The European Disability Strategy 2010-20 states that about 80 million people in the EU live with mild to severe disability with a 70% higher than average poverty rate. They experience many barriers to learning and employment including discrimination and prejudice, poor basic skills and education due to, for example, missing school due to disability or illness, lack of confidence, lack of accessible learning and work environments. InfoAble will develop an Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Mentors Toolbox, using the Europass model, for people working in a paid or voluntary capacity in lifelong learning and VET as support staff, trainers or tutors for disabled adults and young people. The materials will be delivered through a blend of self-directed and e-learning, face-to-face group seminar and professional structured support. Partners will establish local panels of disabled people and IAG practitioners to advise on the Toolbox development and will pilot it with 50 mentors (paid and volunteer - a minimum of 15 of these will be disabled people themselves) and 100 disabled adult and young people ‘mentees’ looking for work/training. Objectives include:• Needs analysis report outlining the status of IAG for people with disabilities in partner countries • Development of the Toolbox , self assessment materials • IAG Mentor Passport• Pilot of training, self assessment materials and framework• Green Paper ‘Lessons Learned’ ReportThe Toolbox will be designed to be delivered through 18 hours self-directed learning and 4 x 3 hour group seminars led by IAG practitioners and a range of pedagogical methodologies will be used to develop the materials including collaborative learning, explorative learning, game-based learning, virtual experimentation. The project will use a Prince II based project management methodology to ensure effective delivery against the specified workplan and targets underpinned by robust quality assurance. A key feature of the project is that it exploits an earlier KAICT3 project managed by some of the partners - Web2SEE (web2see.eu) which currently provides online information to disabled people. Experience from this project demonstrated to partners that there is a strong need for dedicated disability specific IAG mentoring and support in a range of media and settings, face-to-face as well as online. InfoAble will create a portal on the existing Web2SEE site for the public to download the IAG Toolbox and other project products.Project impacts and outcomes will include:Project impacts and outcomes will include: * Trainee IAG mentors will develop skills and competences and improved strategies to deliver IAG to disabled people – enhancing their professional development and increasing their competitiveness in the labour market. * Anticipated impacts on disabled mentees will include increased opportunities for inclusion and integration in education and/or the labour market through taking part in the project and benefiting from targeted IAG. * IAG and Learning providers will be reached through partners’ current networks and there is already interest in the project. They will be impacted through a range of project activities: the needs analysis in identifying barriers to inclusion and potential solutions and accommodating the varying needs of a range of disabilities; dissemination through their own networks; contributing to and reviewing the draft learning and self assessment materials and contributing to the post-project sustainability strategy. * Those IAG mentors who are volunteers will contribute to their local social capital and community cohesion, particularly relevant in 2014 which continues the 2013 EU Year of Citizenship. * Organisations employing/hosting the IAG mentors will benefit from an upskilled workforce and improved understanding of the needs of disabled people. * Partners will have gained mutual understanding of their working cultures and practices within the context of disability and the EU * The profile and abilities of disabled people will be raised across in partner countries and through the Toolbox launch event at the EU Parliament Building more widely in the EU. * At least one teacher/trainer from each partner will cascade learning from the pilots through* The project methodology is potentially transferable to other IAG practitioners working with socially excluded groups in other countries. * Widening participation for socially excluded groups is a priority for all partners. As lifelong learning, education or social welfare providers, all partners’ strategic plans include widening participation in learning, VET and employment by disabled adults and young people.* A significant contribution will be made to the development of training materials, framework and standards which partners are committed to promoting their adoption them in their own countries will have great potential to become common across the EU.

