The iHERE project- Digital HEalth liteRacy Education for vulnerable groups - derives from the premises as set generally in a) the European Parliament reports and recommendations on the importance of providing healthcare to vulnerable groups, as health professionals report difficulties in communicating effectively with these populations about risk-taking behaviors and barriers to accessing information, b) the 'eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020' which identifies the lack of awareness of eHealth opportunities as one of the barriers to a wider uptake of eHealth solutions and, proposes activities support aiming at increasing citizens’ digital health literacy; what is important here is that ICT for health and wellbeing is becoming increasingly important to deliver top-quality care to all citizens currently living in EU.The project includes 8 partners (EhB, PROLEPSIS, RESET, UVEG, AKADEMIE KLAUSENHOF, TUCEP, XPCSA, CSI) from 6 European countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus) and it targets disadvantaged and vulnerable social groups, such as immigrants & refugees, poor health and low income people, jobless and marginalized social groups under the risk of exclusion and/or experiencing poverty. These groups often face particular health challenges due to their lower socioeconomic status and lack of adequate social support, they are vulnerable to a number of threats to their physical and mental health, experiencing additional barriers such as the structure of the overall health care system, underdeveloped health literacy, absence or limitation of learning opportunities; their specific health needs are poorly understood, communication with health care providers remains poor, health systems are not prepared to respond adequately, access in health and other basic services is hard. Additionally, apart from legal restrictions on entitlements to health care, they may be particularly affected by user fees, as well as by impeded access to health insurance. In this context, the project addresses the objectives: a) to promote inclusive training by addressing diversity and reducing disparities for learners with disadvantaged backgrounds, through innovative integrated approach, b) to digitize the quality learning content and use ICT as a driver for systemic change to increase the quality and relevance of health care training of vulnerable groups; give access to education and digital training tools to those facing particular vulnerability due to educational, economic, cultural and social obstacles, c) to empower adult educators and particularly educators in the relative fields with innovative training tools and resources (such as curriculum, digital tools, methodological guidelines) concerning the adult education, the Health Literacy and Care, the vulnerable populations training and inclusive practices as well, d) to design and implement outputs and project products for the vulnerable groups concerning their training to face the challenges of Health Care and Literacy, the potential or/and existing barriers arising from the low level of health information, knowledge, practical access in health resources (human, institutions, etc), the health threats, e) to create and form tailored needs toolboxes/resources regarding the diversity and the synthesis of the participants profile, f) to establish the necessary context for a shift in the way the vulnerable groups should be addressed for their effective Health Care and Literacy, g) to provide the essential context in EU, for health promotion, health care & prosperity, wellbeing attitudes, EU security in health systems delivery. The activities include respective intellectual outputs, training/learning activities and multipliers events (National Seminars/Workshops, Final Conference) and the iHERE IOs comprise of the Curriculum and Resources Toolbox, the Digital Context and Components, the Methodological Framework Guidelines. The participants are adult trainers and lifelong educators, training centers leaders, health sector members, public bodies – social affairs representatives, public servants, policy makers, community leaders, community members, NGOs leaders, representatives, associations and organizations with the focus on the marginalized groups and mainly disadvantaged individuals experiencing poverty and/or inclusion, individuals belonging in the vulnerable social groups as the end-users. Last, concerning the overall local, regional, national & EU impact, it is expected that the eHealth empowerment of the vulnerable social groups will lead to a positive change and quality in their life and health conditions, to practical non-discrimination and inclusive strategies with good health factors and wellbeing; the project also sets the essential context in EU, for health promotion, health care & prosperity attitudes, EU security in health systems delivery.

