The rational of the BE IN project is grounded in political statements like the Europe 2020 agenda regarding poverty and social exclusion, and especially on research-based evidence that shows that people with an immigration background tend to face more educational barriers compared to the indigenous population within Europe. Equally it has been shown that youngsters who have an immigration background in their family take up more disadvantaged positions within European educational systems (OECD, 2018). Especially crucial in this regard is early education - as research results show, it is difficult for children having gaps in early education, to catch up later. Besides, educational systems that segregate or track children from early ages based on standardized assessments exacerbate the problem. The aim of the BE IN project is to create a Blended Learning course for pre-service and in-service early childhood educators and primary teachers in order to improve their ability to promote the inclusion of migrant and refugee children (3 to 8 years old) in ECE settings and to address the risk of social exclusion those children face. The BL course will be used in pre-service training but also as an open learning environment in in-service training and vocational training of practitioners that work in ECE. In the design process of the BL course special attention will be paid to the development of educators/teachers’ competences, including skills and attitudes, that may allow them to handle daily challenges more effectively and enhance their ability for equity, diversity and inclusion in the learning environments.The BL course will be used in the participating universities, in the field of Early Childhood and Primary Education teacher training. Participating Universities will also work on its dissemination among other schools, colleges and universities. At the final stage of the project, it is expected to have established a larger network of universities with the aim of monitoring the use, maintenance and adaptation of BL course. This network will become not only a strategy to give sustainability to the project, but also a site for research, exchange and improvement of teaching activities connected with projects results.The consortium established for this project involves seven Higher Education Institutions, from seven different European Countries (Portugal, Spain, UK, Lithuania, Belgium, Netherlands and Turkey). Teachers and researchers involved (at least two from each partner University) come from diverse study fields, and it is assured that participants have the necessary expertise in the fields of teachers training, social and educational inclusion, and digital technologies including the design of blended learning environments. Teachers will work collaboratively but each activity will be under the responsibility of two leading universities.During the project six transnational meetings and two intensive learning programmes will provide the opportunity to work collaboratively in project outcomes as well as to get the students' involvement and contributions in the process of developing those outcomes and achieving the aimed results. In summary those results refer to: 1. A report (that will be open and available to the community) presenting the theoretical framework/common understanding that will be achieved on the training of teachers for social inclusion, on inclusive education in relation to migrant and refugee children, on the teachers’ profiles in relation to the topic and on the setting of professional competencies underlying this general approach. 2. A set of multimedia materials (such as life stories, learning stories, podcasts, videocasts, vignettes or e-books) that are intended to illustrate essential aspects of the report. These materials will be conceived to be integrated in the course that will be designed later, in Blended Learning, but also as materials that can be used in teacher training processes in the different European universities. With that purpose they will be translated or subtitled into the languages of the participating universities. 3. A virtual environment will be created to host the multimedia materials. 4. Finally, the blended learning strategy will be presented, which will include the selection of training activities and materials, learning assessment and a guide for teacher trainers, which will be also translated into the partners national languages. 5. At the end of the process an article will be written and presented to be published, as a strategy to disseminate project results and how they were achieved. This project is committed to the idea of an inclusive school in the heart of European values, and it is expected that its results will contribute to improve the education of educators/teachers of ECE on attending to the needs of migrant and refugee children. Monitoring of the project results and their impact will be attained through a broader network for research internationally.

BackgroundWHO's European Mental Health Action Plan prioritises the rights and empowerment of service users and their families. In addition, service user partnership and involvement in education is growing in importance for the development of future and current practitioners. Despite policies placing a strong emphasis on positive approaches like recovery-orientated practices and social inclusion, service user empowerment and involvement is still a common challenge across European countries. Higher Education Institutions have a significant role to play in developing this and in developing the competencies needed by current and future practitioners, through leading the knowledge triangle of education, research and work. Across Europe there was no model in mental health whereby the contributions these groups can make could be harnessed. To this end, the project had a core objective, to strengthen competencies for people in mental health. Central to the project is the use of a participatory action research approach to develop all of the outputs, drawing on service users’ experiences and now regarded as important to the education of future and current professionals. Key to this process was the development of Communities of Practice (CoP) in each partner university, which have acted as ‘think tanks’. These CoPs comprised all of the stakeholders in mental health (service users, family members, practitioners, students and academics). Objectives The core objective was achieved by the delivery of three outputs; (i) a competency tool which can be used to develop knowledge, attitudes and skills for working in mental health, (ii) development of a tripartite logic model of working for the greater inclusion of stakeholders in mental health. The model identifies ways of working in co-produced ways and mechanisms through which greater inclusiveness can be achieved. (iii) The development of eLearning materials to strengthen competencies for mental health working. The materials were developed across five core themes following curricular evaluations. The project strengthened multi-professional competencies in mental health with nursing, social and health care students, service users and professionals in international context through blending eLearning and intensive programmes and training. Additionally, the project created an Erasmus generic competency tool.Activities undertakenThe project followed the ideas of the European Commission's Modernisation of Higher Education Agenda (2014) in developing new modes of learning and teaching in higher education. This was done both in the running of two Intensive Programmes (IP) and in development of eLearning materials for Output 1. In both processes, novel approaches have been introduced underpinned by gamification principles and in the use of problem-based learning and ‘learning by doing’ (Aldrich 2012). STRENCO’s two competency assessment tools have been developed as self-assessment tools, the assessment of which can also be done in a facilitated way with the guidance of a preceptor. They adopt a five-stage scale for assessment and are presented with guidance manuals for their use. A mapping of the development process of the mental health competency tool is presented in the output. The tool can be used both as an assessment and as a learning aid for all parties. The secondary product from this output is a general skills competency assessment for Erasmus programmes that can be used across different countries and education systems. Based on the learning encountered over the STRENCO project, Output 3 has resulted in the STRENCO Logic Model for working in mental health in more co-produced ways. The model highlights how context, process and outcomes are intertwined within co-production in mental health. It presents a visual representation of the components interrelationships that impact on working in mental health. It presents the process mechanisms that should be considered as key factors that influence co-production in MH along with the challenges that may be presented.Number and type/profile of participantsThe STRENCO Project has involved approximately 100 participants from across the spectrum of mental health, in either the Communities of Practice or Intensive Programmes across the six partners. These included MH service users and families, experts by experience, clinicians, students (57) and academics (30). In addition, two training days for a wide audience were held at the end of each intensive programme in the host country.ResultsLong term benefit of the project is manifest in the products of the three outputs. Across different formats, the project has produced 19 eLearning packages. In addition to the packages has come the skills development of the teachers and students involved in the process. The competency frameworks and tripartite model provide a foundation for practice and an avenue to develop approaches and skill sets for the future.

