"<< Background >>Circular Economy (CE) embeds two key challenges in today's society: saving the environment while maintaining a sustainable economy. CE can be described using a basic economic premise: if we minimise consumption of raw materials and natural resources, we'll generate less waste and lead a more sustainable life. There are already numerous European initiatives that support and encourage the CE approach, making it completely feasible to apply it in any country (https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/). By embracing this approach, all Europe could generate a much-welcomed net economic yearly benefit of up to €1.8 trillion by 2030 (The Circular Economy: moving from theory to Practice, McKinsey Centre for Business and the Environment Report, 2016). Ultimately, the principles of Circular Economies aim to apply the ""reduce-reuse-recycle"" motto and bring it to a broader scale so it can provide economic as well as environmental benefits. This would make it then an attractive model to implement in private and public organisations. This industrial revolution linear model can be described as a process by which resources are extracted, processed using energy and labor, and sold as goods with the expectation that customers will discard them and buy more. In a circular economic model, however, the materials are re-used, making it practical to conserve assets and materials with the aim of maximising the value of resources. For the realisation of these principles there are many important players in our society which include our schools. Schools (formal and informal learning) represent an area of particular interest for circular economy (CE) implementation due to their socio-economic relevance for the service sector and their influential role in supporting sustainable development in cities and regions worldwide (Ferrer-Balas et al. 2008). Schools contribute to economic progress and social wellbeing through knowledge creation and dissemination (research and teaching) and community development (outreach activities) (OECD, 2010).CESchools aims to embed CE thinking in Schools through educational and industry partnership. The design of this project was inspired by the various studies which examined how educational institutions can support sustainable development through formal learning outcomes. The studies highlighted how student-led change from formal learning, sustainability in school-campus operations, and branding the green schools were key factors for embedding sustainability in education. One thing that these studies were lacking was the focused on a structural ""hidden curriculum"" as the core of these initiatives, as well as the the role and impact these schools have in the local economies. When we talk about hidden curriculums, they are defined as the difference between the actual learning and the curriculum-based learning for the students within educational facilities. CESchools will show how schools can be a major player in promoting circular economy approaches by engaging their students to be their speakers in raising awareness in our society. We will demonstrate how human resources and initiatives are very important in embracing CE in each country.<< Objectives >>The project aims to provide solutions to one of the biggest challenges the EU (and the world) is facing: promoting a Circular Economy mentality and helping it seep into institutions and society to generate real change. At a smaller scale, industries and educational institutions can boost this shift towards integrating CE in all areas of society. Specifically, this project will provide: (1) Tangible, durable results: Creating collaborations between educational centres and private institutions. (2) Long-term impact: promoting and encouraging CE thinking among schools; that is, ""planting the seed"" for future generations who will grow and adapt their habits to ultimately create the biggest expected impact.(3) Long-lasting outcomes: developing new and innovative hidden curriculum techniques which can be used by other countries, not just the ones participating in this consortium.<< Implementation >>These activities can divide them into during and after the completion of the project: During the project · Project Result 1: a report analysis of CE thinking in Schools. This includes previous focus groups, interviews and meetings with major stakeholders to gather quantitative and qualitative data, designed to help our main target groups. This practical information will help bring value to adopting a CE thinking and increase awareness. This outcome will engage all the target groups throughout the project, and each partner is in charge of implementing and creating network collaborations with their respective stakeholders in the way the see fit. · Project Result 2. CE Thinking in Hidden Curriculum Development. Designed to demonstrate how public and private schools can play a key role in helping promote circular economy approaches by encouraging and engaging their students. In addition, each partner will explore how the development of a CE mentality in training human resources outside of the curriculum will be important for circular economy approaches in industry.· Partner Meetings. These will be both online ( every month), and on site (every 6 months). They will help maintain a good flow of communication, and will guarantee that the deliverables are being carried out progressively, on time, and under our expected quality standards. · Learning, Teaching (Testing), Training Activity. This will provide solid feedback with trainers before going to schools and letting the student-led activities run their course. With the expertise of teachers who know the behaviours and context of schools, we can perfect our outputs and make them more flexible to increase its duplicability. · An intense dissemination strategy will be deployed at regional/national level to reach relevant stakeholders working with local and regional participants and beneficiaries in industry.· At a local level, the trainers who will pilot the resources developed in output 2 and training OER platform will continue their work within SMEs, beneficiaries, participant organisations and other relevant stakeholders.· CESchool will create and promote a the methodological framework (output 2), based on a smart use of project materials. The framework and resources can inspire and be transferred – with the necessary adjustments - also to other sectors of education. · CESchools will also contribute to the debate of education in schools and to the effect of a hidden curricula in them. It will also allow a comparison of the development of a circular economic mentality within other national contexts. A wider awareness about the issues should lead to the development of policies aimed at facilitating an international dialogue and the use and exploitation of the material produced.