<< Background >>The European way of life is an inclusive one. Integration and inclusion are keys for people coming to EU, for local communities, and for the long-term well-being of our societies and the stability of our economies. This means empowering those facing disadvantages, while ensuring our communities are united and cohesive. It means giving equal opportunities to all to enjoy their rights and participate in community and social life, regardless of the background and in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights. It also means respecting common EU values as enshrined in the EU Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, including democracy, the rule of law, the freedoms of speech and religion, as well as the rights to equality and non-discrimination. These fundamental values are an essential part of living and participating in EU society. The challenge of integration and inclusion is particularly relevant for migrants, not only newcomers but sometimes also for TCNs who might have naturalised and are EU citizens.The Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 stated the need for continuing development of skills and competences related with appreciation of cultural diversity, including respect for the persons with a migrant background because multiculturalism and diversity are not always accepted by some members of host societies. The need for fighting discrimination and racism and ensuring decent treatment in the workplace it’s a crucial concern that must be addressed. Based on the fact that Education for all is the basis for achieving a mild social integration of the new coming members of the society as well as a harmonic co-existence with the local members of it, BRICS aims to better prepare and deploy the education and training of professionals who work with migrants and for confronting equity, diversity and inclusion challenges in the society as well as to promote the integration of migrants.Teachers find themselves struggling to deal with the culturally diverse classroom. Although the experience can be enriching, many teachers find they are unexposed, unprepared and unequipped to address the challenges of cultural diversity. Inadequate policies in relation to integration and education of migrants also impede teachers, educators, school administrators, and migrant communities in finding coordinated, innovative solutions. The project will explore these gaps and develop the tools to address these various needs.Since the needs are common between EU countries, the transnational character of the project will produce valid tools that could be transferable and applied in other EU contexts with minor modifications and added benefits. The consortium consists of 5 partners countries (Poland, Cyprus, Italy, Slovakia, Spain) and were brought together to capitalize and build on each other’s knowledge and experience from best practices in their national context, for future circulation and transfer of know-how in their daily tasks. The majority of partners have previous experience in European projects and their role is considered crucial for the project implementation based on its scope and its wide network. This project meets the need of the organizations to foster thei staff skills, exchange best practices with other EU countries and produce innovative educational resources that can be useful on a daily basis. BRICS will have positive impact on all organisations and their staff that will be involved, as they will further enhance their background in terms of understanding the actual needs of immigrants. The new tools and methodologies that will be developed will be utilized by all participating organizations for the target group, while the exchange of know-how and good practices among all partners and also between the consortium and external stakeholders, will enrich their expertise and allow them to serve better the needs of these target groups.<< Objectives >>BRICS aims to improve the social inclusion of immigrants through the development and improvement of their competences (social, cultural, values, organizational, educational, etc.). The consortium’s goals involve a great strategic challenge, as it will develop innovative digital products, foster learning and develop joint initiatives, and exchange experiences; since in each one of the countries of the consortium, diverse policies are applied and different inclusion resources exist. The partnership is aware that migration is a phenomenon that is part of European history and part of the cities of the consortium. The proposal understands social integration as an essential element and as a permanent multidirectional process of creating a new common ground to live together. BRICS aims to invest in this goal in connection with the project results’ sustainability. BRICS points out that it is necessary to change and adapt all types of public services: housing, admission to the labor market and education programs according to the immigrants’ needs. This heterogeneity that migrations entail, added to the variety of reception contexts, generates the need to create realistic social inclusion strategies that are open to different territories, profiles and needs due to the diverse situation in regards of immigration of the participant organizations’ countries. The need for fighting discrimination and racism and ensuring decent treatment in the workplace is a crucial concern that must be addressed. Based on the fact that Education for all is the basis for achieving a mild social integration of the new coming members of the society as well as a harmonic co-existence with the local members of it, BRICS project aims to better prepare and deploy the education and training of professionals who work with migrants and for confronting equity, diversity and inclusion challenges in the society as well as to promote the