"In the document published by the EC in 2012, “Rethinking Education”, the necessity to integrate technology in training centers was already highlighted, insisting on the need of providing trainers with proper training in this regard. Moreover, the Common Framework for Digital Competences for Trainers 2012, published by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport reinforced this argument stating that trainers need to improve their digital competences to normalize the use of technological resources in class. The MOBILE-TECH project wants to contribute to make this a reality.The use of mobile devices for learning is not something new and although there are some experiences of its successful implementation, we have detected some barriers for its implementation in VET:- Most of VET trainers are not aware about the potential of mobile devices as a tool for learning.- Mobile devices, and specifically smartphones, have a bad reputation ""majority of people on Earth believe mobile phones, beyond not being conducive to learning are in fact antithetical to it"" (UNESCO Mobile Learning Week Report, 12-16 December 2011, p.11).- Most of VET trainers do not have the necessary competences/knowledge to use mobile devices for learning (ICT skills, knowledge of the different apps which can be used for learning, how to create/modify their own apps, how and with which purpose to use mobile devices).The aim of MOBILE-TECH project is to encourage VET trainers´ training about mobile learning through the creation of an Open Collaborative Learning Platform. To achieve these objectives, we will carry out several activities which can be gathered in three products:1) “Trainers´ guide for mobile resources to be used in the classroom”. The guide a) describes what mobile learning is and which devices, tools, media, apps could be used in education; b) it offers an illustration of the abundant pedagogical benefits and advantages of m-learning and describes good practices collected in the 5 project Countries (Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Greece and Finland); c) it demonstrates how to plan your mobile learning approach. The guide is available in the 5 project’s languages (English, German, Finnish, Greek and Spanish).2) Development of Trainers´ course “How to develop new training resources and teach mobile learning (m-learning)”, addressed to teachers from VET centres and from other educational fields. The course is divided into 6 modules: 1 - Introduction and presentation of the course for trainers; 2 - M-Learning: definitions, models and pedagogical benefits; 3 - How and in which cases use solutions, tools and applications for mobile devices; 4 - M-learning in practice (how to develop own contents and how and for what to use different mobile devices); 5 - How to take the most of the use of social networks; 6 - Planning m-learning.3) Open Collaborative Learning Platform for trainers. All the project materials will be hosted in this platform. Not only the guide and the course but also different pedagogical materials related to m-learning in the classrooms. The Learning Platform also includes a specific area to share knowledges and information about mobile devices, tools, apps, etc. (M-TECHwiki) and to discuss doubts and questions concerning m-learning (Forum M-TECH).The Training course and the Learning Platform have been tested in partners’ countries. Totally 100 trainers and 150 students participated in testing sessions. Moreover, the platform and the training materials (the guide and the course) were presented in the multiplier events celebrated in all project countries. To ensure the smooth development of the MOBILE-TECH project different key transversal actions were implemented: A1 - Creation of an e-mail distribution list for partner’s communicationA2 - Use of Asana platform for an effective management of the projectA3 - Creation of a Skype group for online meetings - Quality Management Plan, monitoring and preparation of 4 reports (A11, A12, A13 and A14)- Dissemination Plan, implementation y preparation of an intermediate and a final report (A18 and A19)A6 - IPRA - Four financial reports (A7), (A8), (A9) and (A10) A15 - Web 2.0. campaignA16 - Publications in pressA17 - Elaboration of a video presentation of the project.The consortium met in four International Meetings to plan and evaluate project progress: M1-Kiel (Germany), M2-Glasgow (Great Britain), M3-Helsingfors (Finland), M4-Durango (Spain)."

