"The project addressed the lack of a common ground for youth work and of a clear picture of what constitutes quality in youth work. At the same time it intended, as an overall aim, to build a firm organisational platform where this common ground and view on what is qualitative youth work could be turned into practical quality development through peer learning and exchange of methods and best practices – InterCity Youth – the European Network of Local Departments for Youth Work. The main objectives of the project were a) to develop common indicators on participation, non-formal learning and gender equality and inclusion of marginalized groups of youth published in a booklet b) to create a web-based library of methods and best practices linked to the indicators The project also aimed at strengthening relations and cooperation between local departments for youth work and youth organizations as well as other organizations in other parts of the youth field on local, national and European level by, as a first step, inviting them to function as a reference group to the project. The activities of the project mainly consisted of a work group with representatives from the different partner organisations that together created the sets of indicators and gave examples of methods and best practices that can be used to see to what degree actual youth work meets the indicators. The approach and methodology of the group was based on the report from the European expert group on youth work quality systems, ""Quality Youth Work – a common framework for the further development of youth work"", published by the European Commission.The foreseen results of the project were sets of common indicators and ways to work with them that are used for common quality development within a strong European network of local departments for youth work, ICY.The booklet ""Inspiring Quality Youth Work"" (IQ Youth work) is the result of an Erasmus+ Strategic partnership between eight member organisations of InterCity Youth – The European Network of Local Departments for Youth Work. An additional partner - Municipio de Santa Maria da Feira- was added in the end of the project in order to make the International multiplier event in the Europe Goes Local conference in Portugal 5-7 June 2018. The project has been going on since spring 2016 and was finished entirely in the end of August 2018.The partners in the project were:KEKS, Network of municipalities, Sweden – coordinating organisationMunicipality of Cinisello Balsamo, ItalyKanuuna, Network of municipalities, FinlandMunicipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the NetherlandsMunicipality of Stara Zagora, BulgariaMunicipality of Thessaloniki, GreeceVVJ, Network of municipalities, BelgiumMunicipality of Munich, GermanyMunicipio de Santa Maria da Feira, PortugalThe project’s foreseen results were the following- that you can also find on the Intercity Youth website;A set of indicators on youth participation.A set of indicators on non-formal learning.A set of indicators on gender equality.A set of indicators on inclusion of marginalized groups of youth.A booklet where these sets of indicators are presented in combination with methods and best practices to be used when youth work should gather knowledge about to what degree activities meet the indicators. The booklet IQ Youth work is available in English, German, French and was also translated into Greek, Italian and Dutch by the different partner organisations.A web based library of methods and best practices linked to the indicators, including contact information that can be used for further inquiries and cooperation.The work methods used was transnational work meetings with the work group and project management group consisting of representatives from each partner organisation. In addition dissemination events were held in all partner organisations and as well in the Europe goes Local conference in Cascais Portugal, 5-7 June 2018. The project have created a concrete European model and method for working with quality development, relevant and usable in the carrying out and governing of everyday youth work in the very different youth work settings and conditions not only of the participating partners but of local departments in general. Through the combination of common indicators and ways to follow up, and a structured process for exchange of experiences and best practices the ICY-project will create a common ground that is not only based on words and documents but is firmly rooted and integrated into everyday practice. The work on creating indicators for the booklet IQ Youth work have not only made the different partners in the project familiar with how to work with indicators but have also made them ambassadors for a structured approach towards youth work. Several of the partners in the project were not familiar working with indicators and this was totally new for them. We think that the impact and the longterm effect for those memb"

<< Objectives >>The main goals of the project are:-An increasing active approach to citizenship among young people.-Exchange and share different methods of participation among the partners involved. -Providing Youth Workers with knowledge, tools, and experiences to enhance their capability in order to promote active citizenship with their young people through blended methodology with the focus on gamification-Raising awareness of the support the EU provides for young people to achieve their goals among the<< Implementation >>There will be local activities, interviews with decission makers and youth workers to compare their perspectives about ideas and innitiatives. We will have a seminar with 16 youth workers, 4 per partner to share and compare the results about surveys perspective. After that we will ellaborate materials, games and a tool-kit plus a final evaluation event in the municipality of CInisello with 2 youth workers from every country<< Results >>- a website for sharing Youth innitiatives to increase and share participation and active citizenship in decission making- - An increase in awareness of youth, about active citizenship and participation, how to be more active and what tools from the EU they can use - measured by surveys among youthAt least 30 young people will have directly been trained in gamification and active citizenship method

