<< Objectives >>The project 'Rural Youth Cinema' is developing a qualitative methodology that guides young people in making an ethnographic documentaries, from youth activities that starts from ecological and sustainable themes that are urgent in the rural context where the youth work organisations are situated. We share this process using a sustainable digital platform. In this way, through the methodology, we investigate sustainability in art youth work, situated in rural areas.<< Implementation >>In each country, we will implement project activities in the partner's operation. This will be done step-by-step and in parallel. (1) exploring techniques, (2) raw documentaries of the activities, (3) final documentaries (4) viewing documentaries by partners. All project partners come together after each step. This allows for exchange and development as a group. All partners are committed to implementing the project insights and outcomes in the future work of the organisation.<< Results >>-documentaries (with subtitles)-ethnographic documentary tool for youth work-digital platform-blog with process documentation -physical film moments in each project country-Curriculum component for students youth art work (bachelor UCLL)

<< Background >>The experience of working with young people in the field of civic activation prompted us to create the current project.The three problems we identified at the project preparation stage are:1. Little participation of young people in civic lifeWhile we saw an upward trend across Europe in the participation of young people in the last elections to the European Parliament and the national elections, the statistics are still bad. Despite an increase of 13% compared to the previous survey - the results are still not satisfactory. This is especially visible in local communities, where young people rarely get involved, not seeing the possibility of action and the power of their voice in society. In interviews and surveys, we have repeatedly felt that young people often want to do something, but do not know what, and more importantly - do not know how. Moreover, even when young people form a specific group, they are often unable to establish a dialogue with representatives of local authorities or other stakeholders and are treated harshly. In Poland, Lithuania and Belgium, this trend is changing, however, the participation of Eastern European countries is also intended to show what problems young people have to face in those countries.2. Weak social and civic competences among young peopleAlthough in the core curricula of schools in all European Union countries we can find a reference to key competences, for many recent years we have been observing a trend in which attention is paid primarily to STEM competences (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), forgetting about the other four. As part of this project, we wanted to emphasize the importance of civic, interpersonal and entrepreneurial competences. Therefore, as non-governmental organizations, we must take this responsibility for providing tools that will prepare young people to play an active role in society. Informal education is the way to support schools in implementing the learning process.3. Shrinking civic space for active youth.While the EU Youth Strategy (2019-2027) encourages national authorities to undertake joint policy-making activities for young people, many local authorities do not take it seriously. Many youth structures do not function properly and are not considered partners even in activities specifically aimed at young people. The liaison between the parties should be youth councils or various youth associations, and stakeholders and young people, and play an important role in local policy-making processes.4. Reduction of the space for intersectoral dialogue (youth - NGO - local government) caused by the pandemic. Unfortunately, the situation in the world caused local governments to turn away from various forms of dialogue with citizens. Interviews and experiences of consortium members show that various forms of public consultation have lost their importance in the face of the pandemic. We observe, however, that the improvement in the health situation did not directly improve the situation related to the intersectoral dialogue, especially during face-to-face meetings.<< Objectives >>Main objective: Increasing the quality of civic participation and dialogue between young people and decision-makers by developing and applying innovative methodology and tools for assessing the situation and implementing individualized forms of support focusing on the development of key competences.Detailed objectives:O1. Shaping and strengthening active attitudes among young people by identifying competency gaps, supplementing them, as well as developing selected competences and engaging in various activities of a civic nature in their communities For this objective refer, inter alia,- educational activities aimed at young people (both traditional - as part of international exchange or local activities, as well as e-learning or educational game), aimed at improving their key competences- quantitative and qualitative monitoring of local initiatives related to the civic activity of young people in the vicinity of organizations that are part of the project consortiumO2. Building the potential of organizations supporting the creation and implementation of youth policies at various levels by equipping them with appropriate tools and increasing the competences of staff working with youthFor this objective refer, inter alia,- training of trainers / local leaders supporting the processes of structured dialogue, and thus increasing the competences of these people and strengthening the organizations from which they will come,- building and strengthening relationships with local / regional partners active in the topic of intersectoral dialogueO3. Raising awareness among both young people and decision-makers about the essence of inclusive dialogue in public space, by including all stakeholder groups in educational and implementation activities, as well as their comprehensive evaluation.O4. Providing various and individualized forms of support for those who conduct a structured dialogue: initiated by both young people and decision-makers themselves, at various levels, which in the future will expand its scope and enable it to be conducted in a continuous and sustainable manner For these objectives, they relate, inter alia,- the expected increase in the quality of civic consultations in the communities covered by the project activities- greater openness of public partners (local governments) to cooperation in the development of intersectoral dialogue with non-governmental organizationsDue to the long duration of the project, as well as appropriate planning of local activities, involving both young people and stakeholders from the public sector, as well as other local organizations, we hope that cooperation within the ToDo project will have a positive impact on relationships (consisting in trust gained through the qualitative implementation of activities planned in this project) organizations included in the consortium with decision-makers at various levels (especially local), which will allow these organizations to play an even more important role in the future as experts in structured dialogue and, above all, in the consultation process social, taking into account young people - their problems, needs, but also ambitions and plans.