It is strongly necessary for CCS professionals to develop entrepreneurial and digital competences defined in ENTRECOMP and DIGCOMP 2.1. to foster entrepreneurship and encourage them to become key players to modify the way creative products, cultural goods and events are created, managed, disseminated and consumed during and after Covid-19. The increasing and, almost mandatory digital shift, is leading to the need for digital skills for CCS to accelerate the digital transformation. Project CO-ART addresses entrepreneurial and digital competence development of young unemployed, self employed CCS workers and aspiring art entrepreneurs through Online Escape Rooms. Moreover, CO-ART will provide an adequate training programme to equip youth workers with these new working environments and tools and enable them to support digital and entrepreneurial competence development. CO-ART addresses the needs of 2 main target groups: 1) Young (age 18-29) unemployed and/ or self employed/ freelance CCS workers and aspiring (art) entrepreneurs who are exposed to the risk of exclusion due to the Covid-19 crisis and other social, economical or geographical obstacles. 2) Youth Workers and Trainers eager to gain non-traditional tools and knowledge to support young people in the development of entrepreneurial and digital competences. THE PROJECT’S SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO:1:Equip and train Youth workers with non-traditional online learning tools to support the development of entrepreneurial and digital competences among young CCS workers and aspiring art entrepreneurs.2:Develop non-traditional online learning tools to empower young people, to acquire entrepreneurial and digital competences needed to encourage entrepreneurial activities of young, aspiring entrepreneurs in the CCS during and after Covid-19 crisis. 3: To establish and reinforce virtual cooperation between young culture workers and organisations at local and European levels during and after Covid-19 crisis. The ultimate goal of CO-ART is to reinforce digital networks between young unemployed or self employed CCS workers and encourage them to be the key players who accelerate the digital transformation and innovative, entrepreneurial mind-set in CCS.CO-ART will deliver 3 Intellectual Outputs IO1: CO-ART Online Escape Rooms: Compendium of challenge-based resources (24 online escape rooms) for young unemployed CCS workers and aspiring (art) entrepreneurs acquire specific entrepreneurial and digital skills and competences. IO2: CO-ART KIT: Training programme for Youth Workers: In-service training programme to ensure that youth workers harness the potential of the CO-ART online escape room resources and the online platform to support the target group members develop the competencies identified. IO3: CO-ART Online Platform: Online platform that will host and provide access to the IO1 and IO2, as well as provide space for young CCS professionals to network. CO-ART will implement a Transnational Training Activity for youth workers from all partner countries, who upon returning will deliver a Local training activity for young people. Moreover, a CO-ART will implement a set of dissemination activities, such as Multiplier events, social media campaigns and others. Most of the activities will be accessible also online, including multiplier events, to ensure active participation of target groups. The project expects that Partner organisations will become experts in the use and create non-traditional online learning tools, and will be able to transmit them to other organisations and institutions dealing with disadvantaged youth within their local/ regional and national environments. It is estimated that the materials developed by CO-ART will be exploited widely across Europe, mainly due to the digital characteristics and the fact that that partners will adopt these methods in their work. Moreover new transnational partnerships will be established in order to address how entrepreneurial and digital competences together can ease the digital transition of CCS and its professionals.

