<< Background >>It can take 500 to 800 years for a non-organic menstrual product and baby diapers to break down. It is estimated that such products are 90% plastic making them impossible to biodegrade in the environment. The EU ranks sanitary products as the 5th most common single-use waste in its marine environment. In a similar vein, researchers from the University of Manchester (2020) recorded the highest ever accumulation of microplastics discovered on the seafloor (it was found 1.9 mill plastic pieces/square metre). Evidence shows that the most severe impact from the sanitary items in the EU is to be found in their ingestion by marine animals, chemical and microbial contamination of river and sea waters, the economic impact on tourism and fisheries (European Commission). Alongside the negative environmental impact and hazards that menstrual products cause, access to such products should not be taken for granted for all those who need them (Zero Waste Europe, 2018; Kulczyk Foundation, 2020). By not affording such products can lead to a more severe impact on the health and wellbeing of women and girls, particularly among those coming from vulnerable communities.FEMECO designs and implements an innovative high-performing digital education ecosystem that capitalizes and enhances adult education and higher education resources for delivering quality online learning experiences and make them accessible to learners around the EU. The project aims to cultivate green and entrepreneurship skills for women of any age and motivate them to deploy these skills for their small-scale green and social enterprises. The project embraces the digital transition, fosters a future-oriented approach and provides adult education institutions with long-sought solutions. It addresses issues such as effective digital capacity planning and development, resource pooling, digital teaching and pedagogies, open educational material, accessibility and inclusion, use of innovative tools and immersive technologies. ADULT EDUCATION SECTOR NEEDSDuring the outbreak of the global pandemic, adult education and training have faced huge challenges. The mass use and rapid transformation of technology has revealed gaps, exposed weaknesses and in parallel has unleased opportunities and potential. According to the European Association for Education of Adults (EAEA), outreach to adult learners, particularly for the most vulnerable populations, has become both more urgent and challenging. Concomitantly, for some communities, the global pandemic has triggered solidarity and more willingness for non-formal educational opportunities (EAEA, 2020). During the travel restrictions and long-term lockdowns across the EU, novel initiatives and new formats in adult learning have emerged, usually by devising online/distance learning. This is the potential that FEMECO seeks to contribute through its results.NEW SKILL NEEDSThe right skills for jobs are key for the transition to environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economies. Those who do not possess such skills are the ones that often need them most. Major skill gaps and skills shortages have been well-documented in green jobs and industry (ILO & CEDEFOP, 2010). A transformation towards a greener economy is inevitable and anticipated to result in profound transitions across sectors and occupations, which could augment inequalities among individuals, companies and regions.Adult education center can play a decisive role. Green skills are anticipated to create new jobs in the green industry that could produce employment opportunities and prevent net job losses (ILO, 2015). Adult education providers should be capable to deliver high-quality training programmes that align people and their needs with the needs of the green economy and labour market. FEMECO suggests that this can better be achieved through the pooling of resources and the employment of Open Educational Resources and Pedagogies.<< Objectives >>The FEMECO project is a high-performing digital education ecosystem that is based on Open Education Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices which aims to develop and deliver quality online learning experiences and make them easily and freely accessible to learners across the EU. Its aim is to address and tackle the damaging consequences that our daily consumption habits have on the environment and offer eco-friendly and sustainable solutions in order to respond the problem. FEMECO will offer solutions for adult education and life-long learning providers and supplement them with digital content which is more asynchronous learning opportunities in existing courses on green skills and sustainable development. By leveraging ready-made online resources adult education and life-long learning institutions can capitalize on existing resources and support adult learners’ learning.The specific project objectives are the following:- To develop a unique, state-of-the-art, technology-enhanced online training program on how to make reusable hygiene products & baby diapers - To cultivate green skills and provide social entrepreneurship opportunities and education for women - To raise awareness to the wider public and promote a more sustainable way of lifestyle and consumption behaviour about hygiene products.