Shift was aimed at promoting an exchange of practices amongst each partner organisation in order to improve knowledge and develop joint initiatives on Intercultural Mediation from the education and training perspective. IM can be considered a key professional role and also a transversal competence necessary to ‘build’ a link between immigrants and workers in the institutions of the host society, to reinforce networks and to increase the capacity to operate at transnational level, share and confront ideas, practices and methods in the relevant field of intercultural dialogue. Specifically the project was aimed at •Investigating and reporting about the profession of ‘Intercultural Mediators’ and/or similar professionals within the partnership’s contexts. •Investigating and reporting on existing paths (formal, nonformal, informal) for becoming ‘Intercultural Mediator’. •Mapping the Gapping of relevant learning outcomes within formal education pathways on Intercultural Mediation The Shift Project involved a complementary partnership led by Consorzio abn a & b network sociale, an Italian Consortium of social cooperatives. The other partners were: In Italy, Unione Nazionale Consumatori with expertise in mediation, the Municipal authority City of London (UK), Xano Channel, a Spanish organisation expert in education and training as well as in mobility of staff and learners. It furthermore involved other organisations in Italy (CIDIS onlus) and Spain (ESMOVIA) with specific expertise in Intercultural and Cultural mediation on the one hand and in VET on the other. The partnership worked together on the professional profile of Intercultural Mediators. The first step was to investigate on the State of the Arts, that is the professional status and the professional training available in UK, Italy, Spain. However, it was through the Blended Mobility partly held in Valencia that the participants came to a shared definition of Intercultural Mediation and built together a shared view and agreement on the complex series of Competences that characterize this profileThe investigation of the IM profile has been carried out both through desk research (performed by each partner organisation autonomously) and through the Mobility experience held in June 2017. The former has been carried out online (using google drive as common platform to share materials and collaborative work on the common theme) and offline. The Workshop on Intercultural Mediation was organized in Valencia from June 20th to 24th. In this experience, which involved the participation of professionals who perform intercultural mediation activities, the discussion was focused on: •Agreeing on a common definition of Intercultural Mediation •Distinguishing between Intercultural Mediation and other forms of mediation (e.g.. Cultural Mediation) •Identifying the set of core competences belonging Intercultural Mediators •Identifying competences GAPS within the existing training paths in the partner countries In order to base our work on a common ground, the partnership has adopted the following definition of Intercultural Mediation: Intercultural Mediation is the process of facilitating communication amongst different cultures for social integration. “Intercultural mediation” intervenes by “mediating”, as a tool of synthesis between the different identity, cultural, religious and ethnic components; on the other hand, the word “intercultural” includes all those aspects that shape the identity of single individuals. The blended mobiliy of learners was held during the month of June 2017. The mobility involved nr 3 accompanying persons and nr 9 learners. At first stage, sharing of materials and discussion was held through skype and google drive. In Valencia a workshop was held from June 20th to 24th where participants have worked together to the construction of an agreed competences framework of the profile of Intercultural Mediator and met local initiatives and services which include intercultural mediation as a core competence/activity. The exchange or practices held during the Shift lifetime and overall deeply and intensively during the Mobility training programme in Valencia, led us to look more compellingly at Intercultural Mediation not only as a profession to be pursued through professional training but also as a transversal competence which is key to a great number of professional profiles such as doctors, teachers, lawyers, public officers (this list is far from being exhaustive). From these reflections and conclusions stem the strong commitment of the Shift project partners, to continue the collaborative work in the domain of IM undertaken through the Shift project to make Intercultural Mediation a competence accessible to all.

The main aim of the “Youth 4 Youth” Peer learning against Early School Leaving” project is to contribute to the reduction of early school leaving (ESL), especially amongst socially disadvantaged youth. We did so by offering alternative tools - forum theatre methodology (FT) and community reporter (CR) methodology - and the combination of FT and CR.In the EU ESL is a key problem. According to the EU definition, ESLers are young people between the ages of 18 and 24 who have failed to complete their secondary education. In 2009, more than six million young people across Europe – 14.4% of the 18-24 age groups – ended their school education system with a lower secondary qualification or less. Even more worrying is the 17.4% who only completed primary education (Eurostat, 2010). According to statistics from 2012 in the partner countries:in France 11,6%, in Hungary 11,5%, in Italy 17,6%, in Spain 24,9% and in the United Kingdom 13,5% of the youth were ESLers. With the exception of Hungary where ESL rates increased by 1% between 2010 and 2012 - which is a very slight improvement - statistics proves that the effort required in all the countries represented in this project to improve the situation.In previous projects we examined the factors that affect ESL are the following:individual (psychological), social (structural), relational (intra-school) and institutional (educational system). Some of these are susceptible to local interventions. We have chosen to work with FT and CR method since they can have impact on the first and third of these factors.Our partnership aimed to contribute to decrease ESL by involving youngsters from youth centers, in CR and FT workshops where young people worked hand in hand with their facilitators, took active part in developing actions to raise awareness, participated in developing teaching/learning material to support youth workers and teachers and other youth, so that these too could build awareness and address problems related to ESL. In order to mobilize their peers, our young participants took actions in schools and other institutions, presenting the results of our work and inviting the public for an open debate (Multiplier Events).Targets:Direct targets are socially disadvantaged youngsters between the age of 13-20, as well as youth workers. Indirect targets are other