<< Results >>The main project's results are: 1. Create an Overarching Analysis of CE Thinking in partner countries & suggestions for the Hidden Curriculum which includes all main stakeholders's perspectives (schools and industry) at delivery phase.2. Develop an enhanced experience of a Hidden Curriculum which includes all main stakeholders (schools and industry) and design stage.3. The development of two ( 1 for teaching and 1 for learning) very well 'polished' units/manuals in the field of CE Thinking.Overall, CESchools aims to create an enhanced experience of joint CE Thinking education delivery with the inclusion of various fields and academic experts from different EU partner countries. 5. An OER platform which is flexible and user-friendly for all target groups both in schools and in the industry.6. A (or more than one) published paper/s informed by the research project in question.Furthermore, this project will directly or indirectly contribute to the following expected outcomes:- The creation of an optimal match between schools and industry to meet the needs of CE thinking.- The comparison process between existing CE Thinking by using hidden curriculum from different countries.- The mapping and complementarity of CE Thinking to other existing formal education and development routes in schools.- Greater cooperation between schools and industry providers among national and international providers.- A greater exchange and cooperation between academia and industry for the benefit of future generations and participants.- In countries where there is no clear regulatory framework for CE thinking, the deliverables, may positively influence policy development for CE approach. - The raising of the profile and recognition of CE mindedness.- The development of student and faculty professional profiles on the way of CE thinking.- The overall process of professionalisation of CE mindedness."

<< Background >>The damaging effects that humans have on the environment has been shown and proven over and over. In fact, the recent coronavirus pandemic has clearly demonstrated how well our environment does when human destructive activity is reduced. Despite the obvious negative consequences of COVID, a clear positive side-effect was that most people became aware of how we are all interconnected. Especially with nature.As countries try to open up again, it is the perfect time to reconsider the importance of addressing global environmental issues. One of the main pillars of our society is education. It is, in fact, within the educational system that changes can be made in order to approach environmental sustainability, through tangible changes. Our project, PESEs, aims at raising awareness on important environmental issues that need to be addressed. It aims to have a ripple effect, where students who take part in our project continue the process of educating their families and friends. All partners in this project undoubtedly believe that we need to address environmental sustainability in our schools. Specifically ELC, a group of schools having first-hand contact with kids, felt the genuine need for students to truly understand environmental issues such as climate change, the circular economy model (reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse adverse practices). Younger generations are the future, if we expose them to these important environmental issues from a young age, get them involved, ask them to tell us THEIR stories, it will increase the chances of a shift in paradigm, to empower them and make them feel they are important players to improve the present situation. In fact, these young students will be future parents, stakeholders, perhaps even policy makers, and it is our mission to face this challenge in a constructive, positive way.<< Objectives >>The main, long-term goal of the PESEs is to introduce environmental sustainability in the school curricula, and make it a pillar of their education, which will in turn have a direct positive impact on the environment. We propose to create a hidden curriculum that can be integrated into their formal one, into their everyday lives.Our specific desired achievement during the duration of the project is to create a multinational community of people who take an active role in the promotion of environmental change. We want to facilitate the inclusion of environmental sustainability topics in the school curricula; in a way that is fun, interactive, and incites students to keep learning and take responsibility for their actions. One of PESEs’ main objectives is to bridge the gap between acquired knowledge and behavioural (actions) concerning sustainability in the younger population.<< Implementation >>There will be 2 international training activities (LTTAs), several national piloting sessions, amongst other activities aimed at increasing social awareness of environmental sustainability in a school setting. After the initial teacher training workshops on Digital Storytelling (DST), we intend students to produce their own and digital stories related to sustainability and environmental issues. The approach will be motivational and participatory within the school system. Partners will guide and engage secondary school students in the development of digital stories. The main goal is to empower these students to become vectors of this information and educational tools into their homes and their communities. Very importantly, they can also serve as catalysts for actions and social change. We also hope to use a self-generated means for students to voice their concerns, become engaged and seek more involvement from their local (and international) student communities. In terms of sustainability, the project is also targeted at improving the local and social economy and ecology. We will emphasize a participatory, hands-on design process by which students can generate ideas, share their own stories and create small projects. All results and proposals will be hosted and managed in an interactive, multilingual digital platform. This platform will be available even after the end of the project, so that other students, teachers and staff members can keep benefiting from the results of this project long after it is over.