WORTHY aims to contribute to the need of modernise schools that has been detected in PISA 2015 results, looking at the decrease in basic competences, coupled with fast technological progress and globalization, and to make schools able to create conscious European citizens.“WORTHY-WORld wars Toward Heritage for Youth” aims to address these urgent needs by developing and testing an innovative approach whose main aim is to increase the motivation of 13-19 year old students to be socially conscious about their heritage and history.To engage even the most unmotivated and underperforming students, WORTHY combines customized studying path with digital creativity. Inspired by “Internet of Things”, which refers to the possibility of connecting the internet to the world of physical objects, we explored various solutions to “digitally augment” the experience of students while studying facts, connecting the physical materials (manuals, maps, photos, objects) to the digital world, into a “Living Hi-Story”: an intense-lived experience for young students who could participate, transform and augment what they found at home, asking their families to recover the stories of their grandfathers that took part to War, thus applying digital competences, collaborating with peers, developing new skills and, ultimately, being more engaged in recreate history. The project’s partnership – that is comprised by 7 partners from 5 different EU countries (IT, DE, PL, HR, GB) - was built upon a multi-stakeholders strategic partnership between schools and organisations active in different domains, but equally interested in the promotion of history studies and ICT tools application: ONGs, local education authorities, associations and e-learning private firms. The complementarity of profiles and expertise has allowed to maximize the project impact and has ensured high quality transferable results. Leading role was assigned to the Municipality of Vicenza (CVI), given its experience and qualified staff managing EU funded projects. Methodological expertise for designing a coherent framework for the WORTHY approach was brought by Progetto Mondo Mlal (MLAL), that has a long history in Europe and in other areas of the world in global education.Research and development for the WORTHY Platform was ensured by GRYD Ltd, specialized in designing of advanced e-learning platforms and interactive resources for students and teachers. The schools in IT, DE, PL and the Croatian youth association BREZA played a key role in this proposal and brought great expertise to design and develop the didactical resources and the practical lesson plans for teachers revolving around the WORTHY approach. They also offered inputs to partners in charge of other intellectual outputs, in order to design products in line with the needs and expectations of the target groups. Schools also led the pilot experimentation in their territories. CVI led the dissemination package and BREZA coordinated the quality assurance task.WORTHY project’s results: • WORTHY Methodological Guidelines (e-publication)• WORTHY web platform (OER) and toolkits (www.worldwars.eu), offering students and teachers online “ready-to-use” tools to augment the studying experience with rich media content• 24 practical and freely accessible lessons plans• 2 blended training courses for Augmented Teachers and on Parental Engagement.The resources were launched, pilot tested and widely disseminated across Europe, in spite of the difficulties generated by Covid-19 pandemic. The dissemination strategy – basically relied on 8 multiplier events organized in 4 countries - was oriented to reach the school sector, at first, as well as relevant stakeholders active in other sectors, such as public libraries, museums, universities, e-book and digital publishers, local organizations, “GLAM” actors, technologists and digital makers, citizens. The main identified impacts on teachers were: the increased competence in cultivating young students’ motivation and studying abilities; and a greater responsiveness to the needs of disadvantaged groups by developing, among others, competences in involving parents to support studying strategies. In the medium/long term these impacts will be sustained by the availability of multilingual OER, the creation of communities of Augmented Teachers, that favor networking and stimulate continuing professional development in this field.Lastly the main impacts on students were: the development of a positive attitude towards studying history as part of their citizenship education and greater motivation thanks to the attractiveness of the blended approach proposed, the social dynamics created and the support of parents. The impact will be amplified in the medium-long term by dissemination activities, carried out even after the end of the project, promoting the web platform that will generate a higher number of users, thus increasing the community and fostering an even higher engagement.

