Many of us experience the influence of science, technology and innovation (STI) on a daily basis across many of aspects of our lives, from personal well-being, to learning, participation, livelihoods, environment and social life. STIs have potential for not only making incremental progress in the everyday lives of women but also as the source for truly disruptive and game changing solutions. Therefore, the ability of women to access, benefit from, develop and influence these sectors will directly impact whether we achieve our goals of Planet 50:50 by 2030. If women are left out of these 21st century revolutions, we will not achieve substantive gender equality by then.A study published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, suggests that “only dramatic intervention will change women’s low representation in information technology, physics and maths at more advanced levels despite the fact that female students have long outperformed their male counterparts at pre-university levels including in the science, technology and maths subjects”. As technology advances at a rapid speed, the labor market keeps evolving. As a result, an increasing number of jobs require STEAM skills and knowledge. However, women are still majorly under-represented in STEAM jobs. While women constitute almost 50% of the labor market, there are only 28% of women in STEAM fields as opposed to 72% of men (Eurostat 2018). Gender bias in STEAM and the low participation rates of women has already been adequately recorded and reported. It has been estimated that closing the gender gap in the STEAM field would increase the EU GDP per capita by 0.7–0.9 per cent in 2030 and by 2.2–3.0 per cent in 2050.In today's rapidly evolving economy women need to be aware that careers in the STEAM sector are a real possibility. While academia as a whole needs to do more to actively recruit women into STEAM majors, continuing vocational education and training has a key role to play in reducing shortages of skilled people to sustain the growing STEAM sector. Research studies highlight the lack of female STEAM role models and mentors; the shortage of STEAM taster courses for women; an unconscious bias against women within human resource professionals in STEAM focused companies; a significant confidence-deficit among women where the STEAM sector is concerned.The aim of the STEAMY WONDER project is to pilot a multi-faceted educational intervention targeted at women of all ages to address these issues. It seeks to achieve a greater gender balance in the STEAM sector by; a) promoting a culture of scientific thinking among women using evidence-based reasoning for decision making especially where career planning is concerned; b) provide appropriate and tangible role model case studies to ensure women have the confidence to participate in an increasingly complex scientific and technological world; c) develop a bespoke toolkit of resources for women that address competencies for problem-solving, innovation, analytical thinking, critical thinking, spatial awareness relating to STEAM subjects; d) provide guidelines to human resources managers that enable gender-neutral recruitment, retention and promotion in the STEAM sector.The following intellectual outputs are proposed to help achieve these aims:IO1 – Challenge-based Resources for Women in STEAMIO2 – In-service Training for VET TutorsIO3 – Human Resource Manager's Tool-kitIO4 – STEAMY WONDERS MOOC and Community of PracticeScience learning helps us to interpret and understand our world, to manage risk and put uncertainty into perspective, to guide technological development and innovation, and to forecast and plan for the future. It improves job prospects, cultural awareness, and our ability to act as well-informed citizens. For some people, science refers only to knowledge of physical systems, living systems, earth and space systems and technology. Too often, science is seen as something separate from all other subjects or disciplines in education, disconnected from people’s lives beyond school. But, science influences all parts of our lives and our decision-making processes. Along with language and artistic literacy, knowledge of science and mathematics is the basis for personal accomplishment and responsible citizenship, social and economic development, and a benchmark of innovation, entrepreneurship and competitiveness in our global world. STEAM is one of the critical sectors of the economy in all EU Member States and as a sector it needs higher female participation rates for sustainability.

