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August 2016 - September 2017

Partners: 

APDD Agenda 21 – Romania / MJ Les Recollets – Belgium / Center for Sustainable Civil Society - Bulgaria / EDEN Center - Albania / “Roter Baum” Berlin UG - Germany / Udruzenje Svetlost - Serbia / ARCI Chieti - Italy / eiBò - Italy / Zdravo da Ste - Bosnia Herzegovina

Methodology

During all phases of the project the principles of non-formal education will be respected and applied (these include the methods of non-formal/ informal learning, ORA - Observe, Rethink, Act, experiential and active pedagogy, mentoring and/or peer support and relationship-based activities): all the methodologies that will be used and activities proposed are designed to ensure the direct involvement of partners and participants at any time of the project promoting freedom of expression, exchange and cooperation, interaction and creativity. Furthermore, the methodology used will be strongly oriented in terms of intercultural learning paying attention to the cultural diversity represented by the partnership (EU and Western Balkans countries), promoting a good environment, mutual understanding and cooperation among all participants. Following the ORA approach, main activities planned are a Study Visit (Observe Phase), a Seminar (Re-think Phase) and a Training Course (Act Phase). Of course, there are several steps linked to the project implementation useful to achieve the project objectives.

Activities

Study Visit (Observe phase): Liege, Belgium / 16-23 October 2016

The overall aim of the Study Visit is to explore and analyze examples of good practices in the Province of Liege (Belgium) in terms of methodologies, challenges, approaches, activities and policies realized by institutions, public bodies, NGO networks, associations, Youth centre and youth organization on the theme of youth work and non-formal education. Belgium has a very long tradition in the development of youth work strategies and innovative non formal education approaches and could represent an interesting and fruitful playground to work, learn and practice the relationship and the interaction between youth work and inclusion of young people in the community development. Thanks to interactive field visits, meeting with stakeholders, working sessions and planning activities, it will be possible to face efficient and innovative models in youth work that generated positive experiences of inclusion and participation. In a ORA: capacity building to generate innovative approaches in youth work specific session during the study visit, a set of possibilities on how to exploit acquired knowledge in local and international contexts will be established including the opportunity to develop different job shadowing projects among partners.

Job Shadowing (Application): January 2017

One of the first products that will result from this project is represented by the possibility to apply and develop different job shadowing projects among partners. All partners, in fact, already gave their availability to organise and run different projects of Job shadowing in order to make visible and exploit the knowledge acquired during the whole process, to go deeper in the exploration and analysis of good practices, to contribute to the quality development of youth activities and to implement innovative approaches/methodologies.

A2 Seminar (Rethink phase) Berlin, Germany / 05-12 February 2017

Overall aim of the Seminar is to catalyze different ‘modus operandi’ and local experiences coming from all around Europe in order to find common standards and methodological platforms at international level concerning youth work and non-formal education. Thanks also to the social and cultural background of Berlin, the seminar will offer the possibility to share experiences, good practice, innovative methodologies/approaches and case studies developed by each partner at the local level able to explore the interaction among Youth work, non-formal education and inclusion of young people. All the results and outcomes coming from the seminar will constitute the core part both of the handbook and of the online toolkit creating sustainable and replicable tools for other organizations and stakeholders throughout Europe.

A3 Training Course (Act phase): Banja Luka, Bosnia Herzegovina / 05-14 May 2017

On the base of the results achieved till now, the focus of the Training Course is to explore new competences and approaches in different fields (education, environment, social promotion, art and culture, etc.) of the youth work and non-formal education. Overall aim is to transfer and share competences and skills among European youth workers, youth leaders, volunteers, peer educators able to support the complex transitions young people in Europe are facing (education, employment and inclusion). Participants will have the opportunity to test on field, within the local community of Banja Luka, the new competences acquired and to plan the exploitation of results both at local (starting from the local initiatives already planned) and international level (through ERASMUS+ Programme)

Local Activities: June - September 2017

Thanks both to the engagement of the partners in the youth work and to their local partnership, it will be possible to develop a cross sector approach to test on fields the new methodologies, approaches, tools acquired during the whole process and to provide more useful services (educational, cultural, social, etc.) for the young people with which they work. Local initiatives will be realised according to possibility of each partner and they could be small events, workshops, activities in the streets/public space and in schools, special initiatives, etc.

Job Shadowing (Implementation): June - September 2017

On the base of the projects approved, different job shadowing activities will be developed among partner in order to make visible and exploit the knowledge acquired during the whole process, to go deeper in the exploration and analysis of good practices, to contribute to the quality development of youth activities and to implement innovative approaches/methodologies in youth work.