"""Below 10"" is a three-year project promoted by a Partnership of nine Organisations in six different EU countries. The Partners comprise schools and school networks, NGOs, and University research centers. It aims to address the challenge of early school leaving (ESL) by focusing on an approach aimed at the prevention, through new pedagogical strategies for co - operation and strategic planning between actors of formal and informal education, between school and local community. Taking as term of reference the statistical data for 2013, stating that 12 % of young people aged 18 - 24 in the EU are Early School Leavers, the title of our project recall the objective of ""Europe 2020"": reducing such rate below the 10%. ESL is a tragic phenomenon for young people because it can lead to social and economic exclusion, low employability, low self - confidence and often deviance. ESL is a tragedy from both the social point of view since in a modern democracy, responsible and active citizenship requires high levels of education ; and it is also a problem for economic development because it depletes the ""human capital"" necessary for the ""Knowledge Economy"". The international scientific community agrees that ESL has a systemic nature. Starting from this concept, our project aims at developing transversal and multi - disciplinary solutions and methods so as to develop the skills which both schools and informal education actors need to work together; and to introduce didactic methods oriented to re - motivating all students, included those more disadvantaged; and to develop local strategic medium and long term plans to prevent and counteract ESL. Notably our project intends to achieve the above mentioned objectives through the realisation of two Intellectual Outputs:1. a social qualitative research of drop - out aspects and causes in the Partners' countries that can be considered paradigmatic of the generality of European contexts;2. a model of training and participative co - project planning based on an Action / Research approach to problem-solving and which allows and enables the local actors to study ESL in their territory, to innovate learning systems and to elaborate together a local integrated plans of action. Such plans will be developed through:- an initial phase of local workshops for joined training of ""first level stakeholders"" (teachers, professional educators, volunteers and social workers);- a second phase of practical work, i. e. implementation of what has been learnt and projected during the workshops: so pilot - experiences developed by the participants to the workshop with young people, inside and outside the schools (not only with young drop - out, but also those that can be a positive example for peers de-motivated or border - line);- a conclusive phase during which the ""second level stakeholders"" come back for further training to reflect on the lessons learnt by working with young people, and propose to ""first level stakeholders"" (principles, headmasters, local institutions representatives, CSOs manager) local and multi-annual integrated plans to prevent and reduce ESL. As for expected results, our project purposes are:to update the frame of knowledge on ESL and drop-out causes, in order to reach more effective policies and practices;to create or enhance local networks among schools, local institutions and associations involved in the work with and for young people;to elaborate Local Integrated Plans against ESL;to spread innovative methods both in formal and informal education;to empower and increase school success for disadvantaged young people involved in the pilot - experiences. The long - term expected results and impact are:- to enhance the capacity of formal and informal education systems to work together by planning objectives, methods and action tools. - to optimize the use of financial resources, towards a new ""education community welfare system""- to contribute at the definition of more effective policies against ESL - at national and European level - in order to meet the objective of ""below 10%"" as more as possible in all the EU countries."

<< Background >>Through the generations, we have continuously encountered the dissatisfaction of young people in general, but especially young people with fewer opportunities who drop out of school or finish high school and do not know what they are good at, what and in what field they want to work and what are their options. . Surveys that we conducted on a sample of 50 young people, we found that it is necessary to create and create content that is tailored to young people with fewer opportunities. Surveys have found that young people with fewer opportunities do not have the resources available to facilitate their educational orientation after completing or dropping out of school. These are essential elements for achieving the goals of the European Education Area, the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027, the European Youth Strategy and the European Union's work plan in the field of sport. With this project, we would achieve the goals set by the European Union's youth strategy for the period 2019-2027, which are:-promote learning mobility for individuals and groups and cooperation, quality, inclusiveness and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organizations and policies in the field of education and training-promote mobility for the purpose of non-formal and informal learning, active participation of young people and cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organizations and policies in the field of youth.In addition, the project includes a strategy for inclusion and diversity, which helps to remove obstacles faced by different target groups in accessing such opportunities in Europe and beyond.Furthermore, through previous internal research, the need for an adapted type of web platform for young people with fewer opportunities has been identified, and accordingly to choose which business areas they would like to work in and for which areas they are most competent.. The aim is to provide the same type of support to young people with fewer opportunities as other young people and to include them to be active in society and have their place in it and thus not be on the margins of society.<< Objectives >>The aim is to define the key needs of young people with fewer opportunities in order to facilitate their more inclusive access to society and help them be more competitive in the labor market. One of the main goals is to empower young people and point out their existing qualities, but also to encourage them to develop additional skills needed to compete in the marketplace, using content on the Web-Lab platform. The goal is also to create a large network of young people who will be a continuous support in sharing experiences, encouraging them to look for and reviewing new jobs, working on personal competencies, overall coping with the labor market and all possible obstacles that young people may face within educational or business orientation. It is also crucial that young people with fewer opportunities have additional help that they can seek at any time, with which it will be easier to find answers and motivation for further educational development through entertaining interactive content. By using the contents of the Web-Lab, young people can discover their desired business orientation or at least eliminate occupations they do not want to pursue. By providing a wide range of support to young people with fewer opportunities through a Web-Lab platform that is created exclusively to their needs, it allows them to more easily find their interests and positions in the business world. The aim of the project is to motivate and encourage all young people whit fewer opportunities and those who belong to vulnerable groups to become more actively involved in society and sucessfuly enter the labor market.