<< Background >>Erasmus+ supports with its funding European projects that have the aim to provide education and awareness-raising regarding important topics like inclusion, diversity, digitalisation and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the Erasmus+ funding contributes to creating strong partnerships between organisations in European countries, for an exchange in knowledge and social justice. The aims of our project CULPEER DIGITAL do apply to these ideas of Erasmus+ by focusing on inclusion and diversity through digital cultural learning methods for pedagogues in adult education, especially those working with persons with fewer opportunities. Another focus is our contribution to the limitation of climate change by making an intercultural exchange in global topics available through digital discussion and less travel. Not only the covid pandemic, but the increase of damages of climate change as well as the gap in education for all persons, especially those with social barriers, in Europe as well as worldwide shows us the need for digital concepts and online formats accessible for all. To provide an E-Learning platform, guideline and other OER for a diverse number of people explain the need of working with a multicultural and transnational partnership to focus on special needs which vary through different circumstances and can be country-specific. This is why CULPEER DIGITAL is working with partners from six different countries of the EU, who has plenty of experience in Global learning, cultural peer learning, digital know-how in E-learning and other forms of digital exchange with partners from the Global South as well as have, their own, a big network of institutions of youth and adult education. Some of the partners cooperate in the EuropeAid project “Culpeer4Change”, in its framework every year minimum 4 groups were invited to Europe to present cultural performances and to carry out artistic workshops together with European youth as well as be part in international conferences for adults regarding creative learning methods. Due to the Corona pandemic in 2020 groups from the South couldn’t travel and educational institutions in Europe were not open for such events. Therefore, the partners started to develop and exercise alternative strategies by digital concepts and online activities for the Cultural Peer-Learning approach in European schools and youth centers with the artistic groups of the South. This has been a big success in the international exchange on digital Global Learning, which is the reason why we want to expand this concept to adult education and strengthen this partnership by discussing global topics for global and diverse education. Furthermore, these methods and skills will be in general an important step to blended learning concepts for digital cultural peer-learning approaches on Global Education, beyond any restrictions by a pandemic and social barrier.<< Objectives >>The project CULPEER DIGITAL introduces CULtural PEER learning approaches as digital pedagogical methods: joint virtual exchange activities with cultural groups from the Global South for Global Education. Since the year 2000, the project partners invite artistic groups from the South to Europe to present their creative performances as non-cognitive access to Global Education in youth and community centers and other public places. Hereby they present their cultural variety and creativity, but – more important – with their activities they cover such challenges as living in poverty, life in a refuge, child prostitutes and damages caused by climate change. The group members often themselves were or are living in marginalized conditions but demonstrate the potential of creative and cultural activities as ambassadors for developing and improving their own perspectives and for social integration. CULPEER DIGITAL aims to develop and transfer online formats and digital concepts for cultural peer-learning approaches in Global Education and Intercultural Learning for awareness-raising on global issues, social integration and cultural participation. The development and implementation of digital cultural online activities and methods are focusing on alternative concepts for using art and creative tools in Global Education. Peer learning is a central element of the project. People from Europe join the performances by video and chat and participate online in common workshops to develop artistic and cultural events by digital exchange. Cultural online activities and digital methods have been successfully exercised as alternative concepts for using art and creative tools in Global Education.The project’s main objectives are to inform and train pedagogues who work in adult and youth education, especially with less privileged persons in cultural learning methods by a digital training form, so they at the same time gain skills in digital know-how. Secondly, to address multipliers/ influencers in social media and press so they promote the e-learning platform and more persons with the needs can be reached for the training offer. And thirdly, that refugees and migrants benefit from the creative learning methods and receive adequate education which will facilitate their everyday life in Europe.<< Implementation >>Through the project CULPEER DIGITAL, a various number of activities are going to be implemented. The first activity is the creation, analysis, and design of a didactic concept with guidelines for using the course and online portal “CULPEER DIGITAL”. All seven European partners will contribute to this activity.The second activity includes the compilation, analyses, selection of learning content for the e-learning course “CULPEER DIGITAL”, compiled in collaboration with the European partnership. It will be developed in English language, based on the content, structure and interactive design defined in the previous activity. The third activity comprises the joint analysis of the elaborated learning materials and course content. All partners will provide suggestions for the learning modules and units of the e-learning course with reference to their national conditions, experiences and needs and the overall European view.The next (fourth) step is the transfer of selected learning materials and tools to an e-learning course at the CMS Moodle. It includes the establishment of a learning portal (Moodle) and course structure with