<< Implementation >>A number of local and international activities will be implemented in the project.There are planned 4 administrative meetings of the project consortium, three educational mobility designed for different target groups, as well as a number of dissemination activities that will allow gaining access to people who will not take part in previously implemented activities.Turning to training and learning activities, all three activities are an integral part of the overall project concept and without them it would not be possible to fully achieve the project objectives and results. It should be noted that educational activities will play a specific role in the project.International project meetings will be mainly aimed at project administration (monitoring / evaluation / planning), and will also allow for joint testing of specific project results.On the other hand, activities related to science, teaching and training will be directed directly to the target groups of our project, i.e. people working with young people and the youth themselves.The full implementation of the project results would not be possible without LTT activities. During short meetings, within a few days, we will have the opportunity to jointly improve our competences, which we will use during local activities.The concept of LTT activities has its own logic, as C1 and C2 participants will mainly be youth workers who, in the meantime, will implement a series of local activities, inside the youth groups they lead / educate. They will then return (some of them) in C3, together with some young members of youth groups, to continue their education at a different level, working together in an international environment.The planned LTT activities are directly in line with the objectives of the project, through education in the field of:- strengthening the key competences of people involved in youth work, so that, as a result, they can provide better and more concrete support in activities carried out by young people.- strengthening key competences among members of selected youth groups, so that young people can more efficiently shape and implement activities as part of their work. Indirectly, they also enable the implementation of the main goal and other specific goals.The meetings themselves are quite short and therefore will be quite intensive. Detailed mobility schedules will be developed by the team of educators who will lead them.<< Results >>During the implementation of the project, we intend to achieve a wide range of resultsIO1 - Assessment of the level of competences of young people in terms of civic involvement - it will be a tool that is a competence structure (map) in the form of a matrix, allowing to assess / check the level of the relevant key competency in relation to a specific form of civic activity on a four-level scale.IO2 - Publication containing methodological preparation for the use of individual forms of civic activity, as well as a collection of methods that can be used in these processes. Additionally, these methods will be sorted (assessed) in terms of their complexity, which will be a reference to the IO1 result. The publication will be accompanied by an interactive presentation of the application of selected methods and toolsIO3 - A set of digital resources supporting the process of acquiring competences among young people:- an educational game to improve awareness of key competences among young people, containing elements of learning through experience- a set of training courses prepared for the development of specific competences (E-Learning + application of webinars), prepared on the basis of the Experiential Learning methodology. Individual courses will offer advancement level grading based on the competence map developed under IO1.- Instastory and Tiktoki materials presenting various forms of civic activity- Additional elements enabling interaction with young people, e.g. challenges, competitions, etc.All products listed above will be available in six languages.Second, related to science, training and local implementations:As mentioned above - we would like to reach a minimum of 100 participants during e-learning.Additionally:- 18 youth workers / employees of partner organizations will exchange experiences on civic activation and good practices during C1- 24 youth workers, youth leaders and other stakeholders who initiate various forms of dialogue will be trained during C2, which will positively affect their key competences and willingness and opportunities to engage and people in their environment in various forms of dialogue in the public space.- Locally mentioned youth workers will support the learning process of young people (including those who will become e-learning beneficiaries) - in which at least 100 young people will take partFinally, a group of 25 young people together with 5 youth workers will implement a youth exchange that will improve their learning process.Third, related to disseminating and multiplying events:We will reach a minimum of 360 participants in our dissemination events, representing min. 60 different institutions.As part of our social media campaigns, we will reach min. 25,000 young people

SAFE YOUTH focuses on supporting and empowering youth workers combating the social obstacles young people face nowadays, because of their gender, sexual orientation and mental health status and help youth to build resilience and improve their well-being.According to Eurostat (2017) 28% of young people aged 16- 29 years were at risk of social exclusion in the EU. This lies to the fact that young people may enter the process of social inclusion at different points and move toward both poles – either marginalisation or achievement of autonomy; depending on the choices they make, the support and opportunities they have.The development of essential socio-emotional life skills may act as protective factors for youth’s empowerment especially in relation to their sexual behavior, mental health, quality of life and well-being. As proven, youth struggling with disadvantages are generally less active citizens and have less trust in institutions; something that leads them to isolation and to feel less included in their social environment. Sexuality Education comes to respond to this challenge by empowering youth workers on providing young people with the knowledge, skills and efficacy to make informed decisions about their sexuality, well- being and lifestyle as to feel more included in their social environment, be more confident