To participate is one of the core skills in the nowadays digital society. Participation means to be in the position to gather information, reflect them and articulate opinion. Participation inherent the ability to conceptualize information and put them into different context. Transferring participation into education means to educate self-aware citizens, who are open to new ideas, cultures and concepts and who are willing to form and influence actively their society. Therefore it was beneficially to create curricula, which had a European perspective on citizenship and participation. Still each country inside the EU has different approaches which never have been brought together at the European Level. Educitizens is based on 3 fundamental pillars – participation, citizenship and empowerment – and the share of smart practices in educational field – formal or non-formal. The project sought to create an evaluation grid for identifying smart practice in citizenship building and collect those practices in a method handbook and an online map. The project EDUcitizens was organized in a series of multinational meetings. At every meeting the partners presented two smart practice examples of participative methods or projects in education. All methods were documented, collected and published at the end of the project. In order to identify the good practices, the partnership discusses and worked out the evaluation grid to identify smart practices. The grid and the method handbook can be used by institutions from all education sectors in formal and non-formal learning.There are several definitions and explanations, regarding non-formal education and its difference from and relation with formal and informal education ( Dib, 1988). There is, however, still a lack and need of a comprehensive model with enough explanatory power to address the increased variety.Similarly, SMART is a concept that could be understood and utilized in different ways. Thus this book on selected SMART practices of EduCitizens project has required a more refined conceptualization of SMART practices of non-formal learning and education.Our team has developed one tailored conceptualization of SMART, benefiting from the rich portfolio of the practice cases provided by the project partners. Those case articles that were ready by September 2018 were studied to determine a working classification method. After this content analysis SMART framework has been developed.This conceptualization covers the original four EduCitizens categories (citizenship, engagement, participation and education) and can be used as case categories so that the lnitials could make it S.M.A.R.T.: S: Stakeholder diversity, Social inclusion and intercultural dialogue (actor-oriented) that could cover citizenship M: Mindfulness, awareness, discovery (pre-action-oriented) A: Action, engagement and empowerment (action-oriented) that covers engagement and participation R: Reflection, self-experience and learning (post-action-oriented) that could cover education T: Technology-supported, digital, virtual (tool-oriented)Among the 48 cases collected which are selected for the e-book publication. Accordingly, the selected cases from partnering countries and organizations have been classified under one of these suggested categories by our team, prioritizing to which it fits the most. (If not to the 'Others' to keep it SMART!) Then this categorized list was sent to all partners, and final changes were made, based upon their feedback.

Modern society is undergoing rapid and profound changes. A recent study found that about 30% of tasks in 60% of occupations could be atomized (December 2017, McKinsey & Company) leaving space and need for new synergies between activities and innovations. In terms of social innovation, European Commission brings up the concept of co-creation on the agenda: “The empowerment of actors is, according to research as well as practitioners (Vale, A. 2009), what qualifies the innovation — ‘engaging citizens as co-creators’.” This idea was also expressed by President Barroso: ‘A successful innovation policy is one that involves all actors in society, innovation is something you do with people, not to them’ (13 October 2010). If the ultimate objective is to introduce sustainable change, then the main variable is people’s empowerment. “Co-creation and co-innovation by universities and public research organisations with businesses, social institutions, government, and citizens need a specific set of skills” (EC, 2014). Co-Engage is built on the conviction that teaching participation through co-creation will contribute to the empowerment of all citizens, independently of their age, gender, ethnic or any other belongings. Co-Engage has been conceived by 8 European partners, active in different fields and sectors, from social innovation and services till fashion design, experienced in formal and non-formal education. Our consortium will contribute to the development of co-creation skills enabling citizens to become social innovators. Based on the exchange of experiences and learning through co-creation, our method will permit to bring in light know-how and competences engaging citizens for innovation and creativity and through this, creating bridges between divers sectors and fields of activity. Co-Engage project circle is oriented on work packages, milestones, staff trainings and transnational meetings. The most important activities carried out will be the collection and analysis of good practices and their testing in co-creation labs. Co-creation labs will be implemented during three training courses. Co-creation labs typically involve hands-on activities in which a group of peers expresses experiences and explores potential solutions in a tangible way. Collaborating in this way provokes discussion and creates valuable insights. Co-Engage methodology will build on the concept of “critical design thinking”, an attitude where critical approach of traditional and accustomed values brings new ideas and new results and form an important element of co-creation. The overall aim of Co-Engage is to identify the main areas where co-creation can contribute to turning citizens in active innovators of the society, and to gather and discuss good practices representing each of these areas. In order to achieve this main goal, the implementation phase of the project will lead to 5 main results. Result 1: elaboration of at least 80 smart practice evaluations on co-creation methods in the different sectors (private, public and NGO) based on a commonly approved evaluation grid. Result 2: Organisation of 3 Co-Engage Labs. During the labs, the techniques and methods of co-creation will be discussed (Lab 1 - Co-discovery: Citizens as co-implementers), their transferability will be tested (Lab 2 - co-speculation: Citizens as co-designers) and finally the methods will be implemented outside the project (Lab 3 - Co-Creation: Citizens as initiators). Result 3: The smart practices evaluation and the three Co-Engage Labs will lead to the identification of a large number of co-creation practices, that will be gathered and presented in an interactive map; Result 4: The Co-Engage consortium is composed by partners who are all actively engaged in teaching and training; each of them representing at least 2 of the key competences of Lifelong Learning identified by the Erasmus + programme. A specific work package of the project will be dedicated at the identification of the main pedagogical tools and methods improving co-creation skills, as well as of their main learning outcomes. Result 5: A project eBook, main dissemination product of the project. It will summarise all methods, recommendations and inputs.

This project is developed by FYCA and its European partners. The project aimed to ameliorate the recognition of youth work and non-formal education through the development of certified “International youth studies” curricula and open educational materials for European Higher Education Institutions. The specific objectives were: • Stimulating and strengthening the integration of non-formal education and formal education at universities through the establishment of a certified course on International youth studies.• Creating bridges between formal and non-formal education, youth policy and practice in order to release innovation potential to raise the quality of educational and social service to Europe’s young people, to promote career flexibility and mobility, and to assert the value and utility of evidence-based policy and practice.• Strengthening human potential in the youth field by building a critical mass of qualified youth workers.• Promoting international recognition of the youth work and non-formal education through developing and adopting award criteria that are in line with the formal educational system.Through developed curricula and open educational materials, the project targeted at enhancing the quality of the human resources involved in youth work. It contributes also to the modernization of higher education by designing an integrated course for those involved or willing to involve in youth work.The project consisted of 5 international activities (2 capacity building + 3 mobility).