integration of migrants. Therefore, the target groups of the project are professionals who work with migrants and people with a migrant background. The main goal is to facilitate the integration of migrants in the society by increasing their creativity levels, and at the same time, to improve diversity management competences of adult trainers in order to create and maintain an inclusive environment where each one of the migrants despite its nationality is able to learn and grow. A core element of our proposal is thus developing personal autonomy and intercultural competencies among adult immigrant sectors in the participating countries. We are not oblivious to the pressures that migrant populations experience in their host societies, and the emotional and mental health stress that they may be suffering. This is what is called the “Ulysses Syndrome” as described by Achotegui (2000). Thus, it is important to provide newcomers with the instruments and training that allow them to assume a functional adult role in their host society and to reduce their stress at being efficient in terms of employment and social integration. BRICS aims to produce tools geared to facilitating the knowledge and understanding of the host culture to migrant adults and to thus contribute to minimize the social gaps. Since the needs are common between EU countries, the transnational character of the project will produce valid tools that could be transferable and applied in other EU contexts with minor modifications and added benefits. The objectives of the project are: •Help professionals, adult educators reflect upon the importance of inclusive and diverse societies•teach professionals, adult educators by sharing examples of best practices of using art as a tool for inclusion of migrant groups•Provide professionals, adult educators with artistic tools and methods to help and support marginalised people’s inclusion into the community•To increase professionals, adult educators awareness about social exclusion and inclusion•Improve the supply of high qualit<< Implementation >>In parallel with the project’s research and development activities and throughout the project implementation period, a set of horizontal activities will be supported from the grant for Project Management & Implementation:A1. Project and Quality Management The aim of Project and Quality Management activities is to ensure the smooth and timely implementation of the project in terms of financing, administration, production and coordination. This includes the following activities: project planning; communication; monitoring; fine-tuning; organising partner meetings; drafting meeting minutes; coordinating, collecting and reviewing progress reports; defining of qualitative and quantitative success criteria; monitoring and evaluation; developing executive quality reports; reporting any significant deviation to the partnership and initiating a contingency plan; communicating with the National Agency etc.A1.1. Development of Project Work Plan (PWP)A1.2 Organisation of partner meetings & conference calls M1: Kick-off meeting M2: 2nd Transnational meeting M3: Final MeetingA1.3 Two Progress ReportsA1.4 Elaboration of QMPA1.5 Two Executive quality reportsA1.6 Design and Development project websiteA2. Dissemination & Exploitation StrategyThe Dissemination & Exploitation Leader, P2 will prepare a comprehensive Dissemination & Strategy focused on: clarifying the dissemination and communication scope, aims and timing; Identification and classification of the target groups and stakeholders; Elaboration of stakeholders’ engagement plan; Identification of the particular messages to be communicated throughout the project; Definition of dissemination, communication and exploitation means, methods and tools at national and European level (social networks, press releases, events etc.), including effective ways to collect feedback; Definition of success indicators; Clarification of IPR issues; Detailed action plan and reporting templates of the partners’ dissemination activities. P1 will undertake to develop the project website however the Dissemination Leader (P2) will regularly update the BRICS website.A2.1 Development of the Dissemination & Exploitation StrategyA2.2 Design of internal and external communication templatesA2.3 Design of leaflets, posters and roll-up bannersA2.4 Monitoring of dissemination and exploitation activities and events.All partners will: - Participate and provide input to the above activities and deliverables; - Make explicit their commitment to provide resources that guarantee the sustainability of the project’s outcomes once it is over; - Use various project and own resources in order to disseminate project results and activities at local/regional/national and European level; - Engage the target group and raise awareness of the project and its value to relevant local/regional/national and European stakeholders and multipliers; - Translate press releases, leaflets text and other relevant material to their national language; - Be actively involved in the exploitation and sustainability efforts from the beginning of the project; and - Report implemented dissemination and exploitation actions, using the templates that will be provided by the Dissemination & Exploitation Leader.