BACKGROUND: Coworking is a new model that involves individuals working independently or collaboratively in shared office space. However, coworking is not only about providing office space for startups, self-employed persons and other. Coworking usually performs two more important functions - there is always educational program provided as well as socialisation program. Hence coworking is a unique mix of 3 very important features: at first - it promotes and help entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship ( especially in rural areas); secondly - it bring new educational elements into community, where it operates; thirdly - it always helps in terms of social integration, especially important in rural areas. The rationale of coworking is its triple effect, which can stimulate positive and sustainable effect of socialisation (inclusion), education and entrepreneurship. These elements are critically important in a youth sector, especially in rural areas. OBJECTIVE: Introduce coworking concept to he youth centres in the rural areas - hence, stimulate entrepreneurship and educational possibilities of youth through coworking concept. The project aims to fosters entrepreneurial attitudes, stimulate key competencies and provides new models of business operations in rural environments. NEEDS: The work conditions shift from the office based o the flexible and freelance.It is expected that coworking spaces will be “new models of work” in the context of the ‘collaborative and ‘sharing’ economy (Botsman and Rogers, 2011). Hence, coworking is an alternative way of working, where working environment is shared and coworkers become sustainable entrepreneurs. In the supportive environment they receive also new contacts, social skills, empowerment and education. The most obvious change in the working behaviour is found within youth sector. Hence, youth centres has to become a combination of youth centre and coworking space. At the moment, the lack of relevant knowledge, support and infrastructure is one of the main barriers for proper development of coworking in rural areas and small towns. With more than 7.500 spaces in operations across Europe (2015), coworking is by far the largest bottom-up community based network of entrepreneurs. Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner in charge of the Digital Agenda, has acknowledged coworking as a model which can support the development of digital entrepreneurship in Europe and beyond. The project addresses specific problems related to youth unemployment and self-employment in rural areas: - the need to reduce start up costs (office rent, secretariat costs, room meeting, ICT tools, etc.); - the need to combat the sense of isolation, need for social engagement and civic activisms within relevant social network.; - the need to stimulate self-employment and entrepreneurship by stimulating key competencies. TARGET AUDIENCE: - primary target group: youth living in a rural and small towns. - secondary - youth workers/youth leaders. MAIN ACTIVITIES/RESULTS: 4 Transnational meetings organised in partners countries. 1 Guideline with suggestions how to coworking within youth sector and distributed to wide network of stakeholders. 2 Trainings organised to obtain and share knowledge. 1 Coworking space started in Latvia as role model. 1 Dissemination events organised with at least 30 participants. At least 15 articles about the project will be published in the project partners websites, describing 3 most important processes in the project. 1 network of established among partners with aim to continue cooperation BENEFITS/IMPACT: The main impact expected to have a wider visibility and support towards coworking as a method to integrate in a youth centres to empower youth. Foster development of better infrastructure for entrepreneurship, foster availability of education in youth sector. More specific impact is expected as: - wider acceptance of coworking concept at European level in rural territories as part of the youth work; - improvement of essential support towards educational needs in rural areas in youth sector; - increased amount of empowered youth in Europe; - availability of new coworking spaces integrated as a part of the youth centre in Latvia and abroad.

"Social entrepreneurs drive social innovation and transformation in various fields including education, health, environment and enterprise development. Since 2011, social entrepreneurship (SE) started its active spotlighting in the political area, it is not so well developed within Baltic countries.Main objective – support of youth within Baltic sea region, especially Baltic states to develop ideas for social business start-ups, promote recognition of existing youth SE and gain best practices from European social entrepreneur’s network.Specific OBJECTIVES:- Support alternative financing ways of youth social businesses in Baltic sea countries;- To spread the idea of social entrepreneurship in Baltic states (LV, EE, LT) within youth sector;- Provide the necessary competencies and support tools enable young people to develop social business ideas at regional, national or international level;- Initiate further process with existing business incubators cooperation with youth NGO’s and youth centres for possible mechanisms how to facilitate development social business incubation for youth and the support and develop guidelines;- Introduce with ""Art-ups"" as one of possible ways for young people to start own social business;- Encourage young people in innovative and creative thinking, collaborate and take risk;- To promote good practices among local and international partners to achieve sustainable, collaborative, social business support within youth sector. Number and profile of participating organizations:The selection of partners was based on the 2 major factors: first – geographical location: most partners has to represent one of the Baltic see countries; second: competence and interest factor – partners are active in social business promotion and youth or active youth support organization in the region, has considerable experience with creative practice turned to the social disadvantage and promotion of the social and civic growth. Project was executed in cooperation of 5 project partners – 3 from Baltic states and 2 organizations with experience in social business support (incubation, acceleration and providing of training) and work with marginalized areas with social strains (isolation, unemployment, racial integration). To get better expertise within social business incubation in youth sector, 2 representatives from each Baltic partner organization took part in short term joint staff training in Paris.ACTIVITIES:Several activities have been executed during the project: intelellectual outputs, training activities, joint staff trainings and dissemination evets. The aim of developed handbook for youth organizations ''How to facilitate development social business incubation for youth'' (IO1) was to provide an insight into the structure of youth organizations in Baltic countries. The guidelines target the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian youth engagement opportunities and trends with a view to analyze the youth interest in the promotion of SE. Guidelines also provides results of questionnaire of youth organizations in all Baltic countries, as well as show the partner’s countries good practices in youth social business ideas’ support and development and provides practical material on the support mechanisms and methodologies.In intensive 5 days training – social business accelerator in Latvia 30 young people from Baltic states were led through business development process under supervision and mentoring of best specialists in the field and were introduced with practical examples.One of the main activities were development of first crowd-funding platform for Baltic’s youth social business ideas www.impactyouth.euFor dissemination of project results 3 forums were organized in each of the Baltic country, to present project results and initiate discussions about possible cooperation between social business incubators and youth centers.IMPACT, BENEFITS AND RESULTS.Main impact of the project was and still is activation of SE business around Baltic countries due to better educational support via provided activities by establishment of closer cooperation and network of partner organizations, youth organizations and established cooperation with social business support organizations to foster social business around Baltic countries in youth sector. Tangible results, such as gained practical knowledge in incubation and trainings, guidelines for youth organizations and alternative funding tool will increase number of SE startups in youth sector in each country.The strongest sustainable effect is the platform, where ideas of social business are inserted by youth. The created platform has to serve a further networking and financial support mechanism and partners will continue work on promotion of platform as well as attraction of strategic partners. Furthermore, project long term benefits are indicated recommendations for youth social business development, developed as a part of guidelines."