Aims and Objectives

The overall aim of the project is to realize a long term non-formal education process at international level and among organizations (Youth Centres/Clubs, youth associations, associations of social promotion, cultural associations, NGOs, etc.) coming from 8 different European countries (EU and Western Balkans) able to empower the youth work that the partnership is realizing on field with young people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or vulnerable groups, to raise their capacities to better perform and provide more useful services (educational, cultural, social, etc.) for the young people with which they work, to increase the competences of their youth/social workers to better include the different target groups in the social, cultural, and economic life of their communities. Project partners have a common understanding that it is important to evolve constantly the learning pathways and the development opportunities to reflect the changes in society and to establish a cross-sector approach to empower young people in their development. For this reason and following the ORA approach, all partners have identified the general objectives for the project together with some more specific ones to be achieved with the 3 mobility activities planned in this project of Capacity Building.

General Objectives:

1) to support innovation and quality of non formal education in youth work acquiring and developing new methodologies, activities and competences;

2) to improve the youth work that our NGO’s are doing on field with young people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or vulnerable groups in order to empower their social, cultural and economic development and increase their inclusion opportunities;

3) To reinforce the relationship among partners with the specific objective to plan and realize future projects under the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme using the knowledge and competences acquired during this project. Future projects will represent a concrete opportunity of active involvement and personal and economic development for those young people with which all the partner work.

Specific Objectives:

Study Visit - Observe phase

- to know in detail examples of good practices in the Province of Liege (Belgium) in terms of methodologies, challenges, approaches, activities and policies realised by institutions, public bodies, NGO networks, associations, Youth centre and youth organisation on the theme of youth work, inclusion of young people and non formal education;

- to share among partners and participants elements of knowledge about the different contexts involved on the themes of youth work, youth inclusion and active participation of young people in the community development;

- to establish a set of possibilities on how to exploit acquired knowledge in local and international contexts including the opportunity to develop different job shadowing projects among partners to increase the quality of the work done with young people.

Seminar - Rethink phase

- to share experiences, good practice, innovative methodologies/approaches and case studies develop by each partner at the local level able to explore the interaction among Youth Centres, non formal education and inclusion of disadvantaged young people;

- to develop a methodological and educational platform (dynamic exercises, activities), starting from the methodology ORA (Observe Rethink Act), able to define innovative and common strategies, approaches, actions and tools in the youth work realised daily by youth workers and youth organisations to facilitate processes of involvement, inclusion and engagement of young people;

- to collect both in a publication (handbook) and in an online toolkit the good practice and case studies developed by each partner at the local level, the training modules and tools, the innovative methodologies/approaches and the methodological and educational platform developed by participants during the seminar.

Training Course - Act phase

- to reflect on the role of the youth work and non formal learning in fostering both social and human capital of young people;

- to train youth workers, youth leaders, responsible of youth organisations, volunteers with innovative approaches in different fields (education, environment, social promotion, art and culture, etc.) of the youth work; 

-to acquire new competences, skills and methodologies able to support the complex transitions young people in Europe are facing (education, employment and inclusion) and to increase the quality level of inclusive dynamics;

- to test on field, within the local community of Banja Luka, the new competences acquired and to plan the exploitation of results both at local (starting from the local initiatives already planned) and international level (through ERASMUS+ Programme).

Project dates: November 2016 – November 2017

Partners:

ARCI Chieti – Italy / Urban Organic CIC – UK /  Centre de jeunes "Les Recollets" – Belgium / APDD Agenda 21 – Romania /  Udruzenje Svetlost – Serbia / CZZS Center for Environment - Bosnia and Herzegovina / Center for Sustainable Civil Society – Bulgaria / EDEN Center – Albania

Short Description

This project finds its roots in a previous Seminar realised by ORA Network in Bosnia in January 2016, where a working group among partners was created defining aims, objectives and contents. Commonly agreed information were shared and completed with a need analysis process with young people conducted at local level. "ORA: green tools to enhance the social inclusion of young people and sustainable development of local communities" consists of 3 main activities: a training course and 2 youth exchanges. Partners are coming from United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria. The duration will be 12 months and each activity will last 8 working days plus 2 days of travel. Training will be hosted in Italy, 1st youth exchange in Germany and 2nd youth exchange in United Kingdom. After each youth exchange, local initiatives will be organized by young people with the support of partners. Through this project, our organisations would like to answer the demand and need of actions in the medium/long term period coming from different actors (young people, especially those coming from disadvantaged conditions, youth and social workers, youth centres, youth NGOs, Nature Reserves, local communities, etc.) to improve the efficiency and to enrich the quality of the work done at the grassroots level to enhance opportunities of inclusion. For these reasons, the general aim is to facilitate inclusion of young people (economic, social, cultural, etc.) and the growth of local communities through thematic and tools related to sustainable development.

