The theme of recognition and validation of learning outcomes from informal or non-formal settings is commonly understood as one of the most important challenges for educational and training sector nowadays. One of the most powerful informal learning contexts is represented by the volunteering sector, where people of all ages and from different educational, cultural and social backgrounds have the opportunity to experience and work in diverse – and often challenging – contexts and settings, putting into practice their existing skills and gaining new experiences and competences. Most of this new knowledge can represent an asset in other areas of their lives such as, e.g. in their professional careers. VALLEY aimed to provide adequate resources to identify and recognise skills and competences developed mainly by young people during their volunteering experience, and to increase motivation among vulnerable target groups (such as NEETs – young people not in employment, education or training – and migrants) to approach the volunteering sector also as a way of re-engaging in social life.In addition to young people, the project also engaged with staff in volunteering and youth organisations. Staff and trainers working for volunteering organisations across the six partner countries received training on the VALLEY methodology and on the topic of validation of learning outcomes in volunteering services.The VALLEY team consisting of six partner organisations with complementary expertise in the field of training, evaluation, validation, work with disadvantaged groups and volunteering, developed educational modules and tools for volunteering organisations on mentoring and validation related topics.During the piloting phase, consisting of a training and preparation phase, the volunteering activity phase, and the evaluation phase, the partners implemented the VALLEY approach with their volunteers within their organisations or in collaboration with external partners. The volunteers set up learning projects together with their mentors in the volunteering organisations and chose up to three competences from the VALLEY inventory of competences they would want to develop. They were supported to set themselves learning objectives and to identify activities they could undertake to enhance these competences. Volunteers’ competences were measured and evaluated both at the beginning of the project, as well as at the end (although many of the partners opted to measure these mid-way through the volunteering experience as well). The different methods of assessment included self-assessment, peer-to-peer reflection, group discussions/focus groups, interviews, and reflective diaries. Competences developments were evidenced and authenticated using the innovative LEVEL5 system for validating informal and non formal learning. Evidence of competence development is the LEVEL5 certificate which visualises the competence development by means of a cube and describes the concrete learning outcomes. The certificate can be added to the volunteer’s personal portfolio.The practical phase of the VALLEY project spanned several months, primarily conducted during year 2 of the project. It involved more than 40 volunteers – more than 70% of the group comprised NEETs or young people with migration background In total 30 learning projects were undertaken with at least 85% of the participants receiving a LEVEL5 certificate, validating the competences gained during their volunteering. All partners found many benefits and advantages to using the methodology. The methodology enabled the volunteers to set goals and learning objectives, and to clearly see and track their progress. Obtaining a certificate at the end to evidence competence development was welcomed and often seen as a source of pride. Further, their personal development was seen as contributing to improved educational and career prospects and opportunities. The methodology enabled participants to look at volunteering from a different angle, and to appreciate the learning dimension of their activities. The VALLEY approach can become a comprehensive European concept to promote volunteering among young people, and to validate the competences developed by young people during their volunteering experience. To reach this ambitious objective, the project has developed the VALLEY quality label that can be acquired by each European volunteering organisation applying VALLEY procedure and quality criteria defined in the project.The partnership provided a diverse and broad access to our targets groups. Each partner used their extensive networks to engage with volunteering organisations, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders promoting the VALLEY brand and approach. This resulted in a number of fruitful collaborations at both national and international levels.

A major challenge for the increasingly multicultural Europe, amidst the ongoing refugee crisis, is the smooth social integration of ethnic and cultural minorities (ECM), including their children. Migrant integration takes place at multiple levels, and one of the most sensitive fields is that of school education. There are many interventions focusing on teacher competence, the concept of intercultural education, and diversity management in the classroom. However, another important factor affecting the integration process is parental engagement and attitude. Both parents from the host societies and migrant/refugee parents have direct influence on the attitude, behavior and performance of their children, and consequently the integration process as a whole. Positive parental engagement is of paramount importance for the social inclusion of ECM children.The overall objective of the Parents4all project was to raise awareness, empower, and develop the intercultural competences among parents of the host society and migrant/refugee parents alike in order to enable them to contribute effectively to the social inclusion of ECM school-age children. The specific objectives of the project were to:- Actively involve parents in the design of effective interventions for migrant social inclusion- Create tailor-made training material for parents from the host societies in order to effectively deal with diversity and support school activities for social inclusion- Create empowering training material for migrant/refugee parents in order to be able to better support their children in the integration process and effectively collaborate with school staff- Create an effective self-assessment methodology for parents regarding intercultural skills and migrant/refugee pupil inclusion- Raise awareness among parents of both target groups through the production of inspiring audiovisual material- Make recommendations to stakeholders of education and social inclusion for a sustainable intervention methodology addressing parents- Promote the notion that parental engagement for social inclusion is a collaborative, reciprocal, and mutually rewarding process6 organizations from Greece, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and the UK participated. Olympic Training, a VET center from Greece, coordinated the project. BEMIS, Scotland, is the national umbrella organization for the Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector and the communities that this sector represents; ifa Akademie, Germany, is the training and education center of the Institute for Foreign Relations; Soros International House, Lithuania, is a language school involved in integration projects; Programma Integra, Italy, is a social cooperative active in migrant integration; the University of Huelva, Spain, was the academic partner of the consortium.The project involved directly all target groups (parents and stakeholders) in output production. The consortium directly involved over 355 individuals from the main target groups in the project activities, at least 60 of which were persons with cultural differences and/or refugees. Products were tested in a piloting phase. Through the dissemination activities carried out by the consortium and the associated partners, more than 30,000 persons were reached.The activities implemented were:- Development of a methodology for training parents on intercultural competences and active support of ECM pupil integration- Creation of training material tailored to the needs of a) parents from the host societies, and b) ECM parents- Creation of a toolkit for self-assessment on intercultural competences and the need for training in integration issues- Production of a video and a short film designed to raise awareness among parents, promote understanding between the two parent groups and motivate to positive action- Creation of a guide providing recommendations to stakeholders for the exploitation of project products at national level- Extensive dissemination activities, including an international conferenceParents4all raised awareness among parents and stakeholders on ECM children integration issues and the necessity of parental training and engagement. Parents are provided with tested tools to improve their intercultural competences and responsiveness to social, ethnic and cultural diversity and to be empowered in participating more actively in issues related to education and inclusion. The project also provided stakeholders and policy makers with tools for a more holistic social and educational policy.In the long term, improved competences and increased awareness on behalf of parents are expected to have a positive effect on the interaction of pupils of different origins, cooperation with school, and social integration in general.