"CONTEXT OF THE PROJECTUrban and peri-urban agriculture is a matter of growing importance on a territorial scale. It is reflected in actions aimed at reconnecting the urban population to agricultural production and relocating food systems by promoting short circuits.Its development is based on entrepreneurs who carry agricultural projects and on the public authorities and planners who will put in place favourable strategies on their territory.THE PROJECT'S GOALSThe main objective of the SESAME project is to promote the deployment of agricultural projects in urban and peri-urban areas of the partner countries through developing innovative training adapted to key players in the sector, taking into account the skills-based approach and the digital transition challenges.1. Encourage entrepreneurship through the creation of an ""Entrepreneurship in urban and peri-urban agriculture"" training module to validate this competence within Level IV vocational training.2. Raise the awareness of public authorities and territorial planning executives at the levers of actions aimed at facilitating the development of urban and peri-urban agriculture at the metropolitan scale. This is done through a micro-learning training ""Challenges and opportunities for urban and peri-urban agriculture"".3. Promote synergies between these two audiences through providing cross-training.4. Decompartmentalize practices on a transnational level and pool experiences.DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES- Project management: several transnational meetings are scheduled throughout the project. The monitoring committee will ensure compliance with the operating charter.- Design phase: we will conceive the pedagogical engineering of both courses and will design innovative pedagogical tools.- Experimentation phase: we will implement the training modules for the two targeted audiences through face-to-face teaching and digital tools. We will include a complementary transnational training activity. - Dissemination phase: several local dissemination events (mid-term and at the end of the project) reaching civil servants and agricultural training trainees will be planned in each partner country as well as a major final transnational dissemination event.EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACTS, POTENTIAL BENEFITSSHORT AND MEDIUM TERM1. Upskilling of target audiences- Vocational training contractors on the subject of urban agricultural installation (6 to 15 trainees)- Elected officials and executives of the territorial function on the subject of project support (20 to 30 participants in the pilot cities of Bologna, Barcelona and Aix-Marseille) 2. Integration and dissemination of SESAME training- Integration of the SESAME module within existing training courses* In France, integration of SESAME modules within the “BPREA” diploma (in the form of UCARE or Specialization Certificates) of Antibes CFPPA* In Spain, integration of training modules within the “Grau mitjà Tècnic diploma in Produccio Agroecologica” (in the form of an optional module) of the Escola Agrària d'Amposta * In Italy, integration of training modules within the diploma “Gestione dell'Ambiente e del Territorio” (in the form of Optional Module) of the Istituto Agrario Serpieri - Dissemination of the ""Challenges and opportunities of urban and peri-urban agriculture"" training by public authorities and training actors3. Strengthening training adaptation to digital transition4. Strengthening a multi-stakeholder approach (training actors, civil service and economic stakeholders)5. Pooling and sharing best practices on Mediterranean, European and transnational level- Common design of training courses to European standard (competence block approach, ECVET method)- Transnational learning activity paving the way for European mobilityLONG-TERM 1. Capitalisation of the results on the territories (increased number of projects to be carried out by the trained entrepreneurs, reinforcement of a network of actors) 2. Capitalisation of the SESAME training - SESAME training module spin-off within vocational training centers, first on a regional scale via the Unis-Vert network (FR), Servei Agrari network (ESP) and Rete Agrari Emilia Romagna network (IT), and then on a national and European scale. - Spinning and capitalisation of SESAME training with specialised actors and networks - Diversification of the target audience of SESAME courses (people in need of social inclusion, private companies ...) - Initiating reflection on setting up mobility European projects between agricultural vocational training centers."