<< Results >>Specifically, the main outcomes of this proposal are: PR-1 (a): A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK for implementation. Presented in the format of an electronic book (eBook), this outcome will include a literature review, analysis and evaluation of the existing educational national examples based on the UN's sustainable development (environmental) goals (SDGs). The learning and training needs for our target groups will set the structure for both of the subsequent intellectual outcomes, PR2 ( a training curriculum with the SD topics), and PR3 ( a Training Toolkit for the resources). PR-1 (b): A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT providing access to the full range of educational resources generated throughout the lifecycle of the project will be set up by ELC and AdM with the help of all partners. It will include access to the eBook and its updates (downloadable), the training curriculum, and the toolkit. The final outcome will thus include a comprehensive compendium of all intellectual outcomes for PESEs, which will be presented in the final conference scheduled for M23 in Madrid, ES. PR-2: A TRAINING CURRICULUM AND SUSTAINABILITY STORIES on sustainability development. Initially, selected groups of teachers from all the partner institutions and associates will be properly trained on the DST methodology, in order to be able to transfer it at a local level. This will be done using one of the two training activities planned (C1). Each partner will previously select local target school student groups and volunteer teachers to guide them through the process of creating their own digital stories on specific environmental and sustainable development topics chosen. This intellectual outcome is one of the central ones. The compendium of personal digital stories will be hosted and organised in an online platform that will offer flexible educational paths for the use of these stories on environmental pollution and sustainable development. PR-3: A PRACTICAL TOOLKIT of guidelines and resources for teachers and practitioners who want to use the materials generated in this project. It is intended that professionals in education have an organised and easy access to the guidelines and tools generated so that they can run DST sessions on their own, anytime, anywhere they may be. All the intellectual outputs will be maintained at least 5 years after the lifetime of the project. Further results are also expected from the 5 national multiplier events and a final conference, all planned at the final phase of the 2-year project. All these results will be integrated into the platform and project network, and as part of the on-going evaluation, a report will also be presented to describe potential improvement tools.

"According to the European Declaration of the Right to Literacy, published by the European Literacy Policy Network (ELINET) in 2016, nearly 55 million adults in Europe lack basic literacy skills, leading to an increased poverty risk, social exclusion and limited possibilities of civil and cultural participation, lower chances for lifelong learning and personal development.Poetry, as a cultural universal and form of communication existing in all countries and among all cultures, can be a particularly interesting means of strengthening the communicative abilities of adults learning to read and write and opening up space for individual growth.The project ""Poetry-based Approach in basic education for Adults"" (POETA) aims to contribute to the self-development and empowerment of people being ""on the way to the written word"" (as opposed to the common term ""functional illiterates""), including first- and second language learners.The approach is intended to offer a complementary or an alternative to traditional concepts of literacy and basic education, which are focused on the integration of people into economic processes and argue in a deficit-oriented manner.In cooperation with culturally diverse European partners, an innovative and holistic concept for working with poetic texts in basic education, presented in an e-book, is to be developed, explored and integrated into teacher training via MOOC. The project aims to develop various creative approaches such as •Intergenerational approaches•Digital storytelling•Music- and art-based approaches•Neuroandragogical approaches.Teachers, trainers, course leaders and planners in adult basic education will benefit from the knowledge and material created by the project. Subsequently, learners in adult basic education programs such as newcomers, elderly people, second chance school attendees and migrants are to be reached by the poetry-pedagogical approach.On a regional, national and systemic level, the project’s general aim is to make a valuable contribution to the increase in literacy, to raise public awareness of the issue and to initiate a general change in attitudes towards the needs and resources of learners. During the 31 months run of the project, the consortium will organise five transnational meetings of all partners, which will be hosted alternately in their countries and cities of location.A short-termed Learning, Teaching and Training Activity bringing all partners together serves the purpose of sharing and further developing the participating teachers’ expertise with regard to existing experience in poetry education work, in specific approaches or in working with specific target groups.At the end of the project, every partner will hold a Multiplier Event in his respective country, reaching out to relevant regional, national or international stakeholders. The main intention is the initiation of a professional discourse of this innovative concept and to disseminate it, but also to broaden this innovative approach and transfer it into good practice.We expect two high quality intellectual outputs: A MOOC for trainers and teachers and a poetry-pedagogical concept to be published in e-book for adult basic education practice, policy and research and interested professional audience. These two products will be developed in a participatory process by all partners. They contribute their existing expertise with regard to specific target groups or approaches in terms of content or creativity, but also jointly develop new expertise and competences. The project process will be designed in such a way that these multicultural, multinational, but also multidisciplinary competences will result in a participatory process that values diversity and leads to a new holistic, transcultural understanding and concept in andragogy. The e-book will be made available free of charge to all interested parties beyond the project period and contribute to the establishment of resource-oriented approaches in basic education for adults.Another decisive factor is the intention to have the English e-book / concept translated into the three native languages of the participating organisations – German, Spanish and Greek. The ambiguity of meanings, from which poetry lives like no other literary genre, can be resolved differently in the respective mother tongues.The partner consortium consists of five European organisations, whose cultural and professional diversity, specific fields of experience and methodologies open up a multi-perspectival space in which creative approaches in basic education can be introduced and jointly developed:•Katholische Erwachsenenbildung Rheinland-Pfalz, Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (Germany, project coordinator)•das kollektiv, kritische bildungs-, beratungs- und kulturarbeit von und für migrant*innen (Austria)•European Learning Centre (Spain)•SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education (Cyprus)•Kalamata Second Chance School (Greece)"

