"The European Commission 2014 paper 'A Healthy and Sustainable Environment for Present and Future Generations' speaks of the European Union's long-term commitment to sustainable development. This paper also states that ""Since the 1970s, the EU has agreed over 200 pieces of legislation to protect the environment. But legislation alone counts for little if it is not properly applied and enforced. The partners of “Environmental Learning Illustrated” wanted to contribute to the development of programmes that link adult education, training, and innovation in the digital era with the pressing environmental issues of our time. We would like to be at the forefront of the conversation and the transition to a low-carbon future using education as a tool, defining the channels and communication strategies to reach a wider number of people in various countries, and improving and extending the supply of high-quality learning opportunities for individuals in this field. To do that, we wanted to create an open e-learning programme where people can learn about the causes of climate change and what they can do to contribute to solving the climate crisis.The Surefoot Effect from the UK; Volontariato Torino from Italy; The Centre for Education and Entrepreneurship Support from Poland, and E.N.T.E.R. GmbH from Austria were the project partners. The Surefoot Effect (Surefoot) equips people with lifelong skills for sustainability by providing (i) space to think; (ii) time to explore motives and feelings regarding more sustainable lifestyles, and (iii) leadership that inspires action. This process has led thousands of people to successfully reduce their impact on the environment. Volontariato Torino (VolTo) is the Volunteer Support Centre of Turin. VolTo is an umbrella non-profit organization with 160 member organizations and a network of more than 1300 voluntary associations. VolTo works to provide free services (such as training, consultancy, planning assistance) to assist the voluntary associations in the Province of Turin. The Centre for Education and Entrepreneurship Support (CEES) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that works in the field of youth and cooperates with businesses, universities, schools, enterprises and educational institutions. CEES promotes entrepreneurship to young people at school as well as to those who already run their businesses. E.N.T.E.R. GmbH (ENTER) is a European network and has more than 900 member organisations in 44 countries in varied fields and sectors. ENTER’s main objective is to provide a unique network structure for the dissemination and sustainable use of EU project outcomes.“Environmental Learning Illustrated” developed an online interactive learning platform for participants to learn about the cause of climate change and potential solutions according to four main themes: energy and climate change, food, transport and consumption and waste. These four main themes also included related topics such as climate justice, water consumption and environmental refugees. The programme included a 28-page graphic novel and 63 illustrations that served to convey the main topics covered.Under the principle that “people remember stories, not facts” partners wanted to add graphic content to make learning on climate change issues more memorable and more enjoyable and to engage with people for whom formal scientific learning is not optimal. This methodology also follows the work carried by Surefoot in which environmental problems are developed by letting participants explore their values, emotions and identity. The design of the programme was also based on information provided by 223 people on how they would like to see an online tool such as this one structured and developed.All objectives set in the original application have been met with over 50 people from each participating country taking part in preliminary surveys that informed the team on the best way to structure and develop the online course. Six people from participating organisations trained to develop content for Intellectual Output 01 under the guidance of two experienced trainers from CEES, and eight people from the participating organisations trained on how to communicate projects and activities that use storytelling and similar formats in order to facilitate the input ideas from the main topics of the project for the illustrations and the graphic novel. Finally, 416 people were happy to participate in the pilot of the e-learning modules.Recent events such as unprecedented forest fires in the Amazon and other rainforests and the premature melting of large areas of Greenland and Antarctica are making people from all over the world more concerned about the conservation of nature and willing to initiate activities that protect it. This programme has offered an opportunity for partners and a large number of participants to engage in these topics in a positive light to learn and support the alternatives that already exist."