"The European Commission has emphasised the need to develop key transversal skills in all sectors of education to sustain the high-value knowledge economy. Rethinking Education calls on Member States to provide all citizens with learning opportunities to develop key transversal skills like digital literacy, entrepreneurship, critical and creative thinking, leadership, innovation, problem solving, teamwork and social impact and highlights the importance of learning by doing within VET. Problem-based learning is a learner-centred pedagogy in which learners acquire knowledge about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem found in trigger material. Interactive Infographics are a new type of learning environment that are attractive and engaging for learners and one that can be used in formal and non-formal settings. In recent years, VET providers have been experimenting with new ways of introducing the World Wide Web as a resource pedagogical tool. These experiences, based on the various pedagogical perspectives, have given rise to teaching methodologies of which Digital Breakouts and WebQuests are core examples. These methodologies have been gaining adherents due to their flexibility in framing various pedagogical strategies and adaptability to the most diverse themes, as well as the way in which they maximize the use of the digital tools and environments available today. They are approaches based on constructivist theories, focusing on the development of transversal competences. The authenticity of the activities developed is also an important factor to consider in this methodology, which intends that the learnings are meaningful for the learners.While engaged in these educational environments, learners develop a variety of connections with the content and can form positive memories of learning. Digital Breakouts and WebQuests can provide a variety of sensory experiences for learners and presenting these elements together in media-rich, highly interactive infographic learning environments represents a significant addition to the portfolio of resources available to forward-looking, progressive VET staff""Support for the development of key transversal skills…has never been more important than it is now. Reinforcing these key skills in schools, vocational education institutions and universities will have a positive impact on the entrepreneurial dynamism of our economies."" (Entrepreneurship Education: a Guide for Educators"", EC 2013)The objectives of this project are to:- Promote the acquisition of key transversal skills through the use of alternative pedagogical resources using a problem-based learning approach- Support acquisition of key transversal competences in VET- Support VET tutors to develop their own problem-based learning resources to include Digital Breakouts and WebQuests in an interdisciplinary way- Promote a cross-curricular approach to subjects and, consequently, a collaborative work from tutorsThere are three intellectual outputs foreseen and task allocation for their development is as follows:IO1 – Skill-Pics Compendium of Interactive Infographic Transversal Skills Resources IO2 – Skill-Pics In-service training programme IO3 – Skill-Pics MOOC"

Since the expansion of the EU from 15 Member States in 2004 the level of migration from former Soviet bloc countries to more established Member States has been a continuing feature of EU population movements. Large numbers of economic migrants from most of the 13 new Member States have moved west in search of employment and the lure of what many considered would be a better quality of life. As a result of events in North Africa Europe has experienced a significant influx of refugees and asylum seekers hoping to build a new life away from their country of origin. In 2016, the number of people living in the EU28 who had been born outside of the EU was just over 36 million (Eurostat). Within the growing migrant numbers many young people are being targeted by extremists seeking to mobilize and radicalize marginalized sub-sets of the migrant community. The integration of these young migrant populations into host society is a priority objective in all Member States.There is a considerable shortage of specialist migrant integration training materials available to front-line staff in adult and community education organisations. There is also a real need for in-service training to build the skill sets of adult and community educators.The EXEMPLAR project consortium propose to develop the following intellectual outputs:IO1 - a bespoke Integration Leaders training curriculum addressed to migrant youth that supports the acquisition of key civic and social competences essential to their new role as leaders of integration in their communities; IO2 - a toolbox of 12 learning resources that support the acquisition of key civic and social competences to support the integration activities of the migrant youth who complete the Integration Leaders training; IO3 - an in-service training programme for front-line adult and community educators and those working in migrant support organisations to assist them in delivering the Integration Leaders curriculum; IO4 - a versatile e-learning portal that supports learning in a range of environments through readily available fixed and mobile media devicesA minimum of 10 front-line adult and community educators and migrant support staff working in specialist organisations will complete the in-service training in each partner country. A minimum of 10 young migrants will complete the Integration Leaders curriculum in each partner country. Each young migrant who completes the training will establish a micro-network of young migrants and support their integration into their new host community.