"<< Background >>S.M.A.R.T. is a 24-month Strategic Partnership involving 7 partners from 6 different European countries from the youth and digital activities development sectors. The project aims to support and empower youth workers, develop the digital skills of participants and design and implement digital youth activities that will lead to the professional development of participants while at the same time they can be applied to any other form of education and training that is digitally implemented.The idea behind the Strategic Partnership is in the interest of the partners to create a project that will be the continuation of 3 different previous Partnerships (STEPS, VR in School Education and in Civic Involvement & SMART Youth work in youth centers) focusing on the latest developments and needs caused by the pandemic and the general emphasis on policies that promote the digitization of education and training.In summary, the project, through its activities and produced Project Results, aims to develop the digital competences and skills of youth workers, to ensure the inclusiveness of learning opportunities, to develop e-learning, mixed and distance learning skills, to develop digital pedagogical skills of youth workers and to empower them to provide high-quality digital, non-formal inclusive education. Participants in this process will be youth workers and their main feature is that they wish to develop their digital skills in the field of Digital Youth Work (DYW). As a result, people with or without much experience in the field of Youth will be sought who are interested in gaining a background in digital tools and methodologies that will allow them to adapt their work to the new trends of digital activities in the youth field.The expected results of the project are identified in empowering and educating youth workers to be able to understand how digitization shapes societies, including its impact on education and the youth sector in general, to take into account the 'digital culture' of young people, to foster a more flexible culture in the adoption of digital tools in education , to design DYW actions in line with the needs and hopes of young people and to encourage the participation of young people in all phases of DYW.This will be achieved through the development of a series of Project Results which focus on the development of MOOC courses and their attendance by participants on various aspects and tools of DYW and Digital Training, the creation of VR environment for the implementation of activities aimed at young people, the pilot implementation of youth activities by the participants themselves and , finally, the creation of a toolbox containing tools, methods and applications useful in the field of Digital Education and Training based in the field of DYW.In summary, S.M.A.R.T.focuses on achieving a triple impact. First, it seeks to create opportunities for organisations, trainers and youth workers to innovate. Secondly, it aims at the increased use of Open Educational Resources, ensuring that educational materials produced with European or public funding are free, open and available to all for use or reuse. Finally, it seeks to improve the infrastructure of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and connectivity in youth centres.<< Objectives >>The COVID pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to all types and levels of learning, including vocational education and training (VET). An entire generation of young people may suffer disruption to their learning experience if it is not ensured to continue through distance learning. There is an urgent need for a response that focuses on the needs of every young person during the global recovery from the pandemic, especially those at risk of early retirement, such as learners with less favored socio-economic backgrounds, refugees and migrants, trainees with disabilities and special educational needs. The target group of the project is youth workers, because they are those who come into direct contact with the above-mentioned high-risk groups for exclusion or limited access to digital education, and must enrich their knowledge and acquire innovative tools in order to meet this new challenge that also affects learners, teachers and trainers around the world.In addition, the provision of training for the acquisition of digital skills and competences should be taken into account, as not all learners have equal skills, resources or opportunities to participate in distance learning and e-learning. Finally, providing personalised support is crucial during this global crisis, which has widened and reinforced the digital, social, emotional, cultural and economic inequalities that many learners have already had to deal with.With the global crisis caused and the closure of educational structures and youth centres, continuity of learning can only be ensured thanks to the digital skills, flexibility and creativity of trainers to develop creative solutions with