AIM: Communities for Sciences (C4S) will be developed in 9 European cities (Milan -Italy-, Brussels -Belgium-, Manresa -Spain-, Vic – Spain-, Vienna -Austria-, Budapest -Hungary-, Sofia -Bulgaria-, Lund -Sweden- and Berlin -Germany) and their areas of influence. The activities that will be implemented will be coordinated by a local Hub in 6 cities with the leadership of one of these local partners of the Consortium. Each Hub will focus on a specific vulnerable community (immigrants, Roma community and disabled citizens) working with and for children and youth aged from 0-16 years old and their families. C4S will study the relationships between science and society by focusing upon vulnerable communities due to the fact that they are often not visible as active social agents. It is necessary not only to create activities for them, but also to include them as co-participants of these activities in order to ensure a more coherent approach towards inclusive education and to promote anticipatory policy-making. This will be done through science education activities, through formal and non-formal educational institutions, from an inclusive standpoint, to provide them with better science awareness and capacities and to make them progressively aware of exclusionary practices that at times may occur in science. Special emphasis will be put on engaging them in an intersectional approach to fight against the gender discrimination suffered by women and girls on multiple levels. In addition to this, each HUB will engage with policy-makers, educators and institutional representatives to promote their role in supporting and promoting an inclusive science education approach and to consolidate such inclusive practices on more solid grounds.

"<< Background >>Digital technologies in education are an area of strong development in innovation in all sectors of higher education. However, in music education, this process is held back by difficulties in the development of training in instrumental and vocal practise, which may be particularly complex in the case of multiple performers who play and/or sing together, particularly in the example of chamber music. Performing together cannot be assimilated to a lecture or discussion, in which teachers and students interact verbally. As a result, the didactical development for the primary departments in this area is stalled, although there are some promising technological solutions. It is necessary to test these solutions in the academic environment to see how well they meet the needs of higher education. This could be the starting point for a methodological, technological and organizational study toward an overall assessment of current technical possibilities and their possible practical uses, by creating a specific model of integrated digital didactics tailored to the needs of higher education in chamber music. The research and development of new tools, materials and pedagogical models for higher education in music will respond to the needs of the sector at various levels: 1) for teachers, to define some categories of teaching activities that can be completed with the use of digital technologies and their technological requirements, together with the required digital skills and any necessary training to achieve these skills; 2) for students, to define requirements for equipment, technologies and digital skills needed to participate in such ""digitalized"" activities; 3) for directors, to define the requirements, available options and levels of implementation for the organization and facilities in institutions of higher musical education.<< Objectives >>The main objectives of the project are to: -- analyze the state of the art in digital technologies suited to teaching practices in chamber music, with particular reference to solutions for synchronized live streaming between different environments, thus allowing several musicians to perform together while distanced; -- explore the different types of usage and educational settings in which digital technologies could find a valid application, in addition to analyzing related requirements in technological and digital skills of teachers and students; -- define a model of integrated digital education specific to higher education in chamber music in various forms, such as integrating instruction live and through distance learning. This is proposed by means of digital technologies adopted for students in attendance in order to develop their ability to use music technologies, and through the creation of mixed live / virtual music classrooms with part of the students in live attendance and others participating through distance learning;-- articulate the model on different levels in order to make it applicable in different contexts with different needs and means; -- offer a concrete and immediately applicable contribution to higher education in music in terms of an innovative methodological model for integrated digitalized education in the field of chamber music; -- make available to the sector recorded tools and resources to facilitate the application of the method;-- propose, through the direct and indirect impact of this project and by the dissemination of the project results, validation for the integration of digital technologies in chamber music instruction in higher education in music, particularly in consideration of the fact that this instruction is currently held back by the lack of specific research.<< Implementation >>The following primary activities are planned in order to achieve the project objectives: - a collection of best practices in the use of digital technologies in higher music education; - research on the international state of the art in digital technologies for streaming available through open source applications; - analysis of the needs for integrated digital teaching in higher musical education, with particular reference to chamber music; - elaboration of an innovative methodological model for integrated digital didactics in the sector, applicable at different levels and in different situations; - analysis and documentation of the requirements for the implementation of integrated digital instruction in higher music education at different levels, including requirements for equipment, internet connectivity and any technological skills required of teachers and students; - collection and archiving in an open repository of digital educational content useful for the implementation of the proposed innovative teaching methods in this specific field; - training of both teacher and researchers in project partner institutions to develop and test the methodology, texts and tools of the project; - project pilot testing in the participating conservatoires from 6 European countries (IT, RO, HU, ES, BE, SI) for field verification of the proposed model of integrated digital education in chamber music; - production of documents, materials and tools useful for the development of innovation in higher education on chamber music content consistent with the outcomes of the pilot testing; - wide distribution of the model and results throughout Europe and internationally.