<< Background >>The social economy refers to a diversity of enterprises and organisational models such as cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations, social enterprises, charities and other legal forms regulated at Member State level. Social economy organisations share common principles and features that unify them, including: 1. People before profit 2. Democratic governance 3. Open membership 4. Solidarity and responsibility 5. Autonomous management and independence from State 6. Reinvestment of most of the profits (Social Economy Europe, Co-designing the Action Plan for the Social Economy: For an economy that works for people and the planet, 2021). Longer-established social economy (LESE) organisations are defined as social economy organisations in existence over 7 years. Unlike early-stage social economy organisations, LESE organisation have track records of delivering goods and services, matured management and corporate governance structures, experienced staff and, importantly, assets and resources that can be leveraged for growth and the provision of additional services to vulnerable communities. This project aims to: 1. Support LESE organisations to review and update their social mission to be more impactful and adapt their business models to be more effective. 2. Ensure that LESE organisations are ready to adapt to a greener and more digital business ecosystem, and lead the way in driving a sustainable economic model that works for people and the planet. 3. Increase the visibility and understanding of the social economy in Europe and its vital socio-economic contribution by establishing a LESE EU network and information hub. 4. Research and present how various education stakeholders serving the European social economy can use our model and better support the ongoing needs of LESE organisations through education and training and provide a model for replication. 5. Build the capacity of partner organisations and stakeholders to support social economy members and beneficiaries. In doing so, this project will address an identified gap in the training offerings available to social economy organisations, i.e., ongoing support beyond the start-up phase. Social entrepreneurship, enterprise, and innovation became a key priority for many funders, including the EU, in the last 10 – 15 years. This was driven by the 2009 global economic crisis and the resulting widespread public discontentment with the functioning of the global economic system, which fuelled interest in more inclusive and pluralistic economic systems. However, despite this surge in interest, it is still a little understood sector, lacking recognition and with most of the supports available entirely focused on driving social entrepreneurship and development of new enterprises. Little is available in terms of ongoing training and supports, or in helping organisations to scale up or modernise (European Commission, A map of social enterprises and their eco-systems in Europe, 2015). Recognising this gap, The Wheel ran a pilot training programme for LESE organisations in 2021. It was hugely successful and oversubscribed. An interim evaluation of 32 participating organisations had 92% rate the programme as excellent. 85% of participants said that their reach to target groups had improved since attending the training. Based on this success and a clear appetite for such training, The Wheel set about building a consortium of European social economy representative bodies, training institutes, and research organisations to bring the project to EU level. RevitaLESE EU was born from this, and brings together leading social economy partners from Latvia, Croatia, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus. Together, we will deliver on the project’s objectives and bring the social economies of our respective countries closer together, and closer to EU objectives.<< Objectives >>The overall goal of RevitaLESE EU is to revitalise the European social economy sector, maximise its impact, and increase its overall visibility and recognition as a key contributor to the 2020 Agenda, and the possibility of an economy that works for people and the planet. To do this, we will co-create and valorise a training programme (Project Result 1), produce a replicable model and study of ongoing training needs (Project Result 2), and create a Europe wide information and networking hub for established social economy organisations (Project Result 3). Specifically, the project has set the following objectives: 1. Support LESE organisations to review and update their social mission to be more impactful and adapt their business models to be more effective. This will be delivered through PR1 RevitaLESE EU Training Modules 2. Ensure that LESE organisations are ready to adapt to a greener and more digital business ecosystem, and lead the way in driving a sustainable economic model that works for people and the planet. This will be delivered through PR1 RevitaLESE EU Training Modules 3. Increase the visibility and understanding of the social economy in Europe and its vital socio-economic contribution by establishing a LESE EU network and information hub. This will be achieved through PR 3 RevitaLESE EU Network and Hub. 4. Research and present how various education stakeholders serving the European social economy can use our model and better support the ongoing needs of LESE organisations through education and training and provide a model for replication. This will be achieved through PR2 RevitaLESE EU Validation, Impact and Sustainability Report 5. Build the capacity of partner organisations and stakeholders to support social economy members and beneficiaries. This will be achieved through a combination of delivering the PRs 1 – 3, training events, multiplier events, and impact, dissemination and sustainability activities. Capacity building of the partner organisations specifically is a key objective. We are all social economy leaders in our respective countries, many of whom played important roles in liaising with Government and the EU in understanding and supporting the social economy. We now need to ensure we have the internal capacity to provide ongoing support. Long term, we want to influence how ongoing support is provided to LESE organisations, create greater synergies and partnerships between social economy at EU level, and showcase the value and impact of this sector as a source of sustainable, inclusive economic development for the future of Europe. Another key goal is looking at how the social economy is understood in each partner country, how our various national policies and legal structures affect the social economy in Europe and how this can further the Social Economy Europe policy paper objectives for the social economy and the overall objectives of the Toledo Declaration and the EU’s Action Plan for the Social Economy, which is due out this year.