"Context/background of the projectThe economic crisis that affects all European countries had a strong impact on the already existing ""skills gap"" in the EU labor market. The following challenges and related needs are identified:-ameliorate the cooperation between VET providers and companies to provide a market oriented training offer-provide VET students with enhanced Work Based Learning methods and tools to prevent demotivation due to the lack of practical application of what they learn in a real business environment-Apprenticeships lack in effectivenessObjectivesThe project identified the following objectives to be reached in order to answer to the identified needs:-Improve the cooperation between VET providers and companies and enhance the participation of companies in planning and delivering training so to better match the job market needs-Motivate VET students at risk of dropping out, by providing them with enhanced Work Based Learning methods-Improve the internationalization of the VET training offerParticipating organisationsThe WBL 2.0 project involved: -6 contractual partners including training agencies, companies associations and no profit organisations -57 Companies interested in cooperating with the VET sector -More than 60 trainers and more than 1 200 students -45 Associated partners including VET schools, associations, companies, no profit organisations public bodies, school associations, universities and youth organisations ActivitiesThe project activities were organised as follows:Activity 1:Creation of the Intellectual Output contents: Repository of e-learning video lessons and interviewsThe project partners produced the Repository of e-learning video lessons and interviews, delivered by company managers and professionals according to a Work based learning approach, to provide VET students that want to become web designers and/or social media managers with an innovative ICT based training offer for better understanding the expectations of the market and of the companies.The partners contacted companies’ managers and experts to collect Video interviews and Testimonials.The Video were edited and subtitled and made available on the Project Portal through in-depth description of their contents and didactic potential.Activity 2Creation of a Virtual Platform for Internships hosted within a dedicated section on to the WBL 2.0 portal providing accessibility to:-Profiles of companies interested in host a transnational internship.-Profiles of students that are interested to carry out their placement at international level -Monitoring and assessment toolsActivity 3Creation of Guidelines for the organisation of international internships identifying and mainstreaming innovative successful strategies to ensure that work placements reflect the needs and expectations of the business world and the needs and expectations of the VET students and VET providers.Activity 4Organisation of 5 Multiplier events to disseminate the results reached, methodology implemented and output produced in the WBL 2.0 project.Transversal Activities:All project partners were involved in the carrying out of the transversal activities related to the effective implementation of the project: Coordination, Reporting, Dissemination, Exploitation and Evaluation.Results and impact attainedWBL 2.0 impacted on: - VET TEACHERS providing them with innovative work based learning teaching methods for enriching their classroom lessons with Video based materials facilitating students understanding of what are companies expectations in real life business scenarios and motivate them students to finish their VET training pathsAlso WBL 2.0 results implemented effective alternance between training and work through transnational apprenticeships and established fruitful cooperation with companies for organising international and virtual placements - VET STUDENTS who acquired knowledge, competences and skills in the fields of the latest trends in web designing and implementation and raised their awareness on the importance that companies give in the selection of their human resources.Students also got in contact with European companies of the sector in order to carry out transnational apprenticeships virtual or in person and also experimenting forms of teleworking- COMPANIES managers and trainers, by involving them in the creation of the Video collection of training contents. Companies reinforced their participation to the definition of VET training contents addressed to their future workforce, making sure that VET students get trained to be prepared to match their needs of human resources.Longer-term benefitsThe project outputs have all a strong transferability potential and are expected to have long term benefits on the VET sector through a strong cooperation pattern between companies and Vet providers."