<< Background >>For the project partnership of the #me#us#now project it is absolutely essential to apply for this project, as the focus is set on low-qualified people in VET, VET professionals including external VET trainers and VET schools, and the aim of changing our current situation not only on local, regional, national or EU levels, but also on international level for the better and to include everyone to counteract the effects of climate change in a sustainable and participative way based on common green values.The project #me #us #now focuses on low-qualified young people between 15 and 30[1] years of age in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and VET professionals across Europe.The addressed needs can be clustered according to the two target groups in VET and stakeholders, including professionals and experts, as follows: (1) low-qualified young people in VET -identify the status quo, needs, barriers and awareness levels -raise motivation -reduce given barriers -support them with easy-to-handle and low-threshold activities and measures -use their capacities in peer-group settings -accelerate their self-efficacy -allow for and further the building of common values -create access to societal participation -encourage a sustainable lifestyle (2) VET professionals -meet the need for common guidelines -offer innovative tools and strategies -encourage cross-institutional acting and supporting-provide potential innovative contributions to be incorporated into the curriculae of VET systems -encourage exchange of results, best-practices, experiences and lessons learnt -further exchange on local, regional, national, EU and international levels (3) stakeholders, professionals and experts -meet the need of a common green networking platform -encourage exchange of results, best-practices, experiences and lessons learnt -further exchange on local, regional, national, EU and international levels[1] age range is leaned on the European Youth Guarantee: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en<< Objectives >>The project partnership of the #me#us#now project has set the following objectives to be achieved during the project for the following target groups: 1.low-qualified young people in VET -Identify the awareness, needs and barriers of low-qualified young people in VET concerning climate change by conducting national field studies and desktop research, both enabling conclusions and recommendations for VET professionals (R1) -furthering motivation, identification, development and implementation of effective and sustainable countermeasures that are applicable and adaptable daily and permanently (R2) (R3) based on the results of R1 -further active participation in society (R3) -further the development of shared green values (R2) (R3) - promote the transfer of the planned project results, especially R3 to more representatives of the target group -contribute to effective climate change countermeasures for all groups of young people through the implementation and delivery of the #me#us#now project. 2.VET professionals -support low-qualified young people in VET to increase their awareness and self-efficacy on climate change (R2) (R3), based on the results of R1. -support VET professionals in motivating the target group in the daily context of VET (R2) -providing useful tools, activities and measures that can be easily implemented and adapted (R3)-encourage the incorporation of innovative and sustainable contents in all curriculae, including those in VET schools and the education of VET teachers/trainers - establish a networking platform to promote exchanges between VET professionals on multiple levels 3.experts and stakeholders on different levels -establish a networking platform to promote exchanges between stakeholders and experts (R4) at local, regional, national, European and international levels -provide a Green Policy Paper for public and educational bodies and political decision-makers-encourage education, VET policy and political discussion at a broader level (R4)<< Implementation >>The project activities that will lead to the successful implementation of the #me#us#now project can be divided into the following categories: 1. Project management and implementation activities These activities form the basic framework of the #me#us#now project by defining all the tasks necessary for the proper implementation of the project inside and outside the project partnership and consist of -administration (A.PM1) -monitoring (A.PM2) and -budget control (A.PM3) 2. Quality Management These activities include the -Quality Management Guide (A.QM1.1) which defines quality benchmarks on process, product and impact level and the-Quality Assurance consisting of regular evaluations of process, product, and impact quality on internal and external level. 3. Sharing and promotion, Exploitation and Sustainability These include-Sharing and Promotion Products (A.S1), such as design of project logo, Sharing and Promotion Guide, brochures, flyers and posters, the project website, social media channels and continous sharing and promotion activities sharing regular news about status-quo and product development process through online activities and personal activities at target group and at stakeholder level. Additionally, the-Impact Assessment (A.S2) provides regular sharing and promotion reports of partners. Moreover, there is the development and implementation of the-Sustainability Strategy (A.S3) 4. Transnational Project Meetings Direct and personal exchange between the partners in the crucial phases of the project split up into -TPM1: Trim, IE, Apr 2022 -TPM2: Bilbao, ES, Dec 2022 -TPM3: Graz, AT, Aug 2023 -TPM4: Vicenza, IT, Dec 2023 5. Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (C1), Aug 2023 and Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (C2), Dec 2023 In this 3-day short-term staff training each, both target groups involved will be trained in using and applying the #me#us#now project results R3 and R4. 6. Multiplier Events The national multiplier events further the sharing and promoting of project results, include relevant stakeholders and are split up into -E1: AT, Jan 2024 -E2: IE, Jan 2024 -E3: ES, Jan 2024 -E4: IT, Jan 2024 The project consortium of the me#us#now project will produce four high-quality and easy-to-use project results for the beneficiaries of the project and for further use on regional, national, European and international level. These consist of - the #me#us#now Research Report (R1), including national Field Surveys, a Transnational Report concerning low-qualified young people in VET and a video summary subtitled in all project partners’ languages. - the #me#us#now Methodological Collection (R2) providing activities and measures for raising the motivation and awareness of low-qualified young people in VET concerning climate change, including national motivational workshops. - the #me#us#now Action Plan for Eco-Pro’s (R3) offering a practical guidebook to VET professionals, a peer-group setting with role models of the target group of low-qualified young people in VET, and implementation activities. - the #me#us#now Green Merge Networking Platform (R4), allowing for a long-lasting exchange between professionals and experts on local, regional, national, European and international level and providing a Green Policy Paper to political decison-makers and public and educational bodies to accelerate discussion on multiple levels.