about who they are and to become active citizens.Youth workers can facilitate and respond to this need empowering young people on a personal and a social level. According to the National Occupational Standards for Youth Work 2008, youth work enables young people to develop holistically- their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential; something that the formal educational system cannot achieve solely.The project’s objectives which are also in line with the European Youth Strategy 2019- 2027 and the ERASMUS+ Guide 2020 in the field of Youth, are to:1. Educate and support youth workers and trainers’ acquisition of sexuality education, mental health, resilience and well- being competences by developing learning resources and innovative tools using non- formal education;2. Empower the development of attitudes of self-respect and self-value of youth target groups by developing a visual online space where all the OERs & Gamified learning resources produced will be available (learning kit, visual storytelling, digital escape rooms);3. Increase knowledge and awareness of youth workers and young people, regarding social inclusion, sexuality education, mental health, resilience and well-being issues building on European values through the implementations and study visit to take place during the project;4. Stimulate youth workers to connect, engage and empower youth to challenge the social taboos and stereotypes building more inclusive social environments and5. Contribute to practice policy development regarding sexuality education and validation and recognition of youth work at national and EU level.In order to achieve the above, the involvement and expertise of organisations of different types is needed (NGOs dedicated to youth, civil society organisation, technical partners) to highlight their needs, bring in experience and expertise that is applied in different European countries (Cyprus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland) to support youth, while it also involves new coming organisations. This EU perspective will target needs in the participating partner countries, and support the sharing of lessons and experiences from working with youth workers and youth in order to ensure that young people-especially marginalised- are well equipped with the knowledge and the skills required for sharing their opinion concerning their own sexual health rights and interests; have better mental health; and fight stigma and discrimination.SAFE YOUTH aims to reach 10,000 individuals during its lifecycle and more than 50,000 people at long-term. Specifically, more than 2000 young people -with a special focus on marginalised youth who seek of support- 2000 youth workers, 200 policy decision makers, and more than 100 other stakeholders will be reached directly and indirectly with various means.Through innovative learning modules that will be developed in the learning kit of the project touching sensitive issues, an online visual space which also includes visual storytelling/ narratives, digital escape rooms in the form of challenge-based learning activities, and a policy and practice report, SAFE YOUTH will raise awareness, educate, and support key stakeholders, youth workers and youth (including marginalised youth) throughout Europe regarding the importance of sexuality education, mental health and well- being of youth. The active involvement of youth workers will empower the field of youth work and lead young people to a more socially inclusive environment.

MIMY is a comparative interdisciplinary study of migrant integration with the aim of empowering young migrants in vulnerable conditions and supporting integration strategies within the EU. The project brings together 11 disciplines and 12 partners to examine the dynamic, open-ended process of integration at the EU, national and local level by examining 18 case studies within 9 countries. MIMY analyzes integration policies and strategies across macro (EU migration policies), meso (regional economic & social systems) and micro (individual practices) levels by establishing a unified theoretical framework at the intersection of liquid integration, resilience and vulnerability. The innovative, multi-method approach (e.g. policy analyses, quantitative data analysis, delphi study and participatory action research) provides in-depth analyses of: 1) the long-term socio-economic effects of successful and failed integration; 2) factors fostering or hindering integration processes of young migrants (considering the heterogeneity and diverse biographical backgrounds); and 3) how diverse social actors and institutions can support the agency of young migrants by further strengthening their resilience and resistance strategies. In contrast to existing approaches, MIMY emphasizes and combines the vertical (multi-level governance structure) and horizontal (sector policies) axes. MIMY will show which integration strategies and policies can successfully support the empowerment of young vulnerable migrants to become active citizens within an inclusive society by working in close cooperation with migrants as peer researchers. It will contribute extensively to integration studies - empirically, methodologically and conceptually - through its place- and gender-sensitive and migrant-centred approach. MIMY offers direct benefits to young migrants and evidence-based policy-recommendations will help to push policy and practice innovation in the field of migrant youth integration in Europe.

This project is developed by FYCA and its European partners. The project aimed to ameliorate the recognition of youth work and non-formal education through the development of certified “International youth studies” curricula and open educational materials for European Higher Education Institutions. The specific objectives were: • Stimulating and strengthening the integration of non-formal education and formal education at universities through the establishment of a certified course on International youth studies.• Creating bridges between formal and non-formal education, youth policy and practice in order to release innovation potential to raise the quality of educational and social service to Europe’s young people, to promote career flexibility and mobility, and to assert the value and utility of evidence-based policy and practice.• Strengthening human potential in the youth field by building a critical mass of qualified youth workers.• Promoting international recognition of the youth work and non-formal education through developing and adopting award criteria that are in line with the formal educational system.Through developed curricula and open educational materials, the project targeted at enhancing the quality of the human resources involved in youth work. It contributes also to the modernization of higher education by designing an integrated course for those involved or willing to involve in youth work.The project consisted of 5 international activities (2 capacity building + 3 mobility).