teachers, stakeholders, educational experts and decision makers, parents, who are affected by the project and can be the key of the change on the long run in their environments.Activities/results:-developed 9 interactive Video Lessons on ESL with youngsters during CR and FT workshops in 4 languages (ES, HU, IT, UK)-organized 18 Peer Actions in the partner countries when youngsters raise awareness and start dialogue with their peers and other concerned targets. -developed a Video Blog where youth workers, teachers, professionals, youngsters and students can learn about ESL, our methods and processes-created a Case Study Book to tell about what our participants think about the school system and show the impact of our methodsMethods:-FT method-CR method- the combination of FT and CR-Peer to peer learningThe partner organisations:-Artemisszió Fundation - coordiator organisation; experience in FT-People's Vocie Media - experience in CR, the creator of the method-La Xixa Teatre - experience in FT-Consorzio ABN - experience in CR-Elan Interculturel - experience in FT and leading the assessmentAll organisation has experience in working with disadvantaged young people.Impact:-On participating youngsters: changing attitudes, gaining self-confidence and reflect on their own behaviour. Development of competencies, communication, creativity and self-expression skills, individual and group work, conflict resolution, intercultural competencies and problem solving. The methods we use have a direct impact on motivation, discipline problems, youngster-adult relations, youngster-peer relations,intercultural problems and conflicts.-On participating professionals: awareness raising, getting educational tools to handle ESL issues in youth centers and classrooms, exchanging professional experiences on ESL, gaining new pedagogical and intercultural skills-On indirect targets: awareness raising on ESL, getting tutorials about our methods.We believe that in the long run our project can contribute to the reduction of ESL, especially amongst socially disadvantaged youth. We encourage the dialogue among the concerned parties – youngsters, parents, professionals and decision-makers by providing a combination of new methods and tools. We think that with this dialogue we can successfully improve the situation concerning ESL in the partner countries.

In the context of rapid globalization and the re-balancing of the world economy, EU recognizes that innovation is essential to ensure the continuing ability of Europe’s businesses to compete in the marketplace. European Commission expects to create an Innovation Union by increasing investment in knowledge, promoting better funding for innovation and effective use of resources. Although in theory the importance of innovation for competitiveness and business growth is very clear and stated in several documents, in practice the processes of innovation development and management are successfully implemented in some large enterprises and only very few SME's are involved in the process. Those SMEs that are un-tapping their innovation capacity and focus on issues beyond creating and using technology, create breakthroughs in areas ranging from basic business planning and marketing to new product introduction, organisational development, financing and 'soft technologies'. The main objective of In2In project is to facilitate more effective provision of collective business and innovation support services for SMEs, so as to ensure the increase of innovation within the SME’s. It will attempt to become a tool that will support the growth of innovation within SME’s and it will be focused to SMEs staffs that need to know the basics of a successful innovation practice.In order to achieve the above it has been created a well-balanced consortium of 6 actors with complementary mix of skills and knowledge: work and training/education involved in skills, Innovation, e-learning, quality and dissemination and of course strong project management experiences: - Grafia has been helping enterprises in developing competences, skills and creative and innovation potential in their human resources for 21 years. - Learning Light has worked with a number of businesses to improve their performance by introducing new innovative technologies including e-learning and other technologies designed to support learning and development. - Asset Technology is a know-how transfer enterprise with extensive experience in implementing transnational projects, while offering a vast variety of services focused on and off the job training - Consorzio abn focuses on existing social business models and designs and implements researches and interventions that allow SMEs to innovate their social business. - EOLAS has easy and direct access to the target public on regional and national level for the needs analysis and piloting phases of the project and extensive expertise at quality and exploitation. - Synthesis offers training aiming to inspire and empower participants. It gives special attention to learning for personal growth and view life-long learning as a natural element of a person's life and has proved experience in dissemination activities. The main results of the project are three guides focused on SME staff along with a social and collaborative learning platform and accompanied e-courses. The three areas are a) Innovation - Creativity Generator at the work place, creativity enhancing SMEs and more in detail micro-enterprises and finally Knowledge Management for Innovation which will help SME owners/ decision makers and staff to identify key knowledge in their company. To ensure a common understanding is achieved by the consortium and in order to meet the aims and objectives, the Project Management Methodology has been built around the principles relating to the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (EQARF) for VET constituted of fours axis: 1. Planning: Provide the most up-to-date information to the way innovation can be boosted within SMEs through creativity and knowledge management 2. Implementation through the creation of guides for 3 Innovation Modules and an online platform to support the diffusion of the Innovation models through further e-learning opportunities 3. Assessment & Evaluation via piloting testing on SMEs employees 4. Feedback based on project findings, for future work in the field which will help to improve SMEs staff way of thinking and operating at the working environment.The outputs of the project will increase the competences of EU SMEs staff and introduce them to innovation thinking and innovation boosting. It is expected skills building on SME staff, acquired capacity to analysis, problem solving, decision making, technical skills and increased offering of services in the area of building innovation potential in micro SMEs. Additionally, cultivating within local societies innovative way of thinking and exploitation of a model to inspire experienced SME owners to support young initiative (inter generational approach) and the development of new policies focused on promotion of SME innovation.