"<< Background >>Numbers show that alcohol use and abuse is still a persistent phenomenon during adolescence, an age in which young girls and boys should not be drinking at all. This means that, if numbers of alcohol abuse among adolescents are to be cut, prevention and awareness raising actions need to start early, during pre-adolescence, before the problem emerges.Alcohol use and abuse among pre-adolescents is therefore the central topic addressed by the CUT! project. Pre-adolescents (11-14) have been chosen as the main target group because they are at a higher risk of alcohol abuse, as its use is often perceived as a means of acceptance within the group. Other underlying factors such as identity building, conformity with the mainstream, fear of exclusion, bullying, rites of passage, challenging the authority etc. can also lead the youngsters to abuse alcohol and assume risky behaviours.At the same time, adults, including parents and educators, who should be responsible for guiding and educating the youth, struggle when put in front of the problem of alcohol abuse among pre-adolescents. On one side, they are not aware of the problem, as they think that is something concerning the youth at a later stage. On the other, they do not know how to deal with it: they have difficulties in reading the signals of potentially risky behaviours and, when they detect a situation of alcohol use or abuse, they do not know how to address it. The needs of parents to have ready-to-use advice on how to deal with pre-adolescents on sensitive issues and dynamics will be addressed by CUT! project. Even teachers need to be duly prepared on managing the issue of alcohol use and abuse in pre-adolescence. The school is the place where boys and girls usually spend most of their time; the school is the place where teachers could identify and recognize some “signals”, conscious or unconscious, showing an addiction to alcohol from pre-adolescents. Therefore, the need to increase the competence of educators and psychological support staff working in schools to face such a sensitive topic is another need that will be addressed by CUT! project.Moreover, key policy makers at local, regional, national, EU/international levels need to create a ""healthy"" educational path of pre-adolescents, which, on the one hand, prevents the use and abuse of alcohol and, on the other hand, identifies effective measures to deal with this addiction. This need is seen in the perspective of a broader social policy, which aims to prevent social exclusion, a discomfort that is often hidden behind the addiction to alcohol, and to guarantee a genuine lifestyle.The above-mentioned needs will be addressed by CUT!project through a concerted and holistic approach and creative learning methodologies.<< Objectives >>Alcohol use and abuse among pre-adolescents is the central topic addressed by the CUT! Project. This is the top of the iceberg of a bigger problem, whereas the bottom of it is the distress young boys and girls may live in, characterised by difficulties in personal and/ or group acceptance, discrimination, segregation, emotional and physical turmoil, etc. Alcohol use and abuse among pre-adolescents needs urgent actions to be limited.The main objective of the CUT! project is to limit the use and abuse of alcohol among pre-adolescents and adolescents by focusing on prevention and awareness raising, by:•Raising awareness on the issue of alcohol abuse, both among pre-adolescents and adults of reference•Preventing risky behaviours eventually leading to alcohol abuse•Developing response strategies to tackle the issue of alcohol abuse among pre-adolescents<< Implementation >>The project plans to involve directly students, parents, educators and psychological support staff in schools in partner countries in order to both develop project results, i.e. the CUT! Video Series (PR1), the CUT! Practical Guide (PR2) and the CUT! Lessons Learned and Policy Recommendations Report (PR3), and to implement educational activities to test the outputs of the project.Students and parents will be engaged in focus group discussions to determine the contents of Project Result 1 (CUT! Video Series). In addition, an estimated 840 participants, including all above-mentioned categories, will be involved in testing the CUT! educational activities in schools in Poland, Italy, Romania, France and Greece, based on the guidance provided in PR2.Pupils will be involved in two short-term mobility activities, visiting partner schools to translate the subtitles of videos targeted to pre-adolescents (part of PR1) and to undertake CUT! educational activities together (as a way to test transnationally the materials of PR2), giving them the opportunity to make their voice heard and train some key competences, such as creativity and multi-language skills.At the same time, key staff of partner organisations will attend a transnational Training of Facilitators to build their capacities to implement the CUT! educational activities in their home countries.Finally, multiplier events at local, national and EU level will be organised in order to support the uptake of the CUT! project results and the sustainability of the project.<< Results >>The project’s main outcome will be the development of the CUT! educational path to prevent and raise the awareness on alcohol use and abuse among pre-adolescents. It will be a complete package composed of different educational material targeted to young boys and girls (11-14) enrolled in school, teachers and psychological support staff (e.g. psychologists or counsellors working at school), and parents. The CUT! educational path will be structured in educational activities, from awareness raising, teaching, training and learning activities, using different methodologies and approaches. The key competences of creativity and critical thinking fostered with the project's activities will support pre-adolescents in making the right choices, now and in the future. At the same time, adults of reference will be empowered and ready to guide young boys and girls to undertake a proper pathway leading them away from risky behaviours.Project Results 1 and 2 represent the material developed to implement the CUT! educational path. The CUT! Video series (PR1) will support teachers, psychologists and parents to deal with young boys and girls on such a sensitive topic when implementing the CUT! educational path. The CUT! Practical Guide (PR2) will, in turn, guide teachers and psychological support staff working in schools in setting up and implement the CUT! educational activities in schools. It will provide ready-to-use material and practical advice that are very useful when dealing with such specific and sensitive topics.Another important outcome that is planned is the awareness raising of key policy makers on the issue of alcohol use and abuse among pre-adolescents. The intent is to open the eyes of these actors on a problem that is real and needs specific actions to be tackled. Project Result 3 is geared specifically to collect good practices, lessons learned and policy recommendations to inform and influence future policies on this topic at local, regional, national, EU/international levels.In summary, by implementing the project, prevention and response measures will be synchronised and all the actors involved in the life of pre-adolescents will be brought at the decision-making table to give a concerted support to cut numbers in the use and abuse of alcohol among pre-adolescents."