- To promote high quality, learner-centred adult learning programmes that allows for learner autonomy, flexible and engaging.In addition, the project dissemination and exploitation activities are expected to promote: • the sustainability and possible commercialization of the Campus after the end of EU funding. • the widest dissemination of knowledge from the project, including the capacity to design, develop, share and offer high-quality online VET courses through the employment of user-friendly tools and secure platforms, respecting privacy and ethical standards.FEMECO fully aligns with UN SDG 5 [gender equality], SDG 6 [clean water and sanitation], SDG 12 [responsible consumption and production] and SDG 13 [climate action] and aims at reducing waste and enabling behavioural changes and lifestyle habits that are key for sustainable development<< Implementation >>FEMECO shall implement the following activities:PROJECT MANAGEMENT & COORDINATION A1: Project Management and coordination1.1. Project Management Handbook and Tools/Templates1.2. Management Board Set-Up1.3. Communication with partners/agency1.4. Coordination and Communication Platform1.5. Consortium Agreements1.6. Monitoring of Process, Budget, Dissemination 1.7. Data Protection / GDPR Compliance1.8. Progress, Interim and Final ReportingM1: Kick-off meetingM2: Project meeting #2M2: Project meeting #3M2: Project meeting & Final Conference #4A2: QUALITY ASSURANCE & EVALUATION2.1. Elaboration of QA Plan2.2. Set-up of Quality Assurance Committee2.3. Set up of External Group of Advisors (EGA)2.4. Set up of Focus Group (FG)2.5. Elaboration of a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan2.6. Elaboration of Monitoring and Evaluation ReportsA3: DISSEMINATION3.1. Stakeholder Analysis3.2. Dissemination Plan3.3. Portfolio of Dissemination Material3.4. Project Website3.5. Project Social Media3.6. Dissemination activities4 NewslettersInfo day in FranceInfo day in Czech Rep.Info day in PolandInfo day in GreeceInfo day in CyprusInfo day in Spain Info day in TurkeyA4: EXPLOITATION4.1. Exploitation Plan 4.2. Promotional Video 4.4. Memorandum of UnderstandingIO1. BEST PRACTICES ON SUSTAINABLE HYGIENE PRODUCTS - A GUIDEO1/A1 Primary research design and deliveryQuestionnaire design, collection of data and analysisPolicy brief and recommendations O2/A2 Evidence-based practices in green & social entrepreneurshipDesktop research Good practices compilation reportIO2. FEMECO TRAINING MODULESO2/A1: Curriculum design Training module in Reusable Hygiene ProductsTraining module in Social and Green EntrepreneurshipManual on homemade and recyclable diapers for seniorsO2/A2: Curriculum developmentO2/A3 Digital tool on waste management and hygiene productsIO3. FEMECO VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (VLE)O3/A1: VLE specificationsO3/A2: VLE developmentO3/A2:Development of FEMECO MOOC O3/A3: Pilot Testing of the MOOCO3/A4: MOOC Launching and MonitoringO3/A6: Virtual libraryO3/A7: GDPR compliance<< Results >>FEMECO shall deliver:IO1. GOOD PRACTICES ON SUSTAINABLE HYGIENE PRODUCTS - A GUIDE addressing: policy implications from the waste of hygiene products on the environment; Recommendations; Compilation og good practices from the green sector/industry IO2. 3 FEMECO TRAINING MODULES addressing:Production of handmade and reusable hygiene products; Education in Social and Green Entrepreneurship; Manual on homemade and recyclable diapers for seniors; Digital tool on waste management and hygiene products; Access and participation; Programme specifications; Data Protection management.IO3. FEMECO VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (VLE)FEMECO VLE; Virtual library; GDPR compliance.Increased availability and use of OER will lead to better access, thereby contributing to more equity and to higher quality and improved efficiency of adult education sector.Additional Material Results:• Project Management Handbook and Documents• Consortium agreements• Quality Assurance Plan• Monitoring & Evaluation Plan• Stakeholder Analysis• Dissemination Plan• Portfolio of Dissemination material• Project website & social media• Newsletters• Press releases and media presence – presence in EU platforms (esp. EPALE)• Exploitation Plan• Promotional video• Memorandum of Understanding• Reports: Progress Reports, Interim and Final Reports, Evaluation Reports, Dissemination Logs and matrix