<< Objectives >>1) To help WoMiN adapt to the digital transformation through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity.2)Provide literacy tutors and educators to embed digital tools within standard literacy teaching to ensure literacy learning opportunities are responsive to digital needs, challenges and opportunities.3) Raise awareness and support the EU in effective approaches to support marginalised groups in taking an active part in society and gain employment.<< Implementation >>The activities this consortium will implement are the following:Work Packages providing transversal, inclusive resources for WoMiN. Project Meetings, both monthly and face-to-face, which will allow continuity and better quality relationships between the consortium and their stakeholders. Piloting Workshop with Women, Migrants and NEETsDissemination Strategy and Events to ensure good communication.<< Results >>WP1:Project Management; Dissemination & Sustainability Plan; QA& Risk Management.WP2:Investigation including interviews/focus groups with stakeholders, which will result in an Ebook compiling all the labour market situation research. WP3: Handbook for VET trainersWP4: Toolkit for WoMiN.WP5: OER Platform where all resources will be availableWP6: Dissemination StrategyStakeholder Networks between job-seekers and Job-providers at EU Level.

The European Commission has adopted a new action plan for sustainable growth which directly points to the needs of the circular economy. In a circular economy, the materials are used continuously back through the value chain for reprocess, resulting in less energy and resource consumption. During the actualization of these principles there are several actors on the platform including Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Thus, the main aim of the CirThink Project is to embed CE thinking in HEIs through university and industry partnership. The main reason behind this design is in the literature various studies have examined how universities can support sustainable development through formal learning outcomes. Also these studies have highlighted how student-led change from formal learning, sustainability in campus operations, and branding the green university or green campus were key factors for embedding sustainability in education. However few studies have focused on the “hidden curriculum” and the role that universities, as part of the local economy, can assume in implementing the sustainability practices they teach. The hidden curriculum is defined as the difference between the actual learning and the curriculum-based learning in the personal student experience within an educational facility. In this project, it is aimed to show how universities can play a key role in helping to promote circular economy approaches by engaging their students and being a key partner with both public and private organisations. Besides how human resources development outside of the curriculum will be important for circular economy approaches in industry, will be explored in partner countries. Target group of the project includes the administrative board of the universities; the HEIs’ students, the academics, industry representatives, professional organizations, Chambers, research centers, policy makers, public authorities and other stakeholders who specifically focus on the needs of CE thinking. Coordinator of the CirThink project is Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University (MSKU) from Turkey. Partners of the project are Archivio della Memoria - Italy , European Learning Centre - Spain, Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg - Germany, HF & VUC FYN - Denmark, Social Enterprise Development Ltd. - UK. . As it is seen from the above the partnership is made up of 6 partners from 6 countries all of which have either experience in HEIs and education related issues, developing technologies and material for learning and training, mainstreaming and dissemination, evaluation, and or working with the user groups of HEI institutions. The consortium will support the transnationality carried potential of the project. In other words, this project should be carried out transnationally since not only the governments have numerous policy instruments at their disposal to address circular economy, including the adoption of certain laws and development of national skills qualification systems for CE, but also the HEIs are focusing on the improvement of the skills of students , academics and administrative staff and employees of HEIs. Also European Commision has addressed the needs of circular economy thinking in their latest publications and releases such as Europe 2030 strategy. Once the project is complete, it is expected to obtain:1. The possibility for the involved HEIs to develop a hidden curriculum for all target groups and learners in their institutions at the partner countries level.2. To provide an overarching analysis report of CE Thinking in partner countries which includes a background analysis, a stakeholder engagement analysis and a workshop design (drivers, barriers, opportunities). 3. To develop a networking such as OER platform which brings together all stakeholders. This shall lead into further collaborations in the future in terms of circulating the idea of CE thinking.4. To extend the possibility of mobility across partner countries. Briefly, the CirThink project will mainly lead to:1. An enhanced experience of a Hidden Curriculum which includes all main stakeholders (university and industry) and design stage.2. An enhanced experience of Overarching Analysis of CE Thinking which includes all main stakeholders (university and industry) at delivery phase.3. The development of two ( 1 for teaching and 1 for learning) very well 'polished' units/manuals in the field of CE Thinking.4. An enhanced experience of joint CE Thinking education delivery with the inclusion of various fields and academic experts from different EU partner countries.5. An enhanced experience of building OER platform for all target groups both in HEIs and in the industry.6. A (or more than 1) published paper/s informed by the research project in question.