 in Tychy, and Joanna Rudolf, a teacher at Primary School No. 21 in Tychy.
For the students of our school, MULTI 2026 was an unforgettable lesson in foreign languages, independence, teamwork and openness to the world. It also showed them that friendship and mutual understanding can flourish across borders, languages and cultural differences.
We would like to extend our special thanks to Marc Grunenberg and the entire MULTI team for preparing and coordinating this year’s project, for their tremendous commitment and outstanding organisation, and for creating such a wonderful space for young people from so many different countries to meet, collaborate and build connections.
We would also like to thank the host families in Oberhausen, group leaders and all the volunteers who helped make MULTI 2026 such a memorable and meaningful experience for our students.
We hope that the friendships made in Oberhausen will last for many years to come – and that our students will have many more opportunities to meet their international friends in the future!