Green in Everyday Life (GIEL) (http://www.green4life.world/home.html) is a project funded by EU Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport ERASMUS+ to promote sustainable behaviours between different target groups.The project methodology comes from a Spanish national program called Green Homes (GH) (http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ceneam/programas-de-educacion-ambiental/hogares-verdes/). GH is an educational programme for families that are concerned about the environmental and social impact of their decisions and daily habits. GIEL is the first international experience of GH, working with different target groups in various countries in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. In each partner country, each partner entity has adapted the methodology of GH to the reality of their territory and the profile of their target group.The objectives of the project are promoting a moderate use of resources by encouraging individual responsibility; raising awareness on environmental issues related to the use of energy, water, waste and mobility; improving key skills and offer new educational tools for educators and partner organizations and creating a European level space of lifelong learning for environmental education.Seven partners have participated in this project:•Asociación Columbares, in charged of coordinating the project and implementing the activities with immigrant families.•Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental (CENEAM), in charged of advising all project partners in the implementation of GH in their countries, given their extensive experience as coordinator of the Spanish network entity.•Consorzio ABN, working with primary schools.•Insider Access, working with families, prisoners and ex-prisoners.•Global Playground Stockholm, working with young families.•Bassin Guir Association for Development and Protection of the Environment, working with primary schools and families in rural communities.•East & West Center for Human Resources Development, working with families and youngsters.The main activities of the project included:1. Initial training course, in which the partners learned how to implement GH in their countries. They received the Green Homes Starters Kit (http://www.green4life.world/training.html), a complete guide to run the GH, including background information, training materials, games, quizes and GH audit materials.2. Development of awareness rising activities by each partner in their home countries with different target groups, such as environmental audits with delivery of a domestic savings kits, educational workshops and analysis of the savings of the participants.3. Development of Green4life Manual (http://www.green4life.world/training.html), a complete guide to running the GH, including information about the methodology of implementation, educational materials, advices and the experiences of one year working from each partner, with the adaptations for different target groups and different contexts. It also contains four examples on educational activities of each partner, considered by the team as the best practices developed in every country.4. Creation of the Green4life Network (http://www.green4life.world/network.html), a virtual space of green ‘thinkers’ that will combine international exchange of experiences, transfer of methodologies, educational materials and knowledge transfer in GIEL related areas, which continues to function after the project is completed.5. Dissemination activities: The most important are:a) Hogares Verdes-Green4life conference. A seminar in which,-for the first time, the participants of the GIEL project met the members of the Spanish Green Homes network and presented them the results of the project in each country and pose new challenges internationally.b) Changing lives-sustainable futures conference, in which the value of GIEL project to engage disadvantaged groups was analyzed and discussed.c) Dissemination videos, in which the activities, results and origin of GIEL project is explained.It is estimated that the project activities have reached around 1.500 people. Between the main results, we can delight the 254 immigrants who have participated in Columbares’ activities; the reduction of water consumption in an Italian school by 10 %; the influence that the project have had in Morocco in improving the local environmental politics; the reduction at about 20 % in electricity and 35 % in water in Jordan, as well as the 20 young people trained to be environmental auditors in this country; the way the project promoted the confidence of prisoners in England and the way it was an inspiration for promoting an eco-enterprise or the improving in recycling and using of bikes in Sweden.The main results, in terms of longer-term benefits, include the Green4life Manual and the Green4life network (explained before).