<< Results >>BRICS aims to reinforce: cooperation between the world of education and formal and informal training and the professional domain, the promotion of the linguistic diversity of the EU as well as the awareness towards interculturality in community educational centers. The project’s results will also offer the opportunity to people of migrant background to know and further identify with European traditions, cultural values and heritage while they gain practical knowledge of their immediate daily surroundings and cultural environment.The main Results of BRICS are: 1: In Service Training Program on using Art as an inclusive Educational Tool to ensure that professionals working with migrants are fully trained to harness the potential of the BRICS educational resources.2: Digitalized Creativity Boost Training for Migrants is intended for use during training courses for people with a migrant background in order to be supported and aware on policies, processes and practices that meet relevant international standards in the field of migrant integration.Also during the partnership will deliver the following results :•A concrete management plan with all the necessary steps and procedures for the smooth implementation of the project (structure, tasks per partner and responsibilities, project milestones, communication arrangements and reporting) and stakeholders database;•Minutes from partners meetings;•A quality assurance strategy, accompanied by a contingency plan reviewed and approved by the partnership, to ensure the successful implementation of activities leading to the desired results based on the quality standards agreed;•An interim and a final evaluation report with an overview of the reached qualitative and quantitative objectives;•A dissemination plan that will includes dissemination tools and activities necessary to reach the target groups and a final dissemination activities report at the end of the project;•Impact Assessment Plan;•Exploitation Strategy•Transnational Training Activity Programme/ Report •Participants' lists and feedback questionnaires from members of the target group who will be involved in the local events and training/pilot testing phase;•Project Website and logo;•A final conference to present the results and exploitation plans for the project.•Creation of material for dissemination of the project, to be distributed to events and trainings;•4 Newsletters with information of important project milestones. The Newsletters will be translated in all partners language (English, German, Greek, Italian, and Spanish, Slovenian) distributed to relevant stakeholders and upload on partners’ website;•5 Multiplier Events.BRICS will be designed to have a strong long-term impact on the future of ongoing education of migrants adults in the partner countries of the EU in several ways:-Improve on the migrants’ knowledge on their host cities and will foster a sense of familiarity and belonging.- Enable understanding of EU culture diversity and values- Promote personal development and improve mental wellbeing- Improve the position of adult migrant in the labour market and Education- Increased awareness of the importance of community center-migrant communication in social integration- Improvement of learning resources and guidance for migrants

<< Background >>Upon arrival and in the very early stages of the integration process, migrants encounter many difficulties in their social integration in an unfamiliar country. They are unaware of their benefits and rights concluding in the fact that there are still many discrepancies and gaps in EU Member States (MS) concerning the access of migrants to basic health services and rights and on the other hand, migration crisis in relation with the pandemic crisis of Covid-19 deteriorated more the problems of the effective integration and inclusion of migrants in the host countries. Since the beginning of the Global Pandemic, Covid-19 and the serious problems and consequences in all countries globally, healthcare systems have been much overstretched and migrants didn’t and still don’t receive the proper support or information they need to their health rights. Addressing the challenges that migrants face upon and after their arrival is crucial and especially to know and expect their basic health rights as Covid-19 continues to cause hardship. As a result, a Global Action Plan 2019-2023 for promoting the health of refugees and migrants was set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and HealthMi Project aims to contribute to this global support to migrants following also EU Regulations and policies. HealthMi Project focuses on the improvement of the access to healthcare services of migrants and aims to identify innovative ways of reducing inequalities in access and provision of health through models and strategies that support the reorientation of specialists and strengthen competent healthcare compiling best practises for vulnerable migrants with a focus on psycho-social aspects and chronic diseases. The project will foster respect and understanding for diversity in Health, intercultural and civic competences, but also it will enable health values and citizenship within the EU in order also tο understand the educational needs of migrants regarding the healthcare system better. Moreover, the project objective is to support the integration of migrants in terms of using the health services and quality information for local healthcare services and systems and enable migrants to come in contact with local healthcare professionals/ health experts/ counsellors, psychologists, advisors and social workers who are responsible and have the quality information that migrants need in order to explore and understand the local healthcare service and system of the host country gaining access and guidelines to have effective health care and wellbeing living in a foreign country ensuring also their self protection and safety. Under this context, HealthMi develops 4 Project Results and its consortium consists of 5 Partners exploring innovative actions to improve healthcare services to migrants. The main target groups of the project are migrants and health care professionals. Psychologists, social workers or professionals involved with migrants will support the training sessions of the project and will have an impact in all WPs activities. During the project, the consortium will mainly develop a Code of Conduct for Health Literacy, In service training program for healthcare professionals, a Hybrid Training Curriculum for migrants and a Multilingual Gateway. It is expected that the project will have a major impact on migrants, healthcare professionals and the society in general. During the project, the consortium will mainly develop a Code of Conduct for Health Literacy (R1), In service training Program for Healthcare Professionals (R2), a Hybrid Training Curriculum for Migrans (R3) and HealthMi Multilingual Gateway (R4). The total number of people who will directly and indirectly benefit from the project in general, is estimated at 5000 people. The project will have some horizontal activities such as the Project Management, Coordination, Bilateral Agreements, Meetings, Activity Reports, External Evaluation, Dissemination and Exploitation Strategy.