In the last week of July, 20 courageous young people growing up in state care came together for the first Our Voice Summer Free University in Balatonfenyves, Hungary. We were thrilled to have participants from both Hungary and Romania join us for this unique event!
Led by trainers Judit Regős and Anna Sándor, the theme of the Summer University was about finding the key conditions for a successful and fulfilling life. Throughout the week, we offered a variety of programs designed to deepen self-awareness and develop important life skills. Topics ranged from identifying personal values and strengths to emotional regulation, communication, conflict resolution, and finding individual motivation. These were explored through different training methods, interactive lectures, and somatic movement exercises.
We were honored to have several inspiring guest speakers, including Dr. Dénes Kemény, the three-time Olympic champion coach of the Hungarian water polo team and founder of the Parents’ House Foundation, who delivered an encouraging talk on the connection between talent, hard work, and success. Dr. Katalin Balázsi, a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and president of the Women in Science Association, shared her insights on achieving success as a woman and mother in the male-dominated field of physics. Béla Baranyi, a Pulitzer Prize-winning crime journalist, gave a powerful presentation on the importance of making good decisions, while Szilvia Stern led an interactive session on nonviolent communication.
To help the participants relax and recharge, we included sound bowl meditation, dance sessions, and fun social activities at the end of each training day.
The Summer University marks the beginning of an exciting journey. This course series will continue in the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025. Between sessions, participants will receive online mentoring to support their growth.
Our goal is to integrate this program into the core offerings of our foundation and help more young people in care find their voice every year. We believe that every life is valuable, and every young person has a unique talent—it’s our job to help them discover it. We dream of expanding this new program with our Belgian partners as well and even involving young people from other countries. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted on all the exciting developments!