Institutions of adult education from Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Spain have established a partnership to develop a training program with a manual for trainers and a mobile application for various social groups in the field of home finances management which means home budget. Trainings, exercises and methods will be prepared by specialists from partner organizations in such a form that in an accessible form, raise the knowledge of adults as well as efficiently and properly manage the home budget. The training program will include elements of mathematics, sociology, economics, marketing as well as psychology. The training program will also concern healthy lifestyle, healthy eating and avoiding dangerous loans. Trainers will gain knowledge thanks to the exchange of experiences and the handbook on how to work with various groups, eg emigrants, socially excluded, disabled and adult pupils of educational and upbringing facilities to become independent. Thanks to the project, the participating organizations will expand their educational offer and the competences of their employees will increase. The main products of the project will be made available to other organizations and trainers, a textbook and a mobile application. Especially the mobile application with the training material will affect the universality of teaching about home finances and dissemination among educators.

The word “gig,” now commonly applied to any informal form of paid work, as in “gig economy,” was originally specific to musicians. Shorthand for “engagement,” a gig was a paid performance in a club or other performance venue: the working musician’s bread and butter. It wasn’t surprising, therefore, that performing artists were the first to feel the sting of the enhanced community quarantine resulting from Covid-19 outbreaks in all Member States. Overnight, the entire gig economy, on which their fragile livelihoods depended, collapsed. While writers and painters can continue to create in solitude the musician’s art and that of other performing artists like dancers and actors comes to life only in performance. Not being able to play live is a double whammy: It hurts the wallet, and it hurts the artist. Living with Covid-19 demands that all performing artists really have to get creative and build resilience.The performing arts have an inherent power to promote humanitarian values. They enable citizens to break out of the increasingly predominant simplistic us-against-them discourse and develop free room of accepting and understanding different points of view which are essential for a healthy democracy. Today, performing arts remain one of the few mediums of critical thought on the complexity of the environment we are living in. In this context, it is crucial and timely to highlight, promote and strengthen the power the performing arts to underpin the social component of the European project and the arts’ genuine value for the sustainable future of the EU.GIGGING-4-LIVING will work with adult educators to build business acumen within the performing arts sector. The range of opportunities now open to performing artists to build sustainable careers in their chosen artistic discipline has been profoundly increased by the rapid growth of technology based platforms and social media channels. National and international markets are now open to almost every individual artist on a scale that has only previously available to a very small, select few. While project partners are aware of these opportunities they are also aware that performing artists are not an homogenous group. Within the performing arts sector there are different sub-sets that will have different needs and different potential opportunities to exploit. Covid-19 has also had a significant impact on the mental health and well being of performing artists for whom live performance is their 'raison d'etre', the oxygen that flows through their life-blood.IO1 - GIGGING-4-LIVING will develop a bespoke training curriculum that will have specific modules tailored to the needs of 3 distinct groups, namely; Musicians; Dancers; Actors. The 12 modules will be tailored to suit the needs and address the opportunities for each of these sub-sets of the performing arts sector that still pertain despite the impact of Covid-19.IO2 - GIGGING-4-Living will provide a toolkit of resources that focuses on building resilience to promote positive mental health within the performing arts sector. The 4 modules will address issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness and self-confidence. IO1 and IO2 will be presented in a series of 12 (IO1) and 4 (IO2) EduZines that are specifically designed to provide learning through smartphones and tablets. Each EduZine will comprise a range of different interactive learning resources that are built around the following 5 stage education and training cycle:1.Introduction – Expert presentation to set the scene and outline the aims and objectives2.Assessment of Prior Knowledge – Using an online gamified diagnostic tool3.Formative Assessment – Setting questions and challenges that are designed to spark reflection or research4.Peer Assessment – Submitted responses shared between peers to elicit feedback5.Validation – Summative assessment through self-reflection after the peer review stage IO3 - As the key training and education channel for aspiring performing artists adult educators will be supported with a comprehensive in-service training programme that looks at 3 distinct elements, namely; (1) Building an understanding of opportunities for performing artists in today’s digital economy; (2) Building the skills of adult educators to promote resilience within the performing arts sector; (3) Building the digital skills of adult educators to work in remote learning environments and to develop interactive resources for online use.IO4 - All resources will be available on a MOOC specifically designed with both sets of target groups in mind.Target groups for GIGGING-4-LIVING are (1) performing artists working in the “gig” economy; (2) Adult educators.