The project was a research into best practice of environmental issues, sustainable development and thinking in each of the participating countries. The main objective was to find out the links between food production in the EU and the European strategies for sustainable development. The basic purpose of the project was to train individuals in environmental and sustainable development and thinking, approaching with respect and understanding of the different partner countries way of dealing with the topic. The students gained ownership and recognition of the natures richness and diversity in relation to protect the nature from further disasters.The projects aimed at: - Developed equality and shared values in activities that improved critical thinking - Strengthened key competences in VET - Developed institutional partnerships supporting the set up and implementation of an internationalization strategy of VET learners and apprenticesTeachers and students worked and exchanged teaching and learning methods/ideas. The result was presented digitally, and creative work was done not just with the school partners, but with local authorities/institutions (NGO’s) as well, to raise awareness for our environment and start focus more on sustainable development and thinking. This was achieved by developing a pedagogical base that included reflections and suggestions for active methods that are invaluable for improving the key Lisbon skills, such as: learning to learn, interpersonal, intercultural and social skills and civilian skills. This was achieved by addressing the following topics: - Environmental and sustainable thinking and development - Water resources and organic nutrient cycling - Biodiversity, energy and waste - Zero miles food - The Ecologic and ironic man’s footprintCeuti municipality entered the project as an associated partners. Ceuti were involved in a local project “the Ecologic and ironic man’s footprint”, which was a part of this project too. Viborg municipality became a partner in the project and contributed with knowledge. The specific goals of the project were: - Encouraging the establishment of sustainable development and thinking - Focus on environment and climate change - Implementation of the project as a goal and complementary tool to develop the understanding of agriculture, forestry and fisheries among the participants - To promote entrepreneurship education - To increase students' awareness of social integration - To promote the personal and professional development of students to become an asset among European citizens - To encourage the learning and sharing of foreign languages ​​through new technologies.The main target group for this project was students who are the owners of the future. Therefore, all our activities were student oriented and were performed with their participation. The purpose of the activities was to enable the students to gain knowledge and skills that they could use in the future.Therefore, the 7 partners in the project disseminated the gained knowledge and involved the students in activities about the measures around environment and sustainability translated into practice, it is estimated that 168 students and teachers benefited directly from the activities.Our partners represented diverse social and economic backgrounds and a diverse collection of communities from across Europe. By working together to achieve our goals of environment and sustainability, we succeeded in showing our students, parents, staff and others how people from different parts of Europe could work together on our environment and create more coherence to the European citizenship.The project's method was based on the concept of interdisciplinary teaching in order to improve the quality of the education. We aimed to approach key issues from different disciplines such as biology and the environment, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of environmental issues in a European context. In order to be able to assess the impact and ensure a correct development of the project, both formative evaluation types as well as summative ones were used along the way.we expected a strong collaboration between the institutions, municipalities, district governorships, district education directorates and NGOs during the preparation, implementation and sustainability of our project. Local authorities, organizations and institutions in all participating countries were invited to learn about the project and its results.

"<< Background >>The project FARMER is a study into European best practices for recruiting and retaining students to the agricultural sector. We are facing major challenges regarding recruiting, environmental issues and climate change, social development, and digitalization along with rapid technologies' development. Their changes require new skills from the educators implementing a greening in the curriculum to support students on their vocational education and training path. The project will work on the development of teachers' work in supporting students cross-cutting skills within the scope of sustainability and future needs, and the understanding of how to use pedagogical and didactic methods as a tool, to increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training in the agricultural sector. According to the practical guide “Greening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)” UNESCO, greening is the process of pursuing knowledge and practices regarding environmental and climate changes. Entrepreneurship and UN17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are closely linked in today’s agricultural education, which means that students need to adapt agricultural education with relevant content and teaching methods. At the same time the agricultural industry is facing problems with poor reputation, which is why the Danish Agriculture and Food Council reports that more than one in three producers in the agricultural