"PISA 2012 report revealed the need for innovative, interactive and engaging teaching approach for 21st-century schools in order to reach higher achievement of students. This approach can be transmitted and practically realized in classrooms only by the properly trained teacher and educator.The project aims to develop teachers’ and educators’ competences - especially integrated STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) teaching skills, based on collaborative problem-solving (CPS) - sharing experiences among countries involved in the project (the project was compatible with PISA 2015 aims to evaluate students’ performance in mathematics, science and financial literacy; performance in problem-solving and reading).Objectives of the project:– To develop teachers’ and educators’ integrated teaching skills, based on collaborative problem-solving;– To explore new forms of teaching, learning and assessment of students achievements;– To guide teachers and educators, how to motivate children and inspire their passion for discovery and learning;– To share experience of good practice on increasing students' interest in STEM and technical creativity; developing students’ skills of logical and critical thinking, CPS, as well as learning to learn, creativity, initiative and entrepreneurial competencies; preparing students for a successful professional career, encouraging their active contribution to the progress of society.8 countries and 10 partners were involved in the project: UPC (Lithuania)–institution affiliated to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania providing educational support in the field of pre-school, primary and general education.Alytaus Putinai gymnasium (Lithuania), lyceum 1erGeniko Lykeio de Thessaloniki (Greece) and Liceum “M. Immacolata” (Italy) are schools, seeking quality of teaching and learning. OÜ Miksike (Estonia)–provides teacher training courses, manages and develops Miksike Learning Environment. CREF (Portugal)- important establishments of the region of Setúbal, oriented to the development of teacher education and training In-service training courses.The Galician Regional Ministry of Education (Spain) is responsible for educational standards and the training and development of the schools and works on the implementation of regional initiatives to meet school improvement priorities and to share in and support innovation in teaching, learning and school leadership. The Business and Finance College (Bulgaria)is a training institution experienced in training people for insertion into the world of work, in developing new methodologies in entrepreneurship education. CEI (Latvia)- provides training and implements projects in all regions of Latvia, develops and implements projects which promote quality education and accessibility of education to all children. Epimorfotiki (Greece) developed a wide network of associates, which includes a quality consultant, adults’ trainers, counsels of continuous local development, ICT, etc., This partnership is a good potential for dissemination of enriching experiences in the fields approached by the project and a genuine mutual interest in developing innovative approaches to sustainable education, the importance of teachers and educators competences, entrepreneurship and motivating measures in school.The target group of the project - teachers and educators, who are not afraid of challenges and are seeking quality of teaching and learning and higher learning achievements of students, are open-minded, communicative and collaborative, and are ready to provide meaningful learning experiences for 21st-century students.The main activities were undertaken:- 3 short-term joint staff training events- 4 international project meetings- 3 intellectual outputs were created: 1. PDP of 4 modules for teachers and educators2. Collections of good practices3. Collections of DLO This increased the variety of available learning resources.- The project activities (training courses, evaluation seminar, national multiplier events, dissemination events) involved more than 60 direct and more than 3000 indirect participants.- 8 national Multiplier event organised (285 participants)- 1 dissemination international conference organised and involved 46 participants (26 local and 20 international).Total Duration of the Project – 24 Months.The following outcomes are reached:- Raised competences and capacities of teachers, educators had a direct impact on students’ learning motivation, higher learning achievements.-The transnational network of teachers, educators, schools seeking higher learning achievements of students through applying CPS principles created.-The PDP were accredited at the national levels and offered to ERASMUS+ Key Action 1 by UPC (Lithuania), CREF (Portugal), Epimorfotiki (Greece). - New Erasmus+KA2 project ""STEAM capacity building"" (No 2016-1-LT01-KA201-023146) created."