activities like training and instructing on CMS Moodle and the portal for all partners, the designing of the materials for e-learning course content, development of design concept, as well as the transfer of materials to a learning portal, revision of course modules and units.The fifth activity covers the adaptation of the e-learning course to the partner countries. The original English course will be translated and transferred in the national version of all partner countries and all partner languages, shaped according to the conditions, requirements and needs of the partners' home countries. This includes the analysing and revision of learning materials and course content by the partner countries according to their national requirements, needs and practice, translation into the regarding partner languages and establishing of course content at national learning portal.The next (sixth) activity contains the testing of the functionality of the e-learning course in practical application in all partner countries with at least 15 participants (experts and stakeholders of educational institutions and the learning sectors) in each country, evaluation at national level and compilation to an overall evaluation of the testing.The seventh activity comprises the revision of the e-learning course and teaching materials in partner countries according to the results of the evaluation at the national level and the overall evaluation of the testing, and the creation of the final versions of the e-learning courses in all partner countries.The final project activity includes the dissemination of the project results and outputs to institutions, professional bodies and relevant actors, potential users and the general public, both at the national level in the partner countries and European level. Central tools for this are workshops carried out in each partner country in the final project phase.Further accompanying project activities are the six transnational project meetings, scheduled during the project in the different partner countries, three per year. Other project activities are the overall evaluation of the project, the development of the documentation and reporting and the general project management. Through these activities, we want to make sure that the project aims are going to be fulfilled and that more people get access to digital knowledge and education on Global Cultural Learning for global exchange.<< Results >>The project CULPEER DIGITAL aims to develop and transfer cultural peer-learning approaches in Global Learning and Intercultural Education for awareness-raising on global issues, social integration and cultural participation through digital concepts. One project’s aim is to inform and train pedagogues who work in adult and youth education, especially with less privileged persons in cultural and creative learning methods, and at the same time they gain skills in digital know-how. Secondly, the project addresses multipliers/ influencers in social media and press so they promote the e-learning platform and more persons with the needs can be reached for the training offer. And thirdly, refugees and migrants benefit from the creative learning methods and receive adequate education which will facilitate their everyday life in Europe through the digital exchange with the Global South groups in creative activities for learning problem-solving strategies, which prevents e.g., early school leaving and facilitate the integration of refugee youth and adults. The cultural and artistic elements are a non-cognitive method that open access to these target groups besides linguistic and cultural barriers. Project results are guidelines, an E-learning course, an online platform and a centre with case studies and tutorials that introduce interactive elements like audio tracks, videos and internet films with best practice, web-links, chats, assessments, working groups, workshops, tutorials for pedagogues, trainers and teachers who are working in adult and youth education, especially with those who have fewer opportunities and less access to education and provides digital key competences. The main results are defined in five Intellectual Outcomes. First, guidelines and a didactic concept for the CULPEER DIGITAL approach with an overview of the digital concepts and online formats for cultural peer-learning activities will be produced. Furthermore, it includes a didactic concept for the preparation and implementation of CULPEER DIGITAL activities and instructions for the use of the online platform. The second outcome is an English pilot e-learning course CULPEER DIGITAL with information, instructions, online tools and best practice examples for the transfer of cultural peer-learning approaches in digital concepts and formats. Including the modules “Introduction into digital concepts and online approaches for cultural peer learning activities”, “The role of pedagogues and other trainers”, “Know-how on digital and creative methods of exchange and the importance of social media” “The importance of digital creative learning for a person with social barriers”, “Gaining knowledge and understanding of Global Learning”, “Transfer of knowledge into Creative Action –Examples of Exchange” and “Online pedagogues training: How to train the audience”. The third Outcome is formed by the adaption of the E-learning course CULPEER DIGITAL to six national versions of the e-learning course in all six partner languages, shaped according to their national conditions, requirements and needs.Fourthly, the Online platform CULPEER DIGITAL with various OERs, in all partner languages and shaped according to their national conditions, requirements and needs, will be a result including a broad spectrum of Open Educational Resources (OER) on digital cultural peer learning. The fifth Outcome will provide a centre with digital case studies and videos for best practices in each partner country and video tutorials for pedagogues. Digital case studies will form a core element of the project, and involve each partner researching/evaluating best practices from their own projects and other good examples in their country.With these outcomes and results CULPEER DIGITAL contributes to implementing and disseminating digital concepts and online formats in Global Education for less privileged groups by creative solutions for current challenges in our globalized society.