Activities

The project will consist of 3 main activities: a training course and 2 youth exchanges.

Training Course in Torino di Sangro (Italy) – 18th to 27th March 2017

During TC thanks to the methods of Non-formal education and activities planned participants will generate an experience of great personal and professional growth with significant development of skills and competences. These methods will respond to needs of participants and to expected outcomes: ice-breaker games, team building dynamics, workshops, visit, meetings, etc. The work plan of the activities has been divided into 3 main phases. 1st part focuses on creating group dynamics, learning about partners, introducing the TC topics, Erasmus+ programme and Youthpass, exchanging experiences on the topics of the project, field visit. Before 2nd part of the training we will reflect on learning outcomes of this stage. In second part participants will focus on so called "Workshop path" to explore different educational and skill based activities and tools to respond to needs of young people. Tools of the workshop paths will be: Gardening, Environmental education modules, Green woodworking, Ecological educational path.  3^rd part will begin with sharing results of workshop path and definition of quality elements, it continues with how to apply skills and competences acquired in both local and international activities, in engagements and preparation of the following youth exchanges and evaluation at the end.

Working methods and activities will contribute to group integration, motivation to participate and coherent running of the activity. Participants will acquire knowledge, competences, experiences and skills which contribute to their social and personal development. Full involvement and free expression of participants are guaranteed during all phases of the project by using methods of Non-formal Education and especially the ORA (Observe, Rethink, Act) methods. Interaction will be an on-going process in which all the partners and participants will have a role as much participative as possible. Countries involved: United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria.

Youth Exchange in Berlin (Germany) – 20th to 29th May 2017 

Youth Exchange in Blackpool (UK) – 26th August to 4th September 2017

Themes of both exchanges are: social inclusion and active participation of youth in the communities, and tools are: sustainable development and environmental protection. Creativity of participants will be manifested during practical workshops. These new skills will stimulate participants to involve and make aware more young people in their local communities and then together to respond to inclusion and active participation of youth with fewer opportunities. The work plan of the activities has been divided into 3 main phases. 1^st part focuses on creating group dynamics, learning about partners, orientation, ICL, presentation of Erasmus+ and Youthpass, introducing the topic of Sustainable Development. In 2nd part participants will focus on skill based practical production and group leaders will work on fostering mutual understanding and changing attitudes among participants. According to the need analysis conducted, workshops will be Gardening, Educational ecological path and Green woodworking in the Activity 2 and Gardening, Environmental education and Green woodworking in the Activity 3. Results will be shared with local communities in Berlin and Blackpool. 3rd part will begin with a working session "How to use what I learnt?" and will continue into planning the local initiatives. Local initiatives will be planned according to possibility of each partner. They can be small events, workshops, activities in the street, etc. Working methods and activities are planned to provide group integration, motivation and continuity in activity implementation. Local initiatives will provide a kind of practical dimension of what participants have learnt. Initiatives will be organized in this schedule: June and July 2017 in Germany, Serbia, Albania, Belgium, Romania; September and October 2017 in Germany, UK, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria.

Aims and Objectives

The objectives that partners plan to reach are:

- To organize a medium/long term multi-activity project, that includes a training course and two youth exchanges, to build capacity for NGOs, youth workers, young people, giving priority to those coming from fewer conditions, to use sustainability as tool of inclusion.

- To share and know good examples and best practices realised at European level on the use of sustainability as tool for the inclusion, involvement and engagement of young people and for the growth of local communities.

- To share results and outcomes of the project with the local communities in order to aware/sensitise civil society, citizens, institutions and to contribute in developing higher quality initiatives that will at the same time activate and integrate in the community young people with fewer opportunities.

- To produce a final booklet in which to collect all the outcomes of the project in order to make them available, useful and reproducible by other interested groups.

- To plan follow up measures to be realised both at local level, applying the competences acquired during the project (multiplying effect) and at international level through the Erasmus+ Programme in order to generate further possibilities of inclusion and involvement of young people.