The current project PALkonnect is engaging cultural, artistic and research organizations to stimulate European awareness and empower people of current and future generations to respect the inclusion and the diversity and to be successful innovators in their local environment.The aim of the current project is to support artists from social inclusion groups to present and promote their artworks in post-COVID 19 circumstances and to inspire their cooperation within the European countries. The project aims to equip them with the necessary innovative skills and competences to encourage their creativity and the creation of new art pieces. Additionally, the main objective of the project is to enhance the promotion and popularity of cultural and historical information about the targeted social inclusion groups in order to increase the public knowledge and integration process. Sharing the personal story and historical facts about each inclusion group will support the integration process and increase the public knowledge. The specific objectives of the project are:•To introduce and examine the situation of the artists with social inclusion background (Migrants, Refugees, Romani, Disabled people) in the new post-COVID 19 circumstances •To enhance artistic skills development and competences that reinforce creativity, as well as to boost quality, innovation and recognition of artists’ work•To equip the artists with new skills heling their social empowerment and using the topics part of the training curriculum (Facilitator Programme for integration through arts)•To assess and pilot the knowledge, skills and competences acquired through non-formal learning of the curriculum modules•To accelerate digital transformation and use of digital means to adapt to the way creative products, cultural goods and events are created, managed, disseminated, accessed and consumed (Digital Open Art Studio).•To reinforce the cross-sectoral and international cooperation with focus on creativity and artistic empowerment and strengthening the cooperation and networking between organizations from 7 EU Countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Croatia and Romania).•Provide a recovery plan for artists, using more digital and resilient recovery•Equip cultural workers with skills for equity, diversity and inclusion challenges in the learning environmentThe partnership has been created among 7 EU organizations and translationally as the cooperation is the vehicle for artistic work promotion, enhancement, cooperation and supportThe project is aiming to support 133 artists and 550 cultural workers directly helping them to improve their skills, receive new competences and network. Within the description of the project, there is a clear demonstration of the expected results of the project in terms of intellectual outputs, multiplier events, and learning and training activities

As it has been the case in the European Union (EU) during the last few years, large migration waves of people in need of international protection have arrived from countries and territories that suffer from war disasters, dictatorships, etc. in pursuit of a new home. In order for those people to live, work and prosper along with the receiving communities, they need to be integrated into the host countries’ environment – and this has been the greatest challenge for almost all EU countries. The most effective way to accomplish integration and social inclusion has proven to be by learning to communicate with the local population and get acquainted with their cultural particularities and their lifestyle.In this regard, the main objective of “BIG STEP: Learning through Gamification – Integration of the vulnerable groups” has been to develop an innovative educational 2-D serious video game, which helps refugees, immigrants and other vulnerable groups to integrate through learning core elements of their host country’s language, while also familiarising with local cultural aspects. To do so, we have used the Gamification methodology, which is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring) to other areas of activity, such as teaching, in order to encourage engagement, interaction, learning flow and evaluation of participants.The participating organizations were brought together in the base of common objectives and formed a cohesive partnership in which each partner complements each other in terms of expertise, skills and knowledge, as well as in terms of operational and functional background. In addition, all 6 partners have extensive knowledge of their local needs and were able to make a unique contribution to all project activities. More specifically, UCLL, a Higher Education Institution (HEI) from Flanders, has been the lead partner as it possesses the gamification knowhow, having built similar game-engines for other contexts with success. Neapolis University Pafos is another HEI from Cyprus with valuable scientific and technical research background as well. University Rehabilitation Institute from Slovenia has a major experience in supporting and working with disadvantaged groups. OECON Group from Greece brought its quality assurance experience from previous EU projects’ implementation. Komunikujeme from Czech Republic added value to the communication and dissemination activities. Last but not least, the Institute of Psychosocial Development from Greece brought its expertise in counseling and supporting disadvantaged individuals.To achieve the planned objectives, the project was divided into 3 main activities (Intellectual Outputs) that are shortly described as follows:1.Research and Preparation – each partner conducted primary research through questionnaires in order to gather information regarding our target groups’ needs, literacy skills and ICT competences. Also, each partner conducted a nationwide desk research to formulate cultural particularities reports that included all necessary country information that a foreigner should be