<< Background >>Gaming is a fundamental learning method for the youngest generations, since we learn by playing different games in the first few years of our lives. Today different gaming methods in learning (gamification or game-based learning) are getting more and more popular, as they help young people to become more engaged therefore learn easier. In the digital era, there is even more possibilities to use games to facilitate and enhance the educational experience of young people.According to the Interactive Software Federation of Europe’s (ISFE) report, which examined the key European video game markets in 2018, 54% of the population aged 6-64 play video games, with 77% playing at least one hour a week. Nearly half of the players are female (46%) while the number of children and young people playing are the highest with 84% between the age of 11-14, 74% between the age of 15-24 and 67% between the age of 25-34. The latest is the strongest growing age group with an 8% growth in 2018. Esports are becoming so popular that in addition to players, 30% of the internet users now watch live streams of people playing video games, according to the research firm GlobalWebIndex.People enjoy playing video games not only because it is fun, but it is also challenging and there is a learning potential in it. Unfortunately, in most of the times the learning is not conscious, people do not realise and reflect upon the knowledge and skills they have learned while playing a video game. Youth workers with the appropriate tools, could help young people, who are already playing video games to learn useful skills (Hellblade deals with mental illness, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey teaches about ancient Egypt, Overcooked is all about teamwork, Warcraft teaches strategy, Minecraft is often used as an introduction to coding, English skills from most of the games etc) from video games.As everything in life, video games can be constructive or destructive, depending on how they are used. A study about the impact of video games on young people recommends, that youth workers should increase their understanding of the video game world to utilize its potentials and get to know its risks. Ensuring that youth workers are familiar with the video game world, and therefore able to connect with young people (even with the hard to reach ones) who play, youth workers can also discuss young people’s gaming habits in an open and honest way and can address occurring negative behaviours in due time.Based on the above-mentioned figures we can say that more and more people, even females are playing video games, but there is an unused learning potential in it. The purpose of the proposed project is to take on board young people's already existing interest in playing video games and transform it to planned learning, rather than trying to encourage more people to engage in playing, since this is already happening.<< Objectives >>Thus, the aim of this project is to increase the capacity of youth workers in supporting young people to develop basic competences, through utilising video games as a tool for learning.The following objectives has been identified in order to reach the aim:- To develop at least 20 non-formal methods using video games as a tool for learning- To fight against stereotypes regarding video games and help youth workers realise the potential in using them in their work with young people- To teach 155 youth workers the developed methods and how they can use video games as a tool for learningThe developed methods will be used by youth workers. During the lifetime of the project 155 youth worker will be reached; 25 during the Training of Multipliers and 130 during the Multiplier Events. Indirectly the project is targeting young people, since by using the developed methods, youth workers will help young people to develop competences while playing video games. During the lifetime of the project 150 young people will be involved, 60 in the research phase and 90 in the testing phase.<< Implementation >>The project consists of 6 transnational project meetings, the development of the intellectual output (non-formal video game methods collection), a Training of Multipliers and Multiplier Events in the partner countries. The developed methods will be used by youth workers in their daily work with young people. During the lifetime of the project 155 youth worker will be reached; 25 during the Training of Multipliers and 130 during the Multiplier Events and dissemination. Indirectly the project is targeting young people, since by using the developed methods, youth workers will help young people to develop competences while playing video games. During the lifetime of the project 150 young people will be involved, 60 in the research phase and 90 in the testing phase.