<< Background >>The partnership feels that the WELFARE project is important as it focuses on social innovation and entrepreneurship not only as topic of a university training course but : - An opportunity for integration and cooperation of academia and enterprises/organizations within the welfare system - An interdisciplinary and creative educational environment, creating a multidimensional perspectives to a community challenge, workshop, mentoring and transnational cooperation. - An international network of enthusiasts (professors, teachers, practitioners, students and stakeholders) for social innovation and entrepreneurship that will work together and share ideas both during and after project implementation. - An opportunity to analysis and compare institutional environment and social innovation policies in partners countries and Europe, as well as creating a platform and workshops where these policies will be discussed and used as a sources for social innovation and improvements on local welfare systems. With our unique approach the partnership aims at meeting the needs of: - Practitioners and stakeholders within the welfare system for training in social innovation as well as for developing innovative solutions/approaches within their sectors or organizations.- Universities and training organisations involved in developing cooperation between academia and enterprises/organizations within the welfare sector, gaining insights into their operations, beneficiaries and user needs.- Education and innovation systems of partners countries, focusing on policies and infrastructure of social innovation, providing best practices and comparative analysis of social innovation policies and institutional environment for inclusive and social entrepreneurship.The partnership will use the teaching method of flipped learning in the pilot training, as all teaching material will be produced and accessible to students enabling teacher to create teaching environment of exploration and creation in a workshop settings and problem based learning, using processes like Design Thinking for social innovation and Ikigai for self realization as a social entrepreneur. This approach will also allow for single modules to be used in shorter courses or workshop settings either in the education system, workplace training, adult and youth training.<< Objectives >>The main objectives of the WELFARE project are to: - develop high quality Open Educational Resources, including curriculum, online/f2f training content and training course. - promoting and enhancing understanding of the importance social innovation and entrepreneurship within partners countries welfare systems, - create an open university, training and networking environment for discourse, research and social innovation in the welfare system both within partner country's and trans-nationally through the WELFARE platform.<< Implementation >>The WELFARE project will include 1 multiplier event being the final conference in Iceland, 3 transnational partners meeting, dissemination material like 3 online newsletters and articles in periodicals and open science journals as well as 5 project results. Project results will demonstrate the project process that is, GAP and need analysis, university curriculum 4-5 ECTS, high quality open online/f2f training materials and short documentaries, pilot training (5 months spring 2023) followed up with the finalization of project results as well as follow up training (5 months autumn 2023) using adapted results. Parallel to he implementation of these project results the WELFARE training and networking platform will be developed as a platform for online support, training, and mentoring for social entrepreneurship. Partners will use their extensive European and International networks to transfer and disseminate project results.<< Results >>Project results include online training material for social entrepreneurs in English and partners languages. Following results and outputs will be created: 1. GAP analysis and using the research methodology of “Design thinking” interviews and focus groups to define target group needs. 2. Course curriculum (including modules, descriptors and teaching, methodologies) equal to 4-5 ECT units, in English and partners countries languages. 3. OERs: Preparing online training material in English and national language, allowing for country specific information. Focusing on strengths and interest profiles (ikigai), networks, regulation and licences, business plans and budgeting as well as creating 1-3 short documentaries from each participating country on social entrepreneurs or innovations within the welfare system. 4. Pilot training 20+ participants in each country in spring semester 2023, students and practitioners. Finalization of the training material based upon participant’s feedback. Second testing of the training/curriculum for 20+ participants in Autumn semester 2023. 5. WELFARE training platform in English and partners languages, including all project results as well as being a network for social innovation within the welfare system. All partners will participate in the creation of each and every project result and have allocated lead roles of each results/outcome to different partners based upon their skills and expertise. All project results will be available on project platform at least 24 months after the finalization of the project.