sector is in need for qualified labor. At the same time, we are facing a youth unemployment in the EU-27 at 15,1% according to Eurostat, most of them without any vocational training and education. Students who choose an agricultural education experience a skeptical attitude toward their choice. In teachers’ learning activities, we will focus on how we support students’ skills in arguing of the importance and relevance of their choice of occupations, so that they experience pride in the choice of vocational education and training. Vocational education connects smart hands with smart minds, and FARMER connects smart minds with a stronger profile for sustainable development in Europe. According to the report,” Primed for Sustainability – A New Narrative about Technical and Vocational Education and Training”, drafted and published by The Danish National Commission for UNESCO, vocational institutions committing themselves to create a distinctive sustainability profile, they can attract more students. Moreover, teaching sustainability helps to produce insightful students with their own convictions, equipping them with the skills needed to identify new approaches to enhance sustainability. FARMER has the potential to influence the entire value-chain in the green sector, i.e., students, VETs, companies, society and at stakeholders. By mapping the needed skills of the future ‘green’ farmer, according to societal and political demands, training the educators to increase motivation and implement a green curriculum, improving the image of agricultural education in the narratives, training the enrolled students cross-cutting skills, and supporting their green, innovative, entrepreneurial mindset alongside with improving their competences with regard to language, IT and acting in a European community, the impact of the project FARMER will affect Europe's future sustainable growth and cohesion. Therefore, this project will focus on the sustainability goal No. 4, and, in particular, on No. 4.7, which ensures that all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyle. The project focuses on EU partner countries, that are already experiencing the difficulties of recruiting, motivating, and retaining students. This fact guarantees that the partners will be committed to ensuring that the project is an unconditional success.<< Objectives >>The main target group of this project is educators, who are the main persons involved in educating, motivating, and retaining students. That is why all our activities are educator-oriented and can only be accomplished with their participation. The aim of the activities is to enable the educators gaining knowledge and methods that they can use in their present and future training-curriculum. With modern teaching and ability to utilize new teaching technologies, the students will also gain essential skills that are adapted to the challenges they face after graduation.The basic purpose of the project is to train teachers/educators in developing a more practical approach to teaching. There is a focus on the exchange of teaching techniques as well as respect and understanding of the different partner countries' way of tackling the environmental and climate challenges and adding more knowledge through the exchange of best practices. The teachers will own and recognize the richness and diversity of various pedagogical and didactic approaches achieved through transnational cooperation.The projects aim at:- Supporting educators, educational leaders and support staff in communication and education to recruit and retain students. - Further strengthen key competences in initial and continuing VET.- Supporting VET educators to implement environmental and climate goals to the education and communication practices.The specific objectives of the project are:- Encouraging the establishment of a more hands-on approach teaching.- Focusing on our recruiting, motivating, and retaining students facing the environmental and climate change challenges.- Implementing the project as a goal and complementary tool to develop pedagogical and didactic methods among the participants.- To promote entrepreneurial learning directly in the participating countries and through dissemination on the webpage also in other European countries, engaging students to become true agents of change.- Raising the students’ awareness regarding possibilities of studying at an agricultural school.Therefore, the 10 partners in the project convey the knowledge gained and involve others in activities, in the effort to recruit, motivate and retain in practice. An estimated number of 50 people will benefit from the mobility activities directly. With the efficient dissemination, the best practices will be shared more widely in national and transnational contexts.Our partners represent contrasting social and economic backgrounds, and a diverse collection of communities from across Europe. Working together delivers our aims of developing new pedagogy and didactic methods and benchmarking the best practices.The project methodology is based on the concept of interdisciplinary teaching to enhance the quality of education. We aim at approaching key issues from the perspective of different subjects taught by participating educators using digital technologies and learning methods.It is expected to be a strong cooperation among institutions, municipalities, district governorships, district national education directorates, NGOs and farmers during the preparation, implementation, and sustainability of our project.