<< Objectives >>HealthMi aims to foster respect and understanding for diversity in Health, intercultural and civic competences, but also it will enable health values and citizenship within the EU in order also tο understand the educational needs of migrants regarding the healthcare system better. HealthMi Project includes the development of innovative tools and models locally and transnationally for in order to facilitate migrants access to healthcare services and systems by reducing and facing any obstacles and problems occurred during their arrival but also the current pandemic of Covid-19. The project implements training programmes for both migrants and health professionals.The project will engage local citizens, representatives of health organizations, health professionals and mentors, public and private key actors working or involved with migrants and stakeholders. Convincing these crucial actors of the hosting societies to get involve in project's activities is a vital determinant of the quality and sustainability of the project. Helping newly arrived migrants tackle health problems requires a high number of specific competences, especially considering the need for an integrated and targeted approach. The engaged health professionals, mentors or social workers or mediators from the local communities need to be able to deploy a wide number of approaches, to deal with psychological problems and mental health of migrants. The development of the Code of Conduct, the Training Programme, the Curriculum and the Multilingual Gateway will foster exchanges of knowledge, needs, mental problems of migrants and raise awareness of the needs of migrants, of health professionals, national authorities and the society in general. These activities will involve local community (individuals, health organizations, NGOs, authorities, stakeholders) and will enhance mutual understanding about the current illnesses, global pandemic, frustration and psychological problems of not only migrants but also locals. This is in line with the current policies of the participating countries: Inclusion and access to basic services and rights in the host countries and equal participation of all citizens, both nationals and foreign nationals, without considering foreigners as a separate group, discriminating them or having the stereotype that migrants bring more illnesses to a country. All partners will follow the guidelines of WHO and EU Migration Agenda and Action Plan following also the EU Charter of migrant’s fundamental rights. Also the project aims to achieve: •Increased awareness of the obstacles faced by migrants to access healthcare services and the possible solutions by relevant actors across the EU; •Increased capacities of representatives of the hosting society and institutions to recognise and to respond to needs of newly arrived migrants; •Fostered transnational cooperation to facilitate the transfer of experience, knowledge and practices and lessons learnt related to the health care services of third-country nationals within the partners of the project;•Improved access to comprehensive health care services for migrants including mental health, women and children's health, taking into account cultural differences; •Facilitated the dissemination of experience, knowledge and practices beyond the partners of the project to develop more effective actions, including by evaluating the impact of the actions developed; •Improved access to health care services, housing, education, financial services, social welfare rights and/or labour market; •Improved coordination between relevant stakeholders; following the implementation of the projects’ actions. •Improved transnational coordination and cooperation between the relevant stakeholders.<< Implementation >>In parallel with the project’s research and development activities and throughout the project implementation period, a set of horizontal activities will be implemented.A1. Project and Quality ManagementThe aim of Project and Quality Management activities is to ensure the smooth and timely implementation of the project in terms of financing, administration, production and coordination. This includes the following activities: project planning; communication; monitoring; fine-tuning; organising partner meetings; drafting meeting minutes; coordinating, collecting and reviewing progress reports; defining of qualitative and quantitative success criteria; monitoring and evaluation; developing executive quality reports; reporting any significant deviation to the partnership and initiating a contingency plan; communicating with the National Agency etc.A1.1. Development of Project Work Plan (PWP)A1.2 Organisation of partner meetings & conference callsM1: Kick-off meetingM2: 2nd Transnational meetingM3: 3rd Transnational meetingM4: Final MeetingA1.3 Two Progress reportsA1.4 Elaboration of QMP. P1 will draft a project Impact Plan and update it with qualitative and quantitative indicators for all results following the proposed Impact+ workshops to be