"CHANCE or ""C4C"" will be a youth-led project that will bring together a cross-sector, strategic partnership of 6 familiar and not so familiar with Erasmus organisations to develop innovative, community-led, educational methods and tools to help address the root causes that lead to gender-based violence (GBV) and gender discrimination as they impact on young people. In our modern European societies, GBV continues to be a widespread phenomenon impacting on young peoples' lives regardless of their religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status or level of education. There is also evidence to suggest that youth workers need more capacity to deal with this persistent phenomenon at EU level, putting emphasis on supporting marginalised groups of girls and young women as they tend to be more exposed to GBV. The project results will help deliver the Europe 2020 Strategy and EU gender equality policies. HORIZONTAL: SOCIAL INCLUSIONWe believe that C2C addresses multiple horizontal and sectoral priorities including but not limited to Social Inclusion. GBV and gender discrimination are a reality for many young women and girls who are excluded and marginalised, limiting their potential to participate equally in life and civic society. This may include areas such as education, employment and progression, social life and health provision. CHANCE aims to address the root causes that lead to these phenomena for young people, helping in this way to the delivery of the social inclusion objectives of the new Youth Strategy and Erasmus+. CHANCE also aims to increase young people's awareness of their rights and responsibilities particularly pertaining to GBV, discrimination, exclusion and abuse. This core theme was developed in line with the Erasmus + Programme, having considered carefully the findings of the EU Youth Report. While the target beneficiary group of CHANCE is wide (increasing potential impact), it also has a specific focus on minority ethnic women, identified as the most vulnerable group in the project's context. C4C puts strong focus on the involvement of young people with fewer opportunities, both as ultimate project beneficiaries and as participants in the development and oversight of the project. This is because we have evidence to believe that young women from minority ethnic groups, refugee and migrant communities as well as low socio-economic backgrounds are more exposed to GBV and gender discrimination. YOUTH: Promoting engaging, connecting and empowering young peopleAs a youth-led project, CHANCE will directly empower young people in the participating countries to get involved in the project through volunteering and social action. The young people will be empowered to deliver project management (e.g. quality control) and project tasks. We will use the values of restorative justice (i.e. power sharing, equality and fairness) to empower them to drive the project. While doing so, C4C will create and pilot an innovative model and related tools for youth workers empowering them to better connect and support their young people in their work in reducing GBV. CHANCE will also make use of a pedagogy of production approach particularly suitable to involve young people in reflecting activities and in oder to empower them to challenge stereotyped attitudes and behaviours regarding gender relationships through the development of critical thinking and other skills. YOUTH: Promoting quality, innovation and recognition of youth workC4C has been developed to deliver Erasmus' strategic partnership objectives of professionalising youth workers and building their competences, as well as setting quality standards. To this end it will develop and pilot (a) ""GBV Youth Workers' Competence Framework"" and self-assessment e-tool (b) two accredited e-courses (c) a scientific publication.We have evidence to believe that by increasing the capacity of youth workers, we can minimise the gap in youth learning in relation to preventative GBV related practices. The aforementioned 3 innovative education material on restorative justice and media based tools will be translated in all participating languages and be accredited. They will enhance the quality of youth work and piloted in the participating countries. They will also be made available to all EU members states via the project's website and planned dissemination actions. Lastly, the project aims to build relationships among organisations servicing youth in the participating countries and across Europe, while providing key workers of the participating organisations with new skills and knowledge so that they can deliver the project's objectives and transfer them to others. Through its multipliers, C4C will bring together various stakeholders in the youth field from different member states to support the project's collaborative development and exchange of innovative methods, tools and practices, focusing on GBV as this impacts on young people and marginalised groups."