<< Implementation >>The activities to be implemented through the project are ;1. 2 Focus groups and 2 workshops in each partner country = a total of 10 focus groups and 10 workshops2. A web platform is created which is the main product of the second project result3. Interactive contents are created; surveys, crossword puzzles, quizzes and webinars are recorded which are the main product of the third project result<< Results >>The results that will be achieved by the implementation of this project are:- Organized focus groups and workshops for young people with fewer opportunities in which the contentf or the Web-Lab platform will be precisely determined and defined.- Published one scientific article based on the results from the first project result (PR1)- Youth workers went to Latvia for a five-day training on digital competencies and know how to use the web platform and are additionally empowered to access and work with young people with fewer opportunities- The web platform was created and adapted to young people with fewer opportunities. It's free, fun, educational and always available. The Web-Lab offers a Forum through which young people can connect and thus create a network of young people from all partner countries with whom they will share their experiences.- Interactive content on the web platform provides assistance to young people in discovering their skills and qualities and provides educational or business orientation, as well as the opportunity to acquire and develop additional skills and competencies that are crucial for entering the labour market.

"""EFFECTS"": Experts for Families find effective concepts of training and support Context:The concept of ""family"" and - as a result - of family work is constantely changing in all of our societies. The great number of refugees from many different nations, cultural, ethnical and religious backgrounds is a challenge to family work in every participating country and is prompting discussions in our nations. The participating institutions realize, that all of us have to rethink our concepts of inclusion and family support. The participating organizations from Sweden, England, Bulgaria, Crotia and Germany are working througout their states and/or countries and develope concepts on how to best support (disadvantaged) families and youth, also families with migration and flight backgrounds. Because of their very different historical and cultural matrix they have developed varying perspectives and concepts/training programs in different fields of family work, that the partners profited from.Number and profile of the participants:1. Sweden, 2 representatives: The President of FEFAF, European Federation of Parents and Carers at Home, an umbrella organization with 19 member organizations in Europe and at the UN and nationally. A board member of the institution ""Haro"", that organizes seminars for parents, professionals and policymakers. Publishing magazines for members four times/year. 2. England, 2 representatives from Everton Nursery School and Family centre: The Headteacher, National Representative of Teaching School Council, the lead school within the North Liverpool Teaching School Partnership, working locally and nationally, one staff member. 3. Bulgaria will be represented by the Director of Tulip Foundation and two more staff. The organization enhances co-operation among civil society, the corporate sector, national and local authorities in Bulgarian to improve the quality of life and developmental opportunities for the families. Tulip Foundation provides grants, expertise and technical support, information, various trainings, opportunities for sharing experience and practices among NGOs on a national level.4. Croatia: The Youth Association Breza from Osijek was represented by their president, experienced in training youth workers, establishing innovative social services and the Director of Community Service providers centre. The organization Breza supports independent living for youth at risk and provides a counseling center as well as non-formal education of young people and professionals in a fields of LLL, culture and art, sustainable development with accent on multiculturalism, experiential learning and cooperative relationships.5. Germany is represented by: The lead partner, the Diakonisches Werk Baden in charge of more than 600 Kindergartens and family centres, an educational centre, cooperating among others with Protestant University of Freiburg, represented by two leading professors/researchers, and BAG, an organization implemeting the federal program ""Chances for parents are chances for children II"", a training programm for educators, social workers etc., supporting parents. Activities: Six meetings in five countries, visitations of best practice institutions, to better understand the rationales behind the concepts, reflect them and apply aspects to their own training programms and/or fields of work. These discussions and presentations were meant to be the basis for the reviews of the curricula of the partner organizations.Methodology: Presentations, discussions, viewing research/ teaching material; Documentations: photos, films, sharepoint; Results/long term benefits: The partners got a greater understanding of the social/cultural diversity, profiting from innovative methods of participative and inclusive training programs and practical social work in line with individual needs/needs of society. They had an opportunity to discuss new methods of working with disadvantaged, refugees and displaced families and youth. The output is influencing their training programms and daily work.Motto at the end of the project: Participation instead of activation!Common goals: - Empowerment and strengthening resilience of families- Focus on living and training an awareness of prejudice as a basis of building (transnational) relationships - Ressource-orientation as an essential for (re-)building positiv experiences in social work and personal development Recommendations: - Learning to view ourselves as professionals being part of the community of giving and taking.- Considering also the basis psychological needs of people as a starting point of social work! (Autonomy and self-determination; Competence and effectiveness; Affiliation/A sense of belonging)- Addressees should be viewed as partners in the process of the joint development of a community.- Educators, social workers, medical staff etc. should work together and try to find a common language. No ""lonely islands""!"

