Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Project Directory 2019

Inclusion & Diversity

Inclusion & Diversity

Project Directory Project 2019 Directory 2019

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In this Project Directory, you will find an overview of how Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps support inclusion and diversity. It briefly outlines a number of good practice projects that have inclusion and diversity at their core and which we hope will both inspire and inform you.

We have included several different project formats from different sectors: Adult and School Education, Vocational Education and Training, and Youth. The projects show how different organisations can benefit from both programmes and we hope that reading about them will encourage you to connect with us to find out more.

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Contents

Introduction

Jargon Buster

Inclusion and Diversity

Projects in Ireland 2018

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School Education

Vocational Education Training

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School Education

Vocational Education and Training

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Adult Education

Youth in Action

Erasmus+ Key Action 3 (KA3) Support for Policy Reform

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European Solidarity Corps

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Policies and Strategies

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Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (KA1) Learning Mobility

Adult Education

Youth in Action

Erasmus+ Key Action 2 (KA2) Strategic Partnerships

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Introduction

Petar Dukic Inclusion & Diversity Officer

Social inclusion is quite a recent concept, originating in France in the 1970s and becoming mainstreamed into European policy in the late ‘80s. Since then, inclusion has become one of the top priorities in Europe. Today, as political and socioeconomic shifts in Europe and the wider world create a climate of change and unpredictability, it has become more important than ever to counter marginalisation and exclusion. Inclusion and diversity priorities in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps help this process as they fit into the wider framework of European policies such as Europe 2020, which has a clear social dimension expressed in its headline target to lift 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and social exclusion. As part of our own strategy for 2018-2020, we in Léargas outline our vision of ‘an Ireland that is inclusive, where all can take part in lifelong learning to reach their potential’. We strongly believe that Erasmus+ and the European Solidary Corps can facilitate inclusion and celebrate diversity across a wide section of our society.

We have been inspired by so many amazing projects in both programmes that are real change makers and we decided to gather just some of them into this directory as examples of what can be done. Quite a few of these projects have finished, but some are still live as we complete this directory.

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Some of the showcased projects are small: several teachers doing job shadowing or a small group of young people working to make changes in their own lives and communities. Some of the projects are very large: partnerships reaching across Europe to implement innovation in their practice.

But what they all share is a commitment to inclusivity and an openness to diversity.

Their participants have the courage to show up and influence change, no matter the scope and size of their project. What they all have in common too is a desire to make Ireland, and Europe, a safer space for all citizens. Together, those who work in these projects have created and shared a rich source of knowledge, resources and tools; some of them have also influenced national and European practices and policies in Youth and Education and Training.

We hope that you will be inspired by the projects in this booklet to find out more about how you and all in your own communities, schools, colleges, clubs and institutes can benefit from Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps in 2020 and beyond.

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Jargon Buster Erasmus+ is the European Union (EU) programme that supports education, training, youth and sport in Europe. The programme runs from 2014 to 2020. There are lots of opportunities to set up projects, spend time abroad and gain new skills. The EU plans to spend â‚Ź14.7 billion on Erasmus+ over seven years.

European Solidarity Corps is the new European Union initiative that creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects—in their own country or abroad—to benefit communities and people throughout Europe.

The European Commission is one of the EU institutions. It puts forward new laws, makes sure that EU Member States follow EU law, manages the day-to-day business of the EU, and represents the EU internationally.

Europe 2020 is the EU plan to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth. It sets out targets for employment, research and development, climate/energy, education, social inclusion, and poverty reduction.

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Key Actions are the types of projects and activities that can be funded by Erasmus+.

There are three Key Actions which are explained in more detail throughout this guide.

Learning Mobility is the movement of people across countries—within and outside Europe—in formal and non-formal learning settings such as exchange programmes between schools or youth groups, job shadowing for adult educators, placements for trainees, and so on. Also called simply ‘mobility’.

Strategic Partnerships are projects where organisations from different countries taking part in Erasmus+ collaborate to share experiences, exchange or develop new practices in their work.

Support for Policy Reform is for projects that empower young people to have their voices heard and to take part in policy discussions with decision makers. It is funded through Key Action 3 and applies only to the youth field.

Vocational Educational Training equips people with the skills and competences required for particular occupations or more broadly on the labour market.