<< Implementation >>A1. Management Management activities will take place throughout the project (M1 – M24) and is intended to ensure good communication and organisation of staff, activities, goals, deadlines, and the consortium itself. It includes the hosting, organisation, and attendance of project meetings. This cost will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget. A2. Financial reporting Finances will be recorded closely throughout the project (M1 – M24) to ensure it is running according to budget. Copies of contracts for all staff involved in the project will be submitted at the start of the project. Each partner will submit timesheets on a quarterly basis to monitor working days spent on the PRs. Certificates of attendance and sign in sheets from each partner meeting will be catalogued. Sign in sheets and photographic evidence form multiplier events will also be required and reported on. Evidence (invoices, proof of payment) for any extraordinary costs will also be monitored. This cost will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget. A3. Quality Quality assurance will also be a continuous activity (M1 – M24) and will set certain standards to be maintained across all other outputs and activities and will look at risk analysis and prevention. This cost will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget. A4. Facilitating stakeholder involvement Communication and relationship building with stakeholders will be an important and continuous part of the project (M1 – M24). This cost will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget. A5. Delivery and management of Project Results (PRs) Full details about this activity describing all three PRs are in the Project Results Section. The oversight of this project and management of researchers and trainers involved will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget. It will run from M1 – M24. A6. Training Activities Full details about these activities is in LTT Activities Section. This organisation, coordination, and management of this activity, along with attendance by relevant staff, will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget. They will take place in Month 11 (staff training) and Month 23 (learner training). A7. Impact, Dissemination and Sustainability These three activities overlap regularly and will be carried out throughout the project (M1 – M24). The costs of management of impact, dissemination and sustainability plans including communications, liaising with press, creating content for social media, newsletters, website updates, and other marketing materials will be absorbed by the Project Management and Implementation budget.<< Results >>The immediate expected outcome is that participating organisations will refocus their social mission onto the most current social needs and adapt their business models to be more efficient at delivering goods and services to their communities of interest and in an increasingly more digital and green planet. The project aims to deliver 3 specific project results (PRs): PR1 REVITALESE EU TRAINING MODULES We will produce five modules adapted for blended learning that provide a comprehensive training package for LESE organisations in need of revitalisation. Throughout each module, the goal will be to streamline the operational process, increase focus on social impact, and promote innovation and new ways of working. Each module will include trainer guidelines, content, tools, and resources including digital tools for better online learning. PR2 REVITALESE EU VALIDATION, IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORT The results of PR1 will be piloted in each partner country to at least 100 LESE orgs across the EU (approx. 20 per country but with lower targets for small population countries, e.g. Malta). This will take place in two phases so that improvements can be made after the first phase, and then an improved version can be piloted before a final version is released. Learners will have the opportunity to earn a digital badge after completing each module in recognition of their learning. Those who complete every module can earn a RevitaLESE Alumni Badge. Our research partner DCU will co-produce a data collection methodology, in conjunction with partners and will analyse data collected by the partners. DCU will present the findings as part of an Impact and Sustainability Report. Alongside the results, our pedagogical approach, and learner outcomes framework, the report will also feature case studies from each partner country demonstrating the diversity and scope of Europe’s social economy. It will also include analysis of the ongoing training needs of LESE organisations necessary to deliver on national and EU policies and action plans (e.g. the EU Action Plan for the Social Economy due to be released in Autumn 2021). It will analyse how all stakeholders in social economy education: higher education, vocational education and training, and social economy representative bodies can work together to increase social innovation and nurture a European social economy that is healthy, diverse, and has the future skills and support necessary to thrive. PR3: REVITALESE EU NETWORK AND HUB The goal of this work package is to inspire, support and incentivise LESE organisation revitalisation. It centres around content development and network building and includes a central “hub” that will feature case studies, podcasts, videos, an interactive map of the RevitaLESE EU network and access to training and resources. This hub will be the home of the RevitaLESE network which will meet regularly at national and EU level throughout the project and beyond its lifetime. - The overall outcome of these results, and other project activities like the training, multiplier events and project management activities will be: - a revitalised social economy in each partner country - a valorised and effective model for LESE organisations’ revitalisation at EU level, made freely available for replication via PR2 and through our dissemination and sustainability plans - a permanent network for exchange of best practice and innovation, partnership building and policy engagement for the European social economy - A social economy that is better understood and recognised - Social economy education stakeholders who are more informed about the ongoing training needs of LESE organisations - Communities that are better served by LESE organisations - Inspiration and mentorship opportunities for social entrepreneurs and newer social economy organisations