online resources and that is where the project is aimed. Unfortunately, not all trainers and youth workers are equally prepared for this process. In a profession that is mainly practiced in its traditional form, where personal interaction and proximity are necessary, social distancing certainly poses new roles and challenges for them.Online learning environments invite them to demonstrate high-quality digital skills and confidence in the use of online conferencing solutions. They must also be vigilant about increased cyberbullying and protect young people from being disconnected from the ""real world"", paying attention to the time they spend online. Trainers should also work with employers and social partners to share their material online or produce new digital learning tools.During the pandemic, digital course delivery, which also allows for online professional learning opportunities for instructors, has become the norm. Under the current conditions, online modules are required to develop the digital skills of trainers and their equipment with the necessary digital knowledge.The aim of the project is to support and empower youth workers in the development of digital competences, the design and implementation of digital activities for youth and their professional development.Objectives:1. The development of digital skills and competences of youth workers2. Ensuring the inclusive nature of learning opportunities3. The development of e-learning, mixed and distance learning skills4. The development of digital pedagogical skills of youth workers5. Empowering youth workers to provide high-quality digital, non-formal inclusive education<< Implementation >>The activities included in the plan that are not related to the creation of Project Results are found in the following categories:a. Communication/ Promotion of the project and its resultsb. Exploitation of a CREBRUM digital platformc. Creation of Guides for the proper implementation of the project and activities of thea. Communication/ Promotion of the project and its results-For the proper and effective communication and cooperation of the project partners, in addition to the official Transnational Meetings established at specific times during its life cycle, it has been jointly decided to hold continuous informal meetings in which the trainers and other staff of the organisations concerned, such as the technical support team, etc., will be invited on a case-by-case basis. These meetings will be held through a digital platform in its professional publication e.g. ZOOM, Microsoft teams. -With regard to the promotion of the project, provision has been made for the creation of the visual identity of the project, which requires the involvement of a graphic designer in order to approach the identity of the project professionally by strengthening its footprint to all interested parties.-As a basic means of promotion and sharing results, the website that will be created will remain operational and remain active even after its completion.- As the dynamic presence on social media is perhaps the most effective promotional channel, we will proceed to the promotion of Facebook ads and the implementation of native advertising (mainly during the early stages of the project)- In order to enhance the visibility of the project and its objectives, it is planned to implement a Kick-Off event in Athens during which all target groups will be invited to attend, to share their objectives and possible ways of involvement in the project.- The project will also be supported by the creation of (mainly digital) dissemination materials such as gadgets, brochures, posters etcβ. Exploitation of digital platform CEREBRUM (www.cerebrum.gr)The online courses that will be created will be hosted on the CEREBRUM digital platform, which is an interactive educational platform, friendly to its use and with the capability of direct communication of users. In order to maximise its use, this platform should be adapted to the language and learning requirements of this project. The CEREBRUM platform was created by the coordinating body itself based on the Strategic Framework of the European Union ""Education and Training 2020"" with the aim of promoting good practices, highlighting new skills and academic development in Greece and Europe.c. Creation of Guides for the proper implementation of the project and its activities For the proper implementation of the project, provision has been made for the creation of a set of Guides which will contribute to the more efficient management of the whole project and to the better implementation of the activities contained therein.In detail, we will proceed to the creation of the following Guides:- Communication Strategy Guide- Quality Assurance Guide- GDPR Guide- VR Environment User's Guide- CERABRUM Platform Registration and User’s Guide- MOOC Courses Guide<< Results >>The project essentially provides for 4 core activities in the form of four different but interrelated Project Results (PRs). In summary, these are:1. MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) or Mass Free Online Courses for the Digitization of Education and the Use of Digital Tools2. Virtual Reality Platform for the implementation of digital activities for youth workers3. Pilot implementation of digital activities4. Create a digital toolboxInitially the partner-head of MOOC PR, in collaboration with the other partners, will create the mass lessons. This PR is also the backbone of the overall project, as it aims to educate youth workers on a variety of topics related to digital education, digital tools, distance learning, etc. MOOC practically empowers and trains youth