aware of in order to live and integrate in the respective country.2.Design and Development – the information from the questionnaires and reports of the previous activity was used for the development of the game’s chapters, with variations based on the target groups’ needs and on each country’s particularities.3.Testing and Implementation – after the first versions of the game were developed, the project’s experts tested them in the reception, protection and support structures of each partner’s region, in order to receive feedback and improve the game.In this direction, the main practical results attained have been the following:-5 National Reports, 123 Questionnaires and 1 Overall Final Report summarizing all the findings and information gathered during research;-1 functioning online Game, freely available and translated-modified in all partners’ languages and country particularities, without an expiration date;-1 Instruction Manual for utilizing the Game, translated in English, Arabic and in all partners’ languages;-130 Questionnaires received after the testing of the Game from our target groups.The project’s impact and longer-term benefits can be summarized as follows:-Introduction of an innovative educational method that combines learning while having fun;-Integration of users to the host countries through enhancement of their literacy skills, ICT competences and cultural awareness;-More active participation, more positive attitude and increased employment opportunities for the target groups and experts involved;-Exchange of good practices between organizations internal and external to the project, and establishment of synergies;-Interaction between research, business and policy (the triple helix).

<< Objectives >>- To develop a methodology, to collect and record sign language lessons from the participating countries’ languages, plus the English sign language; - To provide them freely online at a non-formal and flexible education context, along with other useful learning materials concerning the sign language lessons and the Deaf Culture; c) To address all the above mainly to family members and friends of deaf persons who wish to enhance their competences, and to deaf persons themselves.<< Implementation >>WP1: Project management, coordination mechanisms and quality assuranceWP2: Inception Workshops with target groups and stakeholders; Methodology Guide development with the final allocation of topics, lessons and related educational information, as well as technical guidelines; Organization and recording of lessonsWP3: Development of the online platform; testing with target groups and expertsWP4: Dissemination activities in printed, digital and physical means<< Results >>- 14 Inception Workshops with our target groups (2 by each partner) and preparation of a related regional Report from each partner- 1 Methodology Guide with the description of the 28 lessons and their contents, and their division in 7 thematic topics- Video recording of the lessons in each partner’s sign language and in the English sign language (196 in total)- Beta version of the platform; 7+7 feedback reports by our target groups and technical experts and the final version of the platform

Based on the Lisbon Recognition Convention (1997), and following the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2015-2016), the Paris Declaration (2016) and the Council of Europe’s Action Plan on Building Inclusive Societies (2016-2019), the response to the refugees’ crisis was planned to be implemented based on 3 main pillars; the first and most important was the pillar of Education which stresses that focus should be given on (1) Language skills as an engine for integration, (2) Recognizing qualifications held by migrants and refugees, (3) Access to education for migrant and refugee children and young people. Taking all this under account, project “WELKOM – Recognition of Qualifications held by Refugees” was developed as an answer to the growing needs for social, economic and educational integration of the refugees fleeing to the European countries during the last few years, who are estimated to more than 4 million (registered) refugees from Syria alone, with 400.000 of them in the age group of 18-24 (5% with access to higher education) and 2 million in the age group of 24 to 40 (40% with University education).In this regard, the main objective of “WELKOM” has been to support refugees who hold skills and qualifications from their countries of origin, as well as to empower institutions that work with refugees’ education and recognition, in order to help them integrate into the host countries’ labour market, namely in Belgium, Greece, Iceland, Italy and Sweden. The project included primary research activities, and expert inputs received through targeted questionnaires, all of which led us to develop a roadmap of tools and methodologies for the recognition of the qualifications held by refugees, and to suggest an alignment of education systems and processes in and outside the EU. Furthermore, career guidance workshops with the direct participation of 116 refugees were organized, 5000 innovative brochures with external to the project information were printed and disseminated to the target groups, while the “WELKOM” Network was established with 28 relevant to the project’s cause organization from across Europe, in order to sustain, use and lobby for the project’s results going forward.Therefore, the results of “WELKOM” have been a helpful step and contribute to the development of educational plans and national strategies in the field of refugees’ recognition of qualifications, as well as to their much needed language learning, leading to their further social integration through inclusion in work and education. “WELKOM” has also achieved to add value to teachers’, trainers’ and educators’ available material, as well as to strengthen the partners’ capacity to plan and implement such activities in the present and in the future.