In the Strategic Partnership “Cultural and peer-learning approaches for successful integration of disadvantaged youth and refugees at school level - CULPEER for integration” 10 partners from 5 countries developed the e-learning course and interactive online portal CULPEER. It offers learning materials and Open Educational Resources (OERs) for the implementation and transfer of cultural peer-learning approaches for successful integration of disadvantaged youth and refugee children at school level. Cultural peer-learning approaches become more and more important as pedagogical methods. The project introduced a special aspect: joint activities with cultural youth groups from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their members often themselves are living under difficult conditions. They demonstrate the potential of cultural activities for developing and improving the own perspectives and for social integration. Peer-learning was a central element of the project. Young people from Europe joined the performances and participate in common workshops. Artistic and cultural events are developed together. Cultural peer-learning approaches bring particular benefits for teachers, who educate pupils and students with difficulties and special needs (e.g. refugees, children with migrant background, and children with developmental disorders, learning disabilities or social problems). They get intensive and new experience apart from conventional patterns of learning and competing in classrooms to support key competences acquisition – social behaviour and interaction, intercultural skills, mother tongue, foreign languages, non-verbal communication, learning to learn through joint cultural peer activities, social and civic competence, initiative taking and cultural awareness and expression. A special focus of the project laid on the integration of refugee children and youth. Cultural peer-learning approaches have high potential for teachers and pedagogues to facilitate the integration of refugee children. Peer learning allows refugee children to develop the skills needed to work well with others. Conversely the common learning and work with young people from the South, who themselves are living in difficult social conditions, has innovative character and contributes to the improvement of social behaviour and interaction, intercultural, social and civic competences of European youth and supports thereby their social integration.Targeted groups were teachers, headmasters, pupils and refugee children from participating schools; their parents hosting the cultural youth groups; pedagogues, staff and young visitors of youth centers; audience of the performances, press and media involved in PR activities. The partnership consisted of schools and educational organisations from Bulgaria, Greek, Italy, Slovenia and Germany. Involved were 3 schools, and the Athens’ school department linked to 187 schools, and 6 NGOs, engaged in cultural and social activities and school education.The first results of the project are “Guidelines for integration and application of CULPEER approaches in schools“ (IO1). The guidelines support teacher, pedagogues and youth center staffs to apply the teaching materials, the e-learning course and other learning tools and OERs of the portal. They are provided as PDF for download and print in all partner languages and English. The second result is the “English pilot e-learning course CULPEER“ (IO2) with 5 training modules for implementing cultural peer learning approaches in schools and youth centers. The course is based on learning materials and content developed and compiled in the first project phase. The course is provided at the online portal as OER and based on the Learning Management System Moodle.The third result comprises the “E-learning course CULPEER in 5 national versions” (IO3), adapted to all partner countries and languages, shaped according to their particular national conditions, requirements and needs. It consists of 5 modules. Based on a testing with national target groups and stakeholders revised final versions are published on national online portals in each partner country. The forth result is the “Online portal CULPEER” (IO4) with OERs on cultural peer learning, available in English and all partner languages. It comprises a broad spectrum of interactive educational resources - the e-learning course, additional training materials, as well as interactive tools like videos, audios, photo galleries, blogs, chats, forums, assessments, working groups etc. The fifth result comprises “Videos and tutorials on CULPEER” (IO5) with plenty films and instructions presenting practical materials, tips, examples and experiences.Further results are dissemination workshops (national multiplier event) in all partner countries (E1-E5), international short-term joint staff training events (C1) and short-term exchanges of groups of pupils (C2), and an international network on CULPEER.