<< Results >>The IVMS project is expected to produce: - Project result no. 1: a research report on “Digital technologies in Higher Education for Chamber Music. State of the Art Analysis” ; - Project result no. 2: the “New In Media Stat Virtus Method for Distance Training in Vocal – Instrumental Chamber Music: Guidelines for Teachers ; - Project result no. 3: the “New In Media Stat Virtus Method for Distance Training in Vocal – Instrumental Chamber Music. Handbook for Applied Technologies” ; - Project result no. 4: the web database of educational resources “In Media Stat Virtus Repository: digital OERs for training in vocal – instrumental chamber music”; - Project result no. 5: the distance learning program for teachers “eCourse – Introduction to the In Media Stat Virtus method for the development and delivery of distance training in vocal – instrumental chamber music”; - Directed experimentation and validation of said results in six European institutions of higher musical education and/or conservatoires; - European and international distribution of the results through events open to professionals in the sector in six countries and the open distribution and online use of results."

Nowadays there is no doubt that social and emotional skills (SES) are the key elements of human development. Research findings and official reports provide enough evidence that if children are not attaining minimal SES at around six years of age, they are likely to be at risk in the next stages of their development. Well-developed SES in children contribute to academic success, improve learning conditions, are a powerful tool for empowering children for a better future, for a happier and more productive life, but also they are an irreplaceable tool for prevention of social exclusion, aggression and bulling, school dropout, different types of risk behaviours, psychopathology, unemployment, etc. Deficits in SES lead to poor academic results, may lead to problems with social adaptation or serious psychopathology, substance abuse problems, challenges finding employment, etc. Supporting SES development in early years not only increases children’s chances of success in school, work, and life but it has a great indirect impact on their families, teachers, and the society as whole.The EU-SELF project team is committed to contribute to the key EU priorities: (prevention of ESL (Europe2020), Recommendation 23/4/2008 (European Parliament and Council, C(2008)/C111/01); Communication COM (EC, COM(2011- 66def) ECEC: Providing All Children with the Best Start); EC Communication on Europe 2020 Strategy (COM(2010) 2020); EC’s Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for ECEC (EU ECEC QF) (COM(2018) 271 final); EC Recommendation for Quality in ECEC (2018); ERF on Key Competences (2018/C 189/01), Health 2020, etc.), by creating an innovative approach that integrates the academic knowledge in the field of SES with the early childhood educational practises.The team will suggest and plan the new approach by relying on the knowledge alliance between HEIs and ECEC providers and will produce the following results: -an innovative and Europe-wide digital platform, containing reliable, professional and up-to-date, interactive content regarding the state of SES assessment, development and interventions of early and preschool children. It will serve simultaneously as SES information and resource hub, and as well as a tool for communication and exchange of information between ECEC providers, educators, researchers, stakeholders, experts from different countries supporting the achievement of key priorities in the EU. This tool will have sustainable long-term impact. It will boost the field of development of key competences for early and preschool children, children’s social inclusion, redaction of early school dropout, which is in line with the new challenges of the today’s Europe. The platform will be open assess and it will be available after the project ends.-a thorough, sophisticated, scientific literature analysis of the state of SES assessment, development and interventions of early and preschool children for most of the European countries (47) and oversees. The information will be uploaded in the platform and published in 2-volume book.-qualitative study findings regarding teachers and parents’ understanding and attitudes on children’s SES in each partner country. General and national reports will be published.-publications of good practices in European countries and oversees,-analysis of the educational context in the partner countries,-case studies of the practices in the partner countries,-a glossary of main concepts regarding SES.-overviews of key topics regarding SES.The project will reach out various target groups, whose feedback will contribute to its impact and sustainability. Those will be: researchers, teachers, educators, ECEC providers, kindergarten principals, parents, professionals, experts, stakeholders, decision-making bodies, local authorities, EU bodies, etc.EU-SELF project outputs will have enormous long-term impact and sustainability through the following:-digital platform-it will last after the project life cycle and will be assessable worldwide-research study–the findings will contribute to other research and applied projects in other countries, it’s a strong continuation to the findings of OECD studies (2015, 2018), its methodology can be applied in other countries-publications -collection of key findings, topics and analysis, free use-publications of lessons learned by linking knowledge and real practice.The team expects that the above contributions will boost the field of development of key competences for early and preschool children, their social inclusion, reduce the children’s dropout from school, increase the quality of ECEC providers, etc., which respond to the new challenges of the today’s European Union. We view EU-SELF project as a solid foundation and our first step towards a more ambitious aim-development of a programme for SES development in early and preschool children in Europe.EU-SELF project is financed by Erasmus+ programme (KA201), 2019.