The general purpose of this project is to improve the managerial, financial and business competence of young entrepreneurs by the open-access training modules. Equipped young entrepreneurs with core competencies will ensure the development of business life and of course their nations in EU standards. Within the existing entrepreneurship training, entrepreneurs are introduced to the business plan concept. This training consists of only 30 hours. During training, entrepreneurs, who are already stranger to concepts, don't get enough information to manage a successful enterprise. Theoretical training doesn't provide enough information and experience in order to prepare their feasibility plans. They should be trained not only in a class in a given period but also every time they need it. Thus, by this project, an e-learning platform is constituted. Beside this need, entrepreneurs aren't trained about foreign trade and marketing (including e-commerce and social media). These are big deficiencies. These arguments are indispensable in toady's globalising world. Each entrepreneur should consider interacting with global world and social networks in order to enlarge his/her businesses. Therefore, entrepreneurship training should contain modules of foreign trade and marketing including e-commerce applications and social media marketing. In order to achieve this goal, it was constituted a “Small Business Development Centre” including applied methods. It was generated training curriculum, materials, documents, and media in order to use it in business life effectively. So, the professional qualifications of the youngsters will be developed and the differences will be reduced. The target group of the project is young entrepreneurs who want to make an investment. Through the outputs of this project, youngsters can improve their professional qualities themselves via ICT tool and training materials. - There are 4 partner countries and 6 partners. Applicant and 2 partners are from Turkey, UCLL is from Belgium, DRPDNM is from Slovenia and OECON Group is from Greece. - 4 intellectual outputs were obtained. - 4 transnational project meetings were conducted in each partner country to overview project activities. - 4 main multiplier events were conducted in order to disseminate project results. Expected results of the proposal are briefly listed below: 1. Current Situation and Need Analysis Study: ‘Current situation’ and the ‘needs of the young entrepreneurs’ were analyzed. For this analysis, a literature review for each country was performed. Also, survey-based research was applied, and accordingly, a questionnaire with 28 questions was prepared. 300 respondents participated in the survey. Belgium: 42 pcs (14%), Greece: 41 pcs (13.7%), Slovenia: 38 pcs (12.7%), Turkey: 151 pcs (50.3%), Other EU Countries: 28 pcs (9.3%). Besides, Focus Group meetings with 53 participants were handled as follows: Belgium: 1 meeting, Greece: 1 meeting, Slovenia: 1 meeting, Turkey: 2 meetings. 2. Training Program: Training methodology and related modules for entrepreneurs were prepared in accordance with their needs. Training materials were developed. 11 modules as training curriculum including handbook, interactive material, theoretical manual are generated in order to use in business life effectively. 3. NGO-young entrepreneurs relation: It was improved thanks to developing vocational training modules for current and potential youngsters. 4. E-learning Portal: The flexible learning process in line with entrepreneurs' needs and objectives was formed, and so the use of digital training was promoted. Thanks to this e-learning platform, entrepreneurs can make self-training and get professional knowledge without limitation of space and time. So, they can improve their competitive advantages. 5. A Policy Report: It was prepared for the policymakers by providing professional and methodological tools. It was conducted in order to recommend and guide near future policies and strategic activities, to ensure and to continue the dissemination and speed up the multiplier effect. 6. 4 Multiplier Events: Dissemination of project outputs to the stakeholders and the target groups was conducted. 7. Open Access to materials, documents and media are provided that are useful for learning and training. 8. A sustainable network for the continuous training of entrepreneurs was generated. 9. A best practice for young entrepreneurs at national and international levels was developed by implementing a new innovative project 10. Cooperation and Partnerships: By this project, continuous relations between the partners at the local, national and European level has been ensured. They have an impact on the internationalization of young entrepreneurship.