<< Results >>(R1) Research ReportGathering relevant national information about the target group - low qualified young people - and the professionals who work with them, is necessary for providing tailor-made further results. This will help the project consortium to understand the perspective, needs and awareness of low qualified young people concerning topics such as climate change, sustainability, and their self-efficacy. Additionally, professionals working with the target group in the context of e.g., VET, youth coaching, counselling, will be asked as well. The project consortium will need to meet low qualified young people in VET and VET professionals alike at their current state, to create a deeper understanding of their situation and perspective. All project partners will conduct desktop research concerning existing activities/measures on national levels in the context of climate change and sustainability. The Transnational Research Report will serve as an important basis for the following project results. Video summaries will be available in all partner languages.(R2) Methodological CollectionBased on the findings and conclusions of R1 the project consortium will implement a collection of activities and measures for raising the motivation and awareness of low qualified young people regarding climate change. This can be used and implemented by VET professionals who support the target group. Due to the implementation of feedback loops with the target groups and further developed as an opportunity to motivate the youth for taking action. The main purpose of this project step will be to nominate one role model per country for the further project process. These will help the project to create a new approach for counteracting climate change. Raising self-efficacy and social responsibility of the role models will help spreading the idea of climate-awareness through peer-groups and will be ensured that not only professionals will motivate low qualified young people, fostering awareness, participation, and acting in a sustainable and self-efficient way by implementing motivational workshops in all partner countries.(R3) Action plan for Eco-Pro’sThe findings of (R1) and (R2) will be compiled in a guidebook that will help and support professionals to integrate climate change activities and measures into their work with low qualified young people. They will learn how to motivate them to become active and to take their societal role in counteracting the negative environmental results. The Action Plan for Eco Pro’s will be the core output of the project and will include practical advice and case studies. The result will include the important findings and conclusions of (R1), but also on the other hand recommendations and guidelines for a step-by-step implementation of the defined activities and measures of the result for professionals. Role models will be consistently included to offer a deeper understanding of the target group and their motivating factors and barriers regarding the topic and together with them custom-tailored ways in peer-group settings will be developed and implemented to reach the target group.(R4) Green Merge Networking PlatformAs the European Union underlines the importance of exchanges beyond experts, the project partners will elaborate the structure of setting up an online platform. This will include the creation of the design, the functions and an easy-to-handle user interface. It will provide free access to all results and findings collected in the project, and the Green Policy Paper. In addition, professionals, experts, stakeholders and interested parties will have the opportunity to get in touch with each other and exchange views on the content and practical implementation. In this way, the results will even be more spread and accelerated across borders, bringing together interested experts and will therefore create international impact and good opportunities for a follow-up even after the projects end.

The CHELLIS project aims at providing Challenge-based Environmental Language Learning through Inspiring Stories for adult learners and low-qualified/low-skilled learners. The introduced didactic methodology combines successful existing and well-proven pedagogical techniques in a non-formal and openly accessible digital learning environment that fosters environmental attitudes and language learning and uses a gamified and highly visual storytelling approach. In order to achieve this, a project consortium of suitable and reliable partner organisations from France, Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal, and Italy have joined together and will produce the following project results:1) The CHELLIS Investigative Field Analysis (IO1) will present insights from a comprehensive desk research and needs specific to the target groups in order to obtain a representative portrait of climate challenges most relevant to certain regions and addressed audiences, enabling the partnership to tailor the two subsequently developed outputs to these particular needs and current demands.2) The CHELLIS Handbook Magazine (IO2) will become a reference instrument for adult education professionals who are specialised in language learning or environmental learning and are working with low-qualified and low-skilled adult learners, migrants/refugees, and adult learners in general. This 60-page handbook magazine will be available as an online flipbook, an e-book and a print publication and will present the CHELLIS methodology in detail as well as offer practice peek video clips with professionals. 3) The CHELLIS Platform (IO3) will be a responsive and highly visual non-formal online learning resource that puts the innovative CHELLIS methodology into practice by offering six interactive story challenges and a transparent validation of learning outcomes. It will simultaneously promote language learning, text comprehension and environmental education and will offer positive learning experiences that have a direct impact on the individual life of learners. Furthermore, complementary activities will be implemented that are crucial for the success and sustainability potential of the project:- The CHELLIS Storytelling Staff Training, which will ensure coherency and high quality of learning contents developed by the partnership.- An open call for artists in order to find suitable professionals who supply the visual elements of the interactive story challenges. As the open call will be widely disseminated, the impact and visibility of the project will be amplified.- National Multiplier Events will be held during the piloting phase of the CHELLIS Platform and engage a large number of adult learners and professionals.Overall, more than 500 participants will be actively involved in the CHELLIS project and more than 200.000 representatives of the following target groups will be reached overall across all partner countries and beyond:- Beneficiaries such as adult learners and low-skilled/low-qualified adult learners as well as migrants/refugees learning the language of the host country; - Professionals such as adult educators and adult trainers, especially in the field of environmental or language learning; - Wider stakeholders such as green NGOs and entrepreneurs, representatives of green industries and careers, experts in the field of environmental learning and language learning, digital artists (who will be engaged for the development of the IO3 illustrations), and the general public.Active participation opportunities as well as extensive dissemination and exploitation efforts of partners through all available communication channels and networks will ensure a broad and sustainable impact of the CHELLIS project on local, regional, national, European and international levels.