workers so that they can further develop any existing digital skills and competences, but above all be able to develop new ones, become familiar with the use of innovative digital tools, and eventually be able to develop and use creative educational methodologies making the most of the available online resources that will be concentrated in the Digital toolbox. The use and exploitation of these open source and free courses largely ensures an educational process that does not exclude anyone due to geographical, cultural, social or economic constraints.In addition, the nature of these online courses and the structure of educational content are such that they do not require the physical presence of the user at certain times and days. Users are free to formulate their own monitoring and participation schedule in the various course chapters of MOOC, in their own free time, and even at the end of each chapter have the possibility of repetitions, self-evaluation of their progress through special tests and questions to the instructors.The Virtual Reality Platform for the implementation of digital activities emerges as an evolution after the end of the MOOC training process and offers learners the possibility of simulating an environment that provides a high degree of interaction and direct contact of the user with it. The VR environment will act as a safe field of experimentation on the knowledge and theory gained by the trainees in the first stage of the project. Within the platform users will be able to simulate electronic, mixed and distance learning and learning environments, safely, and with the help of modern technological tools, thus developing the corresponding digital and pedagogical skills and competences described in the project results section.The Digital Activities Pilot Application is the general rehearsal for the implementation of the planned results of the project. Through its implementation, the consortium will have the opportunity to better evaluate the results of the first 2 PRs in an ""experimental"" phase, to respond to any problems that may arise and to resolve them using the method of back testing. This means that the consortium will carry out evaluation actions of the first two PRs using evaluation methodologies that are rigorous, systematic and continuous.Finally, the Digital Toolbox that will be created, and will be open and free of charge accessible to all, ensures the continuity of the project beyond its official ending date, as it will continue to be enriched with material from all partners. The Toolkit provides learners with the most innovative and up-to-date digital applications for the development of new pedagogical methods and the implementation of digital interactive workshops."

<< Objectives >>Raise awareness about the impact of poor resilience, adaptability and learnability skills on job satisfaction, quality of work, mental and physical health•Identifying when and how to implement effectively these three core skills•Achieving successful work-life balance•Develop and enhance resilience,adaptability and learnability skills in young employees•Train employers to develop fostering work places•Develop quality training materials•Capacity building and networking on an EU level.<< Implementation >>Establish an expert work committee of key individuals in each partner country•Focus groups in each country to record needs of young employees and mental health challenges and exchange good coping strategies•Pilot-testing to finalize project’s 'How To' kits for employees and employers and the e-learning platoform•Trainings in each country using these kits•Structured discussions in each partner country•Host online meetings•Conduct a comprehensive dissemination online campaign.<< Results >>R1:A comprehensive e-learning platform pertaining R2•R2:: 'How To' kits for yougn employees abd employers•R3: An e-campaign providing awareness on work burn-out, ways of thriving at work, how to create non-toxic work environments, and ways of enhancing resilience and adaptability and learnability skills in young employees•Additionally:Project Plan•Partnership agreements•Website•Online dissemination materials•Progress reports

<< Objectives >>Raise awareness about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of youth in the partner countries and Europe•Promote the importance of mental health •Recognition and identification of mental health issues by youth workers and youth•Build resilient, adaptability skills in youth•Develop quality resources aiming at preventing mental health deterioration and providing coping strategies for overcome mental health difficulties•Improve the quality of youthwork in the participating countries<< Implementation >>Establish group committee of key youth sector individuals in each partner country•Focus groups in each country to record mental health needs and challenges of youth and identify mental health red flags used to recognize mental health issues•Focus groups to exchange good coping strategies•Pilot-testing to finalize project’s tools•Trainings in each country using RAY’s tools•Structured discussions in each partner country•Host online meetings•Conduct a comprehensive dissemination campaign.<< Results >>R1:ToolKit for youthworkers: Building resilient and adaptability skills in the young•R2: SurvivalManual for the young: recognizing when something is wrong, ways of coping and reacting•R3: An online awareness mental heath campaign on prevention of mental health adversity, coping strategies, and ways of enhancing resilience and adaptability in the young•Additionally:Project Plan•Partnership agreements•Website•Online dissemination materials•Progress reports