<< Results >>Compendium of methods:The main outcome of the project upon its completion will be the project result, which is a compendium of non-formal methods using video games for learning. The compendium will consist of at least 20 methods from which there will be at least 2 addressing each of the 8 YouthPass competences.The methods expected to consist of:- description of the game,- explanation about its connection to the selected competence(s),-description of the activity, meaning a mission or task in the game, which develop or strengthen a competence,- reflection upon the learning.The compendium will consist of a table, similar to the one in Compass Manual for Human Rights Education with Young People, which will give youth workers an overview upon which video game can be used to develop the different competences. The partners expect that the developed methods will create a bridge between non-formal education and video games utilizing learning through gaming. It will also help youth workers to connect with young people through an activity, which young people already do in their free time and like, as well as turn that into a planned learning. By using the compendium in their local activities, youth workers will be able to help young people develop basic skills and competences in accordance with the YouthPass competences.Raised awareness upon the learning potential of playing video games:Each stakeholder the partners will reach during and after the project, be that the members of the organisations, the reached young people, the trained youth workers or external stakeholders reached by the dissemination activities, will be aware of the positive effects and learning potential of playing video games. This means that stereotypes regarding videogames will be broken in these stakeholders. Additionally, the partners consider each youth workers who incorporates the video game method in its daily work with young people as a positive result of the project.The target group of the project is youth workers. Due to the project they will see the potential for learning in video games and broke stereotypes. They will gain new competences, knowledge about the gaming world, skills in forms of the methods and changed attitude toward video games. This will enable them to understand young people better, hence connect easier with them. It is expected that they will be able to reach hard to reach young people, which will increase the amount of young people they help.The indirect target group of the project is young people. They will take part in the project during the research and the testing phase, but when youth workers start to deliver the developed methods, will the project have the real impact on them. Young people will feel more connected to youth workers, therefore they will open up easier to them. It is foreseen that they will even turn to them if they have any issues in their lives, because they will know that the youth workers understand them. By learning from the video games, which they play anyway, they will gain new basic competences, which they can utilize in their studies or later on in their work.

"<< Background >>Increasing and maintaining the quality of Youth work across Europe is key to achieving the Youth Goals, and this can be done by ensuring youth organisations and youth workers are able to learn from each other by recognizing and sharing good practices of other European youth projects, increasing the quality of youth work, the skills, competences and understanding of youth workers.The relevant existing information available relating to the measurement of impact and evaluation of impact assessment is undertaken as part of complex academic research hypotheses, analysis and presented in the form of reports covering theoretical frameworks of implementation. Salto-Youth.net does provide a some tools and trainings which are specific to their local, regional or project's thematic context (https://impact.ahe.lodz.pl), and while these meet their purpose, there is a lack of consistency and standardisation at the level required to be scaled up and adopted at a pan-European level; particularly if the tool is to be ""adopted"" by the European Commission - which is a barrier. There is a distinct lack of standardised, flexible tools which link local, regional and national youth organisations with the policy makers at EU level. A set of digital tools which is aligned with the European Commission, but can be implemented by youth organisations at all levels to prepare, plan, implement, measure, monitor, evaluate and learn from other youth projects would go a long way to bridging the gap between the current involvement of youths and youths workers in EU youth policy.<< Objectives >>The project aims to promote quality, innovation and recognition of youth work through the platform and outputs, as this is an overarching theme and strategic objective of the 2019-2027 Youth Goals. Increasing and maintaining the quality of Youth work across Europe is key to achieving the Youth Goals, and this can be done by ensuring youth organisations and youth workers are able to learn from each other by recognising and sharing good practices of other European youth projects, increasing the quality of youth work, the skills, competences and understanding of youth workers.To address these priorities, the project will strengthen and support the mandate of the EU Youth Coordinator (to ensure that youth issues are mainstreamed and well connected with all policy areas of the EU that affect young people) through the use of an innovative tool (within the GrowYOUth digital platform), which will increase transnational collaboration between youth organisations, promote “sister project” collaboration, engagement and sharing of lessons learned. We have selected the above