Youthpass is a tool to document and recognise learning outcomes from youth work and solidarity activities. It is a part of the European Commission’s strategy to foster the recognition of non-formal learning.

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Inclusion and Diversity Sample Projects from 2014-2019

Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Projects European Solidarity Corps Inclusion and Diversity Projects (This is not an exhaustive list) 6

Key Action 1 - KA1 Learning mobility of individuals is for projects that involve exchanges, study visits, job-shadowing or training in another country.

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School Education

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Moyderwell Mercy Primary School €55,380 | 18 months Moyderwell Mercy is a large urban co-educational primary school in Tralee, Co. Kerry. They have a student population of almost 400 and a teaching staff of 30. They were granted DEIS status several years ago and many of the students come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They also have a very large migrant population within the school, with over 40 different nationalities. Over 50% of the students have a foreign national heritage and so for many students English is a second language and is not spoken at home. Inclusion forms the pillar of everything they do within the school.

In this project, 31 staff took part in training courses and job shadowing in a number of European countries. Participants explored and developed their language teaching skills and knowledge. Through learning more about methodologies used in the teaching of English as a second language (TESOL) they gained a deeper understanding of how to seamlessly integrate the teaching of English across all subject areas. All of those who took part reported that the project had a positive impact on their use of new teaching and training methods and their knowledge of teaching English as a second languages. This has helped the school to better address the linguistic needs of all their students.

St. Ita’s School €62,265 | 22 months St. Ita’s is a co-ed school for children aged 5-18 years who have a mild general learning need. It has been part of the educational landscape in Drogheda for over 50 years. It currently has a population of 145 students. The ethos of the school allows for the development of the students both educationally and pastorally.

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This project was based on Positive Outcomes for students during and following formal education provision. The students have been promoted as equals and given the same opportunities as their mainstream peers. The increase in knowledge, competencies and skills of the staff enhanced the employability of the pupils and increased their career prospects and wellbeing. The project was a combination of structured courses and job shadowing in a number of European countries allowing 32 members of management and staff to work collaboratively to seek the best solutions and outcomes for their student base.

St. Nicholas’ National School €13,975 | 12 months This Galway-based school, also known as Claddagh National School, pride themselves as a friendly, open community of learning where children of all backgrounds and abilities can learn and play together in happiness and safety. The school is a mainstream primary school in Galway city and currently cares for 320 students, of whom 52% are from non-Irish backgrounds. Many students arrive throughout the school year with very limited English language skills.

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The Claddagh Inclusion Project (CIP) specifically focused on inclusion of children from linguistic and cultural minorities, refugees and asylum seekers, and children with special and/or additional needs. These had all been identified as areas of special interest within the school development plan. The project saw seven staff members (four Special Needs Assistants, two teachers and one principal) take part in mobilities where the focus was on inclusion. One teacher attended a course on building resilience and selfesteem in children and all other participants engaged in job shadowing in the area of inclusion. You can read more about this project on the Léargas blog: www.leargas.ie/blog/erasmus-job-shadowing-malta/

Vocational Education & Training

Social Justice Projects

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St. John’s Central College Cork Education and Training Board €151,457 | 15 months

St John’s Central College is committed to providing a European dimension to Vocational Education for its students. Since 1995, St John’s has been actively involved in partnerships with organisations in other EU countries and has run mobility projects for staff and students as well as projects addressing teacher training and Development of Innovation.

The college actively promotes an outward looking education policy for both students and staff. This policy seeks to facilitate diversity within the student population and to make the college a secure learning environment for all regardless of nationality, gender, beliefs, race and sexual orientation.

This mobility project was open to all students at the college studying at QQI Levels 5 and 6. A significant percentage of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds including long term unemployed, lone parents, early school leavers or other vulnerable groups.

The project involved both students/trainees (61) and staff/teachers (two) in placements. They were placed in 12 VET institutions in nine different European countries.

Students took part in a wide range of VET placements including tourism, IT, furniture manufacturing and multimedia. The project provided the chance for students to improve their language skills, gave them workplace experience, and validated their learning outcomes. These experiences are expected to enhance their employability.

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Cavan Institute Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board â‚Ź96,676 | 13 months

Cavan Institute is a Further Education and Training Institute located in Cavan Town, Ireland. The Institute is managed by Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). CMETB provides education for second level, further education and training, adult education and Youthreach services throughout the two counties. The organisation also provides an educational service in an open prison. A range of other targeted courses are provided for the unemployed, early school leavers and disadvantaged students.