Despite significant superiority over the younger generation in the form of greater life knowledge and experience, people aged 50+ often undergo a gradual marginalization. The reasons are multiple, but one of them definitely is digital exclusion which not only causes one’s economic but also personal losses – leading to withdrawal from life, less confidence and worse understanding of the fast-changing reality. On the other hand benefits people aged 50+ can get from sufficient digital skills, e.g. using the Internet, are numerous: i.a. better chance of finding a job, more friends, higher level of general trust, engagement in the life of local communities, higher self-esteem, more active participation in culture, in general – higher quality of life of particular people, but also whole societies.Learning, especially lifelong learning, is no longer associated with the traditional education system only, and teaching is no longer the sole province of schools. Widening the circle of institutions offering educational activities by adding NGOs, informal groups and cultural institutions can support innovations and new approach to learners. 6 partners from Czech Republic, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden that work with adults and are fully aware of the importance of continuous learning within this group, decided to join their efforts for the common aim - to increase knowledge and skills of their staff through exchange of experience and good practices in the area of culture and adult education, in order to develop the project product – an offer of activities supporting development of digital skills in adults aged 50+, by means of cultural activities.Profiles of the participating organisations range from a company focusing on knowledge and transfer of innovations in the field of lifelong learning, through folk universities with a variety of educational activities and culture centres offering cultural education, to an association dealing with visual arts and languages, and new forms of communication. This diversity guarantees a wide coverage of aspects related to the chosen subject and, at the same time, allows to avoid repeating old patterns while working on common solutions and the project product.The partners will meet six times during transnational meetings, once in each partner’s country, to allow their staff to learn from each other, exchange experience and develop activities targeted at people aged 50+ with low digital skills, some of which will then be tested by the partners during local workshops. Digital skills will be shaped by adequately chosen activities in the field of broadly defined culture and arts, waking participants’ creativity and using their inborn creative potential. The project also indirectly engages other local organisations and institutions – NGOs, third age universities and other institutions working in each partner’s environment that offer support to the partners in development of the project product. Such network will support the partner organisations also in future, after the project ends.

The project involved 7 institutions, 5 of which were schools that work with students with special educational needs. The remaining two institutions were an institute of higher education and a publishing house which deals with art and culture promotion. The main idea of the project was to benefit from the common work in learning about healthy food, lifestyles, habits and preparing the partners' traditional meals. What is also important, is that the project dealt with discovering and implementing new teaching methods, approaches into the teaching process of students with special educational needs. Moreover, the project also dealt with the practice work of students who train to become future teachers in conducting lessons with special needs students at the partners' schools. The main results of the project are the European Food Passport certificate, the Europass mobility certificate, the Cook Book (PDF and printed version) and teaching materials from the course about new teaching methods and approaches and practice work at schools. The main objectives of the project were to:- Learn and practice skills needed for independent life- Arouse empathy of the local community to the students and their work- Make the inclusion process to the local society easier for our students- Practice and improve basic competences such as: maths, nature and reading skills- Discover new methods, approaches, learning styles and strategies in the education of students with special educational needs- Improve the level of involvement of culture institutions in the education process- Experience the work of teachers from other European countries and include some of the ideas and practice into the partners schools' policies- Experience teaching students with special educational needs in other countries- Establishing the need for knowledge about other countries traditions, cuisine, lifestyles- Gaining the basic knowledge about European Union and its' aim as the entity that unites us together- Learn about the healthy lifestyle, habits, healthy food- how its prepared and where does it come from- Improve communication skills among students and teachers- Improve IT skills- Improve the level of self-esteem and motivation to learn in students- Establish friendships between the students from different countries