held during the early partner meetings. P1 will conduct impact assessment exercises in months 12 and 24 to measure progress towards the benchmarks set for each result and draft two impact assessment reports.A1.5 Two Executive quality reportsA2. Dissemination & Exploitation StrategyThe Dissemination & Exploitation Leader, will prepare a comprehensive Dissemination & Exploitation Strategy focused on: clarifying the dissemination and communication scope, aims and timing; Identification and classification of the target groups and stakeholders; Elaboration of stakeholders’ engagement plan; Identification of the particular messages to be communicated throughout the project; Definition of dissemination, communication and exploitation means, methods and tools at national and European level (social networks, press releases, events etc.), including effective ways to collect feedback; Definition of success indicators; Clarification of IPR issues; Detailed action plan and reporting templates of the partners’ dissemination activities.A2.1 Development of the Dissemination & Exploitation StrategyA2.2 Design of internal and external communication templatesA2.3 Design of leaflets, posters and roll-up bannersA2.4 Monitoring of dissemination and exploitation activities and eventsAll partners will:- Participate and provide input to the above activities and deliverables;- Make explicit their commitment to provide resources that guarantee the sustainability of the project’s outcomes once it is over;- Use various project and own resources in order to disseminate project results and activities at local/regional/national and European level;- Engage the target group and raise awareness of the project and its value to relevant local/regional/national and European stakeholders and multipliers;- Translate press releases, leaflets text and other relevant material to their national language;- Be actively involved in the exploitation and sustainability efforts from the beginning of the project; and- Report implemented dissemination and exploitation actions, using the templates that will be provided by the Dissemination & Exploitation Leader.<< Results >>The main results of HealthMi Project are:R1. Code of Conduct for Health Literacy Result 1 mainly aims to collect national data, best practices with desk research, questionnaires and interviews in order to conduct a code of conduct for Health Literacy in order to raise awareness and to ensure easy access to local healthcare services and systems for migrants. The methodology combines desk and field methods of data collection and analysis, including literature review and practices collection; a set of interviews to key informants, representing the main targets addressed by the project; a survey addressed to health professionals and the needs of migrants in the local communities.R2: In service Training Program for HealthCare ProfessionalsUnder Result 2, the consortium aims to develop a training program for Healthcare professionals in order to educate them how to address more easily quality information and data to local migrants and support the mental health of migrants. HealthCare Professionals must meet the needs of migrants as it concerns their psychology, health condition and wellbeing. Each partner will publish open calls in local level through Local authorities, migrants associations/centers, civic organisations, for requiring healthcare professionals to participate in the training programme and identify selection criteria. Result 3: Hybrid Training Curriculum for MigrantsThe Hybrid Curriculum will address the needs of migrants and will provide them with knowledge and materials for an easy access to healthcare services and systems. The Curriculum will consist of 9 modules. The partnership will design the structure, contents and design of the Curriculum with a Learning Outcomes Framework, a Prototype Development and Content Development and Translation All partners will implement the new curriculum materials following the guidelines of the R3 leader. Result 4: HealthMi Multilingual GatewayThe Gateway will facilitate access to the information needed for migrants and also will provide access to the project activities in order to improve and establish new innovative ways for migrants to reach the local healthcare services using the Gateway. The Gateway will function as an interactive tool for migrants and healthcare professionals or other interested stakeholders who wish to join HealthMi Gateway. The Gateway is also an opportunity to grow their network and find psychological, health and mental health support. Moreover the main outcomes of the project will be:- Project and Quality Management to ensure the smooth and timely implementation of the project in terms of financing, administration, production and coordination;- Development of Project Work Plan (PWP);- Organisation of partner meetings & conference calls;-Kick-off meeting; -2nd Transnational meeting; -3rd Transnational meeting; -Final Meeting; -Two Progress reports; - Elaboration of QMP; -A Project Impact Plan;-Qualitative and quantitative indicators;-Impact assessment exercises;-Two Executive quality reports; -Dissemination & Exploitation Strategy; -Identification and classification of the target groups and stakeholders;-Elaboration of stakeholders’ engagement plan; Identification of the particular messages to be communicated throughout the project; Definition of dissemination, communication and exploitation means, methods;-Development of the Dissemination & Exploitation Strategy -Design of internal and external communication templates; -Design of leaflets, posters and roll-up banners;-Monitoring of dissemination and exploitation activities and events-Project Management, Coordination, Bilateral Agreements, Meetings, Activity Reports, External Evaluation, Dissemination and Exploitation Strategy and Quality Assurance.