Cavan Institute’s mobility project offered full-time students in the FET/VET sector the opportunity to complete a certified mandatory part of their course of study in another country. This was accomplished through the completion of a recognised and EU-validated placement with an employer acknowledged as an expert in their field. The aim of the project was to send 45 students abroad, along with seven accompanying persons, on placement in a wide range of sectors including Business and IT, Engineering, Tourism, Catering, Hairdressing services, Animal Health, Childcare, and Multimedia. Placements were organised by education and training partners who have excellent quality assurance processes and access to innovative placements. Placements similar to these are not available to participants from a rural disadvantaged region in Ireland. Students reported that they had gained in self-confidence and felt they had enhanced opportunities for employment as a result of taking part in the project.

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Ballsbridge College â‚Ź100,907 | 24 months Ballsbridge College (CDETB) is a further education college with approximately 500 full-time students studying in a broad range of areas such as Business, Marketing, English, IT, Health Studies and Social Studies. The college also has approximately 1200 students taking part in night courses.

Ballsbridge College works with a lot of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and wants to offer them a valuable experience for their transition into the labour market or on to further study. This project ran two mobility flows—of 24 VET students each—to the Netherlands. The target group was studying at QQI Levels 5 or 6 and took on work experience relevant to their areas of study. The relevant topics identified by the applicants were: access for disadvantaged; recognition of learning; intercultural education; and lifelong learning. The project supported students to understand the large labour market open to them through membership of the EU and provided an enhanced learning experience to a diverse learner group (based on nationality, age, and previous experience).

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Adult Education

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The Social and Health Education Project Ltd. â‚Ź35,110 | 24 months The Social and Health Education Project (SHEP) is a 44-year-old voluntary organisation with a unique non-formal adult/community education programme.

Over 150 people (Course Coordinators, Trainers, and Tutors) deliver the SHEP programme which is largely open access and non-formal with a specific focus on using experiential approaches and methodologies to support health and wellbeing. As a community development and training organisation they are committed to social inclusion, social justice and active citizenship.

This project is still ongoing: over a two-year period, a total of 19 mobilities will take place to eight European countries. Participants include six course coordinators, seven SHEP Trainers, and six SHEP Community Education Tutors.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board â‚Ź35,490 | 24 months Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) delivers educational services to over 34,000 learners throughout Limerick and Clare each year.

LCETB has responsibility for 18 post-primary schools and 33 Further Education and Training Centres. It also works with over 300 community groups.

The title of this ongoing project is Integrating Language, Literacy and Numeracy and Developing Intercultural Awareness in Adult Education Provision.

LCETB has a specific mandate around second chance education, literacy and numeracy provision, ESOL and refugee resettlement.

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The overall aim of this project is to build staff capacity in a) integration of language, literacy and numeracy in teaching and learning and support services for adult learners and b) the development of deeper intercultural awareness. In total 26 participants will travel on eight mobilities over the 24 months.

City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) â‚Ź5,235 | 12 months CDETB has provided an education service based on the principles of adult education to Dublin prisons for over forty years. During that time, the service has developed innovative, flexible programmes that have responded to the changing demographic in Irish prisons. In doing so it has sought to enhance social inclusion by providing a broad range of accredited and non-accredited courses as well as supports for students pursuing their educational goals after their release.

CDETB believes that the provision of education represents a major contribution to social inclusion.

It also believes that it can learn from the innovative approaches adopted by colleagues in other European countries. This project facilitated job shadowing in prison education centres and colleges in Italy, Germany and Belgium. Three teachers from the CDETB Educational Service to Prisons took part and they were particularly interested in strategies employed by European colleagues to (a) enhance and expand the creative arts curriculum, (b) develop vocational learning opportunities for their students, and (c) encourage early school leavers to return to education.

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Youth in Action

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Involve €44,500 | 9 months INVOLVE is the main provider of Youth Work Services for young Travellers throughout the country. The organisation currently employs 31 people; there are 14 youth workers with eight workers on the Travellers’ Voice magazine project. INVOLVE delivers support, training and strategy to the youth projects linked to the Association. Each project has its own programme of activities and in total they engage with approximately 4,000 young people every year. As a group with fewer opportunities they see Erasmus+ as a perfect way to open up to new