<< Implementation >>Our studies and activities will be carried out with the support of all partners. They will integrate the activities into their daily lives, as one of the objectives of these EU projects suggests. Teachers will develop and exchange practical teaching and learning methods/ideas. The results will be presented digitally, and creative work will be carried out not only with the partners, but also with their own students to ensure that the recipients of teachers' development work achieve the optimal benefit. At the same time, there will be national sparring between colleagues at the schools, so that we ensure that the schools benefit fully from participating in the project, and that there will be more ambassadors who can spread the project's message and results. The focus is to raise teachers' awareness of the possibilities of choosing vocational training, as well as the reasons why young people must choose vocational training, and to start focusing more on sustainable development in education using the UN17 SDGs. This will be achieved by producing a pedagogical and didactic manual with reflections and suggestions for active methods that are invaluable for improving key Lisbon competences, such as learning to learn, interpersonal, intercultural, and social and civil competences. These will be achieved by addressing the following topics:- Competence-mapping of existing skills in agricultural education today with the aim of identifying current skills needs/gaps.- Identification of the future need for educational skills, with a particular focus on the challenges posed by the climate challenge.- Setting up personal educational skills to suit the needs of the future.- Establishment of a new framework for agricultural learning content.- Political recommendation.Throughout the project's three-year life, we will work to exchange experiences and best practices in relation to the development work of the teaching. We will look at the skills we train according to today, as well as examine what skills future farmers require. We do this to adapt our transnational development work to bridge the gap between today's cross-cutting skills and the cross-cutting skills of the future. The main focus will be on digital and technological competences, as well as on innovative and entrepreneurial competences, as they are part of the competences of the 21st century. Moreover, these competences are sought after both by the agricultural profession itself, but also by politicians as they are inscribed both in national learning strategies as well as in the EU's ""European skills agenda"". We will use surveys among teachers, students, and parents for underage students according to each WP in order to measure the effect of the work done during the mobilities, ensuring the policy recommendation answer to the needs in all partner countries.<< Results >>The project is expected to deliver four results:1)We expect to provide an analysis of the competences we teach after today. •each partner will provide data on labor market indicators:oyouth unemployment rate oactivation percentageounemployment rates by ageounemployment rates by occupationoanalysis of training programs and levels.oanalysis of the percentage intake at the different levels of education.We will achieve a demographic analysis by country but also in general for the EU, as partners are distributed throughout the EU. This will give us a picture of what recruitment is like for education in the EU, as well as where we are in relation to achieving the EU's strategy that about 30% of a youth year should take vocational training, and how many will choose an agricultural education. 2)We expect to provide an analysis of the competences that future farmers need to possess.•we will develop a matrix of the competences we expect young people to possess in the future. oanalyze the pedagogical and didactic tools we are going to teach by. oanalyze possible methods e.g., Peer-to-Peer learning, digital methods, etc. oanalyze and test methods in relation to greening the curriculum and support SD regarding environment and climate change.We will achieve the development of a matrix that contains proposals for a toolbox, from which the teachers can be inspired, and where there is a focus on different methods that strengthen the cooperation competences, as well as a focus on the professional competences in relation to the environment and climate change. 3)We expect to deliver an educational and didactic manual with a focus on a more hands-on approach to teaching that matches the skills and competences of future farmers.•we delve into the methods from paragraph 2 concerning teaching methods in relation to the environment and climate change. oanalyze the methods we are already using today and which we expect to continue with in the future. opractical transnational co-teaching to develop partners' practices across partners.oanalyze how we can produce in a ""different way"", cf., the French Ministry of Agriculture.oexamine the mechanism of ""test space for settling as a farmer"" cf., Member of Pays Graines oexplore new technologies e.g., drones, ICT platforms, etc. oprepare an educational and didactic manual. We will gain an insight into some programs launched in France, with the aim of developing the personal and professional competences of the students to meet the needs of the future. The work is picked up in Belgium, where a manual of recommendations is written after testing the different methods in each partner country.4)we will conclude by drawing up a political recommendation that proposes, how the political side can support recruitment to vocational education and training, as well as the upskilling of trainers in vocational education and training. •we will make some policy recommendations based on the work we have carried out on the previous three points. orecommendations on how to support recruitment to vocational training from the political point of view. orecommendations for curriculum improvements in relation to work on the environment and climate change.We will achieve the development of policy recommendations, that we can present to relevant national and transnational stakeholders, who will support us in developing agricultural education and training to make it more attractive and facilitate access to a university education."