priorities, to ensure the project is aligned with several of the 2019-2027 Youth Goals, which also shaped the project's objectives.Therefore, our project objectives are:1. Enhance recognition of Youth Work through European funded programs across Europe at national and EU level2. Improve sectoral cooperation, including through the EU Youth Coordinator's mandate, to give youth a voice in shaping EU policies3. Support the capacity building of youth workers and youth work practices4. Reinforce links between policy, research and practice and promote better knowledge about the situation of young people and youth policies5. implement long-term “cross-fertilization“ of Youth project results that promote discussion and reflection on EU issues and enhance knowledge about the Union and its processes6. Provide an evidence-base of information and data that facilitates the mainstreaming of youth issues amongst all policy areas of the EU that affect young people<< Implementation >>Like we said, the project aims to promote quality, innovation and recognition of youth work through the platform and outputs, as this is an overarching theme and strategic objective of the 2019- 2027 Youth Goals.We have selected the below priorities, to ensure the project is aligned with several of the 2019-2027 Youth Goals, which also shaped the project's objectives.1. Enhance recognition of Youth Work through European funded programs across Europe at national and EU level2. Improve sectoral cooperation, including through the EU Youth Coordinator's mandate, to give youth a voice in shaping EU policies3. Support the capacity building of youth workers and youth work practices4. Reinforce links between policy, research and practice and promote better knowledge about the situation of young people and youth policiesProject Outputs:IO1: GrowYOUth Digital Tool and PlatformIO2: GrowYOUth Training e-CourseIO3: GrowYOUth Community of PracticeIO4: GrowYOUth Tool Assessment and Policy Recommendations<< Results >>The project Results and the Other Outcomes (besides the IO's) of this project are:=Project Management Plan=Quality Assurance Plan=Communication and Dissemination Plan=Exploitation Plan=Impact and Sustainability Plan=Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy=Piloting Methodology=Project Logo and Branding Guidelines and Templates=Project Website=Social Media Channels and Profiles=4 Project Leaflets=6 Newsletters=5 Press Releases=5 Transnational Meeting Agendas and Minutes=3 Stakeholder Consultation Meeting Agendas and Minutes=3 Knowledge Exchange Workshops=3 Piloting Reports=7 Multiplier Events=4 Internal Administrative Reports=4 Internal Financial Reports=4 Dissemination Reports=4 Quality Assurance ReportsAmongst the Direct Target Group:= Clearer understanding of the importance of impact on the long-term outcomes of a project= Improved understanding of the links between youth initiatives at local and regional level= Enhanced accessibility to and awareness of training material and resources relating to youth sector impact= Access to a large pool of innovative pooled resources from within the European youth project network= Improved competences due to the shared experience within the community of practice= Personal empowerment, inspiration and improved capacity for innovation= Increased awareness of specific needs and situation of youths in access to services = Better understand of the best practices in maximising impact of youth projects= Improved knowledge on how to better support youths through youth work and youth-focused projects= Improved understanding of the need to embrace innovative technologies and open education resources in own workAmongst Youths indirectly involved in the project:= Improved awareness of the role and benefits of European funded youth projects= Improved understanding of their own role as drivers and catalysts of change at all levels (local, regional, national, EU)= Improved personal development management and transversal skills= Enhanced employability and productivity through increased active participation in society= Personal empowerment and independence= Increased participation in social and political life at local level= Increased capacity to influence policy= Increased desire to move into policy focused work and careers= Raised awareness of their rights and responsibilities as EU citizens= Deeper understanding of the role the EU plays in shaping youth policy= Greater appreciation of EU systems and transparency= Improved professional competences due to the shared experiences within the community of practiceExpected long-term impact at systemic level:= Increased capacity of youths to interact and feel at ease in the policy level stage= Increased participation in political life at local, regional, national and EU levels= Increased social participation of youths to actively engage in European funded youth-focused initiatives= Improved independence and self-esteem amongst youths= Better level of knowledge of youth rights, increasing confidence and trust in the EU= Opening of horizons of participation amongst youths and increased clarity about how they see their role in society= Better understanding by policy makers at EU and national level about the specific needs and challenges around integrating youth participation into policy at the highest levels"