<< Objectives >>-Build the capacity of HE educators to implement hands-on STEAM activities following gender equality approaches-Develop learning material, resources and OERs for HE educators and Industry leaders to promote women’s empowerment and engagement in STEAM-Enhance women’s confidence towards STEAM, motivating them to consider a relevant career-Increase and nurture women’s interest in the digital sector through the development of a mentoring program, gender inclusive teaching activities and OER<< Implementation >>The STEAM4LIFE partnership will develop the STEAM4LIFE Guide and Mentoring programme as well as all the activities and resources to implement the methodology. In addition, the partnership will facilitate evaluation and testing activities of the OERs, the learning modules and e-learning courses along with the piloting of the mentoring methodology. Finally, promotional activities and events will be organised to further disseminate the project and its results.<< Results >>The main results and outcomes are:-Guidance and Mentoring Program for women in STEAM-STEAM4LIFE E-Learning environment and Open Educational Resources (OERs)-Educational e-courses for HE educators/Industry leaders-At least 500 students and 200 HE educators and Industry leaders participating in the implementation activities-More than 10,000 stakeholders informed about the project and its objectives.

DYVO project will contribute to facilitate and innovate recognition and validation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning in the field of youth volunteering, with the aim of enhancing young people’s employability and social participation and youth/voluntary organizations’ quality of work. The project will contribute to overcome some of the obstacles that still hinder the diffusion of validation practices in the voluntary sector: the lack of flexible, easy-to-use instruments; the lack of awareness on the relevance of transversal skills, and on volunteering as an experience of development of those skills; the lack of specific skills in youth workers for guiding validation processes of young volunteers; the lack of a clear framework of learning outcomes of informal learning through volunteering and of the related competences that can be acquired. Coherently, the objectives of the strategic partnership are: 1) to develop a new digital, easy-to-use and innovative tool to support the recognition and validation of competences in youth volunteering; 2) to empower young volunteers, youth workers and organizations in the development and exploitation of methods, tools and procedures for validating competences, included the new Europass framework; 3) to elaborate a clear framework of learning outcomes, and related competences, of informal learning through youth volunteering, and a clear methodology of validation; 4) to promote recognition and validation of competences of young volunteers with fewer opportunities.In order to achieve these objectives the project develops, tests and disseminates an innovative model for validating young volunteers’ competences called DYVO Model, composed of 3 Intellectual Outputs. DYVO App is IO1 and is the core innovative output of the project; it is a blockchain-based certificate platform (Desktop and Mobile app) for the management of the validation process, whose final version will be fully accessible in five languages: English, French, Italian, German and Lithuanian. The App will be developed and tested with a transnational group of 40 young volunteers (included a subgroup of young people with fewer opportunities) tutors and assessors. Within this digital environment all the steps of validation can be easily performed: identify and document acquired competences producing a portfolio, assess and certify them through blockchain technology. E-book on the DYVO Model is IO2 and will contain: a competence framework, that is a set of competences commonly acquired through volunteering experiences, with a link to the labour market perspective, in order to highlight ways of capitalizing learning outcomes into a job context; a methodology of validation, that is the definition of methods for identification, documentation, assessment and certification of competences under DYVO Model; a collection of case histories of young volunteers and voluntary organizations to work as role models. DYVO Training Package is IO3, that is a set of innovative training programs for young volunteers, tutors and assessors aimed at empowering them in recognition and validation of transversal skills. The training package will be designed and piloted and then released as OER.IOs will be disseminated according to a sound dissemination strategy aimed at creating the conditions for further exploitation of IOs at regional, national and European level. The main results of the project are: a simplification of the process of validation; an increased awareness on the importance of validation and transversal skills among relevant stakeholders; a qualitative and quantitative increase in young volunteers’ participation in transnational activities, also among young people with fewer opportunities. On a longer term, the expected impact is that the project contributes to increase the share of young volunteers who receive formal recognition and who use Europass; that the DYVO Model can become a standard at least in the regions where it is tested, but also be transferred in other regions and countries, so that an increasing number of youth/voluntary organizations may implement it and an increasing number of young volunteers may validate their competences; that DYVO project can contribute to national and European debate on validation, especially as regards the use of ICT-based tools.The project’s desired impact on young volunteers is that they are facilitated in accessing the labour market; they continue validating competence and updating Europass; they increase the quality of their volunteering and social participation. As for youth workers, the expected impact is that they are trained to serve as tutors for guiding validation processes; increase the quality of their youth work; make a more strategic and effective use of digital technologies; benefit from more motivated and qualified volunteers.