"The UN 2015 sustainable development (SD) agenda requires a united effort from all stakeholders should poverty be eradicated, our planet protected and prosperity for everyone ensured. Lifelong learning and education are key components to the fulfilment of this vision and is encapsulated in the fourth SDG. Specifically, SDG 4.7 aims to ensure that by 2030 all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote SD, including among others through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). PEERMENT rises from the cross of two main considerations: - On the one hand, teachers' training is one of the most relevant and efficient tool for school innovation and improvement. Mentoring and Peer Mentoring are among the most effective ways of staff training, largely present in the world of business and in the volunteering and civil society organizations, but paradoxically very little used in the European systems of Formal Education. Annually, many teachers leave courses enthusiastic to put into practice initiatives which encourage SD. However, upon return to the reality of the classrooms and communities, their passion may be challenged by inability to apply theory to practice or resource constraint. Avenues to rekindle their desire become crucial and research indicates continual engagement to be effective. - On the other hand, ESD is increasing its importance for the future of the new generations, who will face in the next decades dramatic and global challenges. Unfortunately, national policies don't currently foresee adequate ""accompanying measures"" at the level of teachers' training. The new importance of ESD requires new and unprecedented competences of teachers: they should be able to lead their pupils towards the values of peace, solidarity, democracy, and at the same time to allow them to understand complex phenomena using knowledge coming from a lot of different subjects. Currently, none of the existing national systems of teachers' training in the EU appear able to support teachers in this new and difficult challenge. In short, ESD is nowadays marching on the legs of a few willing teachers. So, the purpose of this project is to lay - out, test, improve and disseminate a new model of Mentoring and Peer - Mentoring for ESD. This aim will be reached through a process of Action / Research that will directly involve about 20 Education Specialists as teachers' trainer and senior mentors, about 50 teachers as mentees through in Local Testing Groups (30 of which will receive a ""full immersion"" international experience of Peer Mentoring), about 800 pupils, with further teachers (around 100) involved in the Local and International Systems of Mentoring. PEERMENT is innovation - oriented and will produce five Intellectual Outputs: 1. a study on good practices existing in the EU in the field of Mentoring and Peer - Mentoring; 2. a system for recognizing and validate the new competence of ""Mentor for ESD""; 3. guidelines for Education Specialists who want to work as ""Mentors for ESD""; 4. guidelines for teachers who want to be involved in Mentoring and Peer - Mentoring systems; 5. a set of didactic materials on some relevant ""Global Challenges"", in form of ""web - quests"". All these Outputs will be produced through a strong involvement of direct target - groups in processes that have these steps: design of a prototype - experimentation - self-evaluation - improvement of the prototype - dissemination. The process will include: - local seminars to test the effectiveness of the guidelines for Education Specialists; - local testing courses to experiment the guidelines for teachers; - practical work of mentees teachers with their students, to test the competences acquired thanks to the training based on mentoring. A series of Multiplier events and a transnational learning activity (in the form of teachers' course) at the end of the project, will be the main tools for dissemination, together with a massive use of the project website, social media, newsletters addressed to thousands of stakeholders and press conferences. In the short - medium term, the envisaged impacts are: - Capacity building of Education Specialists and Teachers in projecting, planning and managing a mechanism of mentoring and peer- mentoring for ESD; - Empowerment of students in the key - competences, through their involvement in innovative experiences of learning and active citizenship. The longer-term benefits will be: - Mainstreaming and diffusion of mentoring and peer - mentoring for teachers' initial and in service training, not only in the field of ESD. - Enhancement of ESD in the EU, conceived as a fundamental and inter-disciplinary part of curricula. PEERMENT is a concrete contribution towards the Global Action Programme on ESD that seeks to generate and scale-up concrete actions in ESD and is intended to make a substantial contribution to the post-2015 agenda."