CONTEXT AND AIMIn light of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for ever increasing innovation, impact and recognition of youth work, the ERASMUS+ KA2 strategic partnership project „RECALIBUR - ecotools in youth work for collective creativity“ aims to explore youth work's renewed role in fostering a shared sense of mutual belonging with the communities and the natural world by enhancing and strengthening resonating outer connection as forms of creative inspiration. This to increase young people's sense of belonging, wellbeing, resilience, and responsibility towards the biosphere as a whole, and identify in these restored interactions means, motivation, tools and positive outlook to accomplish their goals and those of their community, expressed via the creative arts. OBJECTIVES: 1) To explore ecopsychology principles and approaches to untap its applicability to youth work, and youth empowerment principle through connection and reconnection to the community and to the environment at large, via creative expressions2) To investigate, curate, adapt and create non-formal education approaches and tools, enhancing the sets available to youth workers, trainers, facilitators, coaches and educators to also provide competence development and empowerment based on community and environmental engagement through the application and fostering of youth creativity.3) To empirically demonstrate the relevance, and evidence, of this renewed approach to youth work identified via empirical demonstration and scientific research 4) To pilot and prototype both this new approach and the related tools in international youth work contexts, as well as in local youth work, as motivators for creativity and creative expression as well as storytelling via the arts and crafts, empowered through the application of the designed tools. 5) To match digital/online and residential/live learning in the promotion of this approach in order to foster youth creative expression in the form of a collective effort through community reconnection and environmental positive engagement. 6) To collect all the outputs, outcomes, deliverables and products of this joint exercise into an interactive online environment and embedded social media campaign in order to showcase the benefit of the approach and raise awareness towards the youth needs that arose from the Covid19 pandemic and our proposed solution. TARGET GROUPSWe are targeting youth work practitioners, and via them ultimately young people, here with a focus on inclusion groups. FORSEEN OUTPUTS1 Online environment, containing:- a research to demonstrate the scientific approach behind the proposed methodology and approach- an educational toolkit for youth work practitioners to foster creativity and creative expression through community engagement and reconnection with the non-human world- a collective gallery of curated resources, as well as collective storytelling EVENTS, MEETINGS AND ACTIONS1 training to explore tools for community engagement1 training to explore tools for nature and outdoors-focused tools20 focus groups10 local activities to put the tools in practice1 Multiplier Event workshop of community creativity1 Multiplier Event connected to nature-focused non-formal education workshops5 international webinars4 transnational partner meetings DISSEMINATIONReach of audiovisual material: 5000Online interaction with toolkit: 1500Engagement on social media: 5000Traffic on website: 5000 PARTNERSHIPThe project comprises of organisations from Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Italia, and Slovakia. IMPACT AND LONG-TERM EFFECTSWe aim for the following long.term effects:*) Ecopsychology principles and approaches with focus on creativity explored, prototyped and proven in relation to applicability to youth work*) The new approach and methodology are promoted and disseminated*) Youth work is innovated and has more tools and approaches at disposition*) Role, impact and recognition of youth work and non-formal education has been strengthened*) Creativity, wellbeing and inclusion in young people as well as in communities has been strengthened*) Creativity, creative industries, community life and the ecological environment are appreciated more*) Quality of creative expressions enhances sense of belonging to community and the biosphere, enriching the local cultural heritage*) Civil society strengthened

"<< Objectives >>Promote the co-creation of video games, among young people between 13 and 25 years old, applied to themes aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the UN, thus contributing to the joint creation of a better future for everyone. Sensitize teachers about game-based co-creation methodologies to increase motivation, facilitate knowledge transfer and the acquisition of transversal skills in students in STEAM projects.<< Implementation >>1. Gamified training for educators, teachers and project partners in order to transfer knowledge and previous experiences about the organization of Videogame Jams for the creation of video games applied to education and health.2. Organization of three face-to-face Videogame Jams in Spain, Estonia and France in which 150 students (30 teams) will participate in each of them. 3. Organization of Videogame Jam online in which 450 students (90 teams) will participate.<< Results >>Stakeholders will learn how ""jam"" type co-creation methodologies are ideal for fostering creativity, facilitating knowledge transfer and increasing motivation among young people in STEAM projects. Participants will be able to create videogame prototypes with surprising quality. Thanks to the chosen theme, they will be able to know in depth the UN SDGs, collaborating to achieving them and raising awareness."