Forensics is becoming more important in the fight against crime. And crime is increasingly transnational: human and drugs trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism, it does not stop at national borders. This results in the need for a pan-European approach to forensic practice, from initial education up to workplace of forensic institutions and companies. Not surprisingly, the European Union currently puts great effort into creating a ‘European Forensic Science Area’, in which all can rely on shared forensic methods and swift international cooperation in the fight against crime. But, these recent efforts focus mainly on policy matters and scientific, innovative methods, rather than initial education. As a result, universities in different countries still teach their students the national – and often very different – methods of forensics, with little or no regard for the strong international aspect of their profession. Not only has this situation implications for the results of future cross-border investigations, it hampers the job perspectives of students, since the sector increasingly demands professionals with knowledge of the international aspects of forensics. The Strategic Partnership project ‘European Forensic Educational Network’ (EFEN) aims to alter this situation. It will deliver the first substantial, European forensic study program, that meets the sector needs for professionals with knowledge of cross-border forensics, and put in place the foundations of the necessary European network of stakeholders, supporting the goal of creating a European forensic educational area, to accompany its scientific counterpart the EU currently promotes.The study program will contain a minor on International Forensics, an introduction course on International Forensics, a manual for international assignments and a European internship database. On top of that, the educational material of the program will be translated into a full, interactive online version for students of the participating universities, and an open source version, available for all who are interested in the subject. A professional project website and official cooperation agreements will support and stimulate the growing network of universities, committing themselves to the goal of creating a European forensic educational area.The full realization of this area, will not be reached overnight, considering the current national differences, lack of international cooperation and need to commit the vast majority of European universities to EFEN. Therefore the European forensic study program EFEN develops will first focus on European best practices in forensic methods, and the dynamics and complexity of cross-border cases, making it future professionals better equipped to work in a profession that becomes more internationally oriented. However, the long term goal, to reach in the years after EFEN ended, is to gradually transform the EFEN study program into a full 4-year study program, along with the creation of the European forensic educational area.EFEN started out with 4 universities and 2 forensic companies. Each of these organizations bring in specific experience and expertise, used to develop separate parts of the study program. Furthermore, the participating companies will guarantee the match between the sector needs and the content of the study program. Before the actual development of the study program, a baseline study on current educational solutions, needs and opportunities for a European forensic educational area will be carried out. A concept version of the study program will be thoroughly tested. After finalizing the study program all participating universities will incorporate it into their own curricula.A large part of the project will be devoted to dissemination activities, ensuring more and more universities will start to use the study program, gradually building the desired European forensic educational area. To this end, the EFEN partners can build on the already existing ‘Forensic Academic Network’ (FAN) they are all part of. FAN contains 9 more universities, that will be connected to EFEN during the project (FAN will dissolve into EFEN). Also, the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (the ENFSI, an associated partner to the project), the umbrella organization for the forensic science community in Europe, will be used to reach out to even more stakeholders in Europe.