"<< Background >>We have observed that the grassroots sector, or the more negatively perceived term “underground” sector” is composed of people with a highly entrepreneurial spirit, blasting with innovative ideas that can enrich their community economically, culturally and inclusively.We wish to award young project-makers and idea-creators by giving the grassroots and growing layer of society a platform to learn and grow as an up-coming social- or cultural entrepreneur. What we have observed is that this segment, our target group, is in need of recognition and support, but more importantly, encouragement and motivation, especially during the last two Covid-dominated years. This is a group that has known hardship and inequality and have a harder time reinventing themselves in the current job market, but has therefore developed cultural structures that promote initiatives, foster passion for creating unique cultural community opportunities and a common network. We intend to work with our target group, not only on the professional level, but mostly by focusing on the social inclusion of the individuals that are passionate about creating something unique for their community. The goal is to generate sympathy, solidarity and help those that are socially vulnerable, through creating a place where value is created through immediate social impact on the community and focusing on social and cultural grass-root initiatives.The concept of SOUP is about creating a community that is able to support itself by having its members be the force of action and support. Instead of having to apply for big funds or to have to find investors to launch your project idea, the ""Soup"" creates an environment where the neighbor will become the ""investor"", by employing a donation based set-up. They rely on value and skill sharing: By communities for communities, through the means of a Circular Economy. In this way the project funded will already have a seed planted in the community and gained an interest from possible clients/users to be involved in the outcome of the project. Not only will the community gain awareness of the ideas of local entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurs themselves will have the opportunity to test out and see if there is a market for their proposal. They will at the same time also be guided with suggestions of how to improve their initial idea to make it more suitable for the market.<< Objectives >>The overall objective is to create a supportive community that will foster a sense of belonging and through democratic participation engage young people in the society promoting active citizenship, and to create a spark for young entrepreneurs to-be. We aim to create a safe space and a platform (both physical and digital) for project-makers and idea holders for community based initiatives to share their ideas and visions. By providing young people with a new way of finding support, both financially and personally, we aim for more young people to gain encouragement to create and implement their ideas in the local communities. We strive towards making social crowdfunding a common practice in Europe, as we believe it fosters many new possibilities in many different sectors.<< Implementation >>By implementing the SOUP events and conducting a detailed research and analysis on the impact of these kinds of events, we will be able to successfully develop an innovative concept for community building. This innovation is going to be led through various activities, that each are linked to the goal, by eg. developing a Guidebook, for other communities to use, and thereby be able to use the methodologies created in this project. Moreover, the Guidebook is going to include a “why SOUP” section based on the analysis made on the added value the concept gives the local communities.Social crowdfunding events inspired by SOUP, will have an impact on the attitudes and beliefs of the people of the communities. To make sure we reach the target group and manage to build a community around the concept, parts of the implementation process is going to be outreach and marketing based content. The partners will help each other with marketing strategies and we will use various social media platforms, as the majority of young people are engaged in 1 or more social media platforms. Furthermore we have included a LTT to ensure the staff, youth workers and engaged young people involved in the implementation of the SOUPs, will be able to learn and share methodologies with each other to better the multiplier events, hosted by each organisation. The multiplier events are to expand the awareness of social crowdfunding to better the opportunities for young project-makers. These events will be based upon the published Guidebook, that will be shared with all of the attendees of the multiplier events.<< Results >>The desired and expected outcome of this project, after its completion, is that of having created a sustainable and ongoing event; as well as having generated a bigger sense of belonging to a community without borders.It will have the ability of reaching marginalized people and vulnerable groups in the society, both giving young grass-root entrepreneurs and project-makers a place to develop and grow, but also creating a social event for networking and thereby building a community.A physical outcome is the generation of a Guidebook. This will consist of a compilation of all the acquired knowledge, ups and downs, instructions and information of the SOUPS. This will provide future organizations needed information to help them decide whether the SOUP is relevant to their specific community; how to then adapt the SOUP to the local target culture, how to implement the SOUP, its stages, how to promote and do the outreach, how to organize it, etc. The concept of social crowdfunding will be spread into multiple communities, and thereby creating a large network for young entrepreneurs and grassroots for them to share and learn from each other. Lastly, making the concept of SOUP recognizable, so newcomers to countries or cities would easily know how and where to build a new network, and thereby easier integrate in the local community."

"""Level Up!"" is a project focused on analyzing good practices related to non-formal education of adults in 3 European countries: Poland, Latvia and Spain. The analysis is to concern the development of methods of systematic improvement of trainers (trainers) for adults (increasing the quality, extension of the offer) and adaptation of the training content to participants with low professional skills and with specific needs. The analysis of training systems targeted at adults in terms of non-formal education is to take place in particular to a group of people from the NEET group (not learning, not working, not involved in raising their competences and qualifications). The following will be analyzed: ways of reaching individual groups, diversification of training methods, preparation and support of trainers, evaluation in the educational process and long-term effects of training. The project will start with the preparation of documentation and a thorough analysis of the subject of the study. An analysis process and results that researchers want to achieve through conducting it will be prepared. Next, the team will focus on preparing analysis among the community using previously selected institutions. The methods will be interviews, questionnaires, in-depth interviews with selected groups. The methods used will be identical in all countries. Then the material will be analyzed and diagnosed. The presented problems will be divided according to their respective categories. Then consultations will be conducted with the community of these places and focus groups with selected experts in the field corresponding to the study. The result of this phase should be recommendations of changes in given places with their impact.The project lasts 24 months during which 7 international meetings will be held, including 3 on the exchange of good practices. Each meeting will gather 12 participants from partner countries. The result of the project will be the publication of good coaching practices based on the partners' own experience. The long-term sustainability of the project will be ensured through a comprehensive database of key stakeholder contacts. This will enable the project to move to the next development phase, which will be a continuation of the practical use of collected good practices by trainers, teachers, social workers etc. The website and other internet networks will continue to allow communication of all future opportunities, work and research as well as participation in future events.Our project in numbers:- min. 12 experts involved in the work on the project in our 3 organisations.- 12 learners involved in the project directly and around 30 indirectly interested thanks to best practice sharing- 12 completed evaluation questionnaires at each stage of the project- 5 other institutions willing to cooperate with project partners- 10 new trainers willing to use the program and methods we will create in their future work (min. 2 at the level of a partner organization) - using new curricula for trainers."

"BACKGROUND: The world experiences a continuous, transformative change due to globalization and fast-growing technology. Besides that, the COVID-19 pandemic requires us to develop new approaches on how to equip educational systems to face the challenges presented by the recent sudden shift to online and distance learning, including supporting teachers to develop digital competences and safeguarding the inclusive nature of learning opportunities. Nowadays, growing importance is devoted towards intelligent technologies in the education sector. STEM education has been set as one of the top European priorities. According to UNESCO World Heritage Centre data: Today, only 28% of all of the world’s researchers are women. Following this statement, the project partnership identified that the use of augmented reality as a tool in STEM education could solve a very wide range of problems, from the modernization of education to the transformation of learning experiences and gender equality.The OBJECTIVE of the project ""Augmented Reality for STEM education"" is to promote Augmented Reality (AR) for teachers as an innovative and efficient digital tool to transform the traditional STEM learning process into an interactive experience and promotes gender equality in STEM.PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS: With the aim of tackling the challenge that teachers are facing today - to find new, attractive methods for educating students on important topics of STEM, project partners will create an 16 Interactive educational STEM materials (based on created 16 STEM learning lessons plans) with AR features using of Augmented Reality app and 1 guidebook ""How to use Augmented Reality in STEM education"" for teachers. All this educational materials will be used to motivate young people to raise knowledge in STEM Education.The next challenge is understand and target the particular obstacles that keep female students away from STEM. If we have less information about female role models their achievements become ‘best-kept secrets’ and we can’t expect the female scientists of the future to look up to them. Leaving out girls and women in STEM education and careers is a loss for all. Project partners will create 1 motivational program to promote engagement of girls' in STEM.THE TARGET GROUP OF THIS PROJECT IS: • teachers interested in trying new capabilities of Augmented Reality technology which may make classes more engaging, interactive and with knowledge more comprehensible;• students and young people who are interested in using AR as a tool for combining smartphones and augmented reality in education. In various ways, AR could provide students with additional digital information on any STEM subject and make it easier to understand complex information;• career consultants, STEM teachers and other school personnel interested in promoting STEM careers for the girls in schools. All Intellectual Outputs of the project ""Augmented Reality for STEM education"" to be distributed in 200+ schools in Latvia, 200+ schools in Lithuania, 100+ schools in Slovenia, 50+ schools in Cyprus and 200+ international schools in Europe, positively will affect at least 50 000 students and 10 000 teachers in Europe in upcoming 5 years.IMPACT AND LONG TERM BENEFITS:• increased understanding and skills of using Augmented Reality as a digital tool and method among teachers, being internationally extended and making it a recognized tool - at least 10000 teachers by the end of the project engaged in the use of the tool in next 5 years from each partnering country;• engagement of higher amount of students within STEM due to use of innovative tools and promotion of the ICT skills - at least 50 000 students by the end of the project engaged in STEM in next 5 years from each partnering country; • Improved gender equality education in the STEM field, promoted girls involvement - at least 20 000 girls will be positively influenced to make a decision to choose a career in STEM. The major impact of this project is expected to be the removal of prejudices among the countries towards gender equality in the STEM field and improvement of professional ICT competencies of both – teachers and students."