“Upgrade” is a project that will deepen partnerships between youth centres/youth NGOs from Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia and Sweden. The project will increase the operational capacity and participatory approaches of Youth centers in partner countries by creating youth work structures, developing professional competences and establishing/exchanging means of best practice, particularly in UA/GE where there is an imminent need to create and implement effective youth centre structures. “Upgrade” is a long-term project whose activities will be distributed and held in the various partner countries. The project includes a total of 8 learning mobility activities and 3 sets of long-term capacity building activities, using non-formal and learning-by-doing approaches. The activities will involve creating youth work methods, building competencies, developing and implementing structures, and reflecting and amending piloted ideas. The project structure is as follows: • Kick-off Meeting to confirm project aims and partner responsibilities • Training Course to develop a common understanding on what youth work is and how to develop the role of youth workers • Preparing Fellows (Youth Workers) from UA/GE for job-shadowing Fellowships• Fellowship which will expose UA/GE Fellows to the best practices of youth centre management within Estonia, Sweden and Poland• Meetings between youth centres and organizations on how to adopt and adapt best practices learnt during Fellowship (x4)• Training Course on how to use non-formal learning methods• 3-month phase (including a mid-term evaluation) that will implement agreed practices and strategies in practice• Youth Exchange to give youth workers the opportunity to act as group leaders and motivate youths (x2)• Seminar discussing 3-month phase and Youth Exchanges• Large-Scale event disseminating acquired knowledge to Youth Work stakeholders • Evaluation meeting confirming best methods which will be distributed to further partners in the youth work fieldThe project consortium has discussed and developed a set of evaluation and assessment procedures to measure the outcomes of the project ranging from daily reflection at each mobility, personal evaluation forms at the end of each mobility, written analysis report by the trainers/experts/coordinators of each mobility, feedback forms from young people, feedback forms of large scale events and assessment interviews with youth workers from Ukraine and Georgia. During the project, 29 youth workers will be involved in each mobility and 240 youths will be involved in local activities. The project will also target 100 stakeholders at the Large-Scale Event. At the end of the project, a handbooks will be distributed to youth work stakeholders with materials being accessible online so other organizations can implement the best practices adopted from the project, ensuring the project has a sustainable element.

"<< Objectives >>The project aims to focus on the role of non-formal and extracurricular education in the context of personal and professional development and preparation for adulthood. On the need to give young people the opportunity to develop passions and hobbies, as an important element in the search for their own ""self"". What young people find most interesting, what will make their future work will be their passion. We want to give voice to young people and their needs in the context of a changing world.<< Implementation >>The project is based on 3 main activities: - youth exchange - presentation of passions, working on proactivity and leadership competences, recommendations- training for youth workers - supporting youth in aware developing of their passions, working on key and soft competences- local implementation - dissemination and promotion of developing passions and searching for one's own way to adulthood Everything will be summarized in an on-line meeting, during which we will present the result<< Results >>At the end of the project we expect to have achieved an improvement in young people's awareness of the benefits of developing passions in the context of key competences and succeeding in the future. We plan to equip 15 youth workers with the competences to support young people in shaping their future. We want to equip 30 young people with the tools they need to develop their passions and be ambassadors of non-formal education as a way to find themselves."

The main idea of ​​this project arises from the need to generate tools to support young people in the job search. The context prior to the crisis generated by the coronavirus, already painted a complicated landscape in terms of youth unemployment, 32.7% in Spain, according to Eurostat data, 29% in Italy, 19% in France and a crisis about to explode that is expected to shoot up those numbers.It is in this uncertain and hopeless context, is in which we propose a strategic partnership that allows the creation of useful and innovative tools, based on gamification, for working with young people in search of employment. Tools that allow youth workers, job counselors, educators, social workers ... to reach out unemployed young people so that they can develop their transversal skills and face the job search with guarantees of success. Thus, the final recipients are the young people who are unemployed and at risk of social exclusion. In short, the project contemplates the creation of 5 educational games, and a platform that will constitute a toolbox for youth workers. In addition, the staff of the different organisations involved will be trained on game development, as well as a team of local youth workers.The objectives of the project are: 1. Provide youth workers, counselors, educators ... gamification-based tools to fight youth unemployment and encourage the development of soft skills in youth.2. Provide a space for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, contacts and experiences between organizations that work to combat youth unemployment.3. Share useful knowledge for the training of young people, enhancing their individual skills and characteristics that facilitate access to the labor market.4. Promote creativity and innovation in concrete actions to promote youth employment.5. Create a set of educational games that promote the development of soft skills in young people and facilitate their future incorporation into the world of work.6. Put into practice the tools and games created so that the target youth can expand their capacities and opportunities in the job search through experimentation and experiential methodology.The expected impact of the project would be:For participants (educators and youth workers):- The increase of competences, skills and tools of educators and youth workers to guide NEET through experiential methodology.- The expansion of their knowledge of specific content of the European dimension and transversal content of gamification and employability.- The specialization in gamification: creation, development and application of games as an educational method.- The integration of ideas, methods and innovative material for employability and job search.- Membership in a network of trainers at a European level that promotes mobility and can promote youth employment.- Developing key skills by working with an international team and incorporating creative problem solutions. For organizations:- The expansion and comparison of existing theories, ideas, practices, methods and materials in order to better support our target groups in local and European projects.- The integration of knowledge and specialization in the fields of employability and gamification. Expansion in the methods and kits of educational material adapted to the context of each organization.- The ability to reach new audiences- Belonging to a network of organizations linked to employability and gamification and the consequent potential for lasting collaboration For the target group (NEET youth): Personal development of key competencies and other skills essential for employability.- Increased self-confidence.- The expansion of tools and strategies to face job search processes.- The development of your professional itinerary.- The improvement of their ability to communicate and teamwork, their linguistic and intercultural skills, their empathy and their ability to live with diversity.- The increase in their ability to identify prejudices and cultural stereotypes related to the workplace and their ability to disarm them.- Expanding knowledge about situations and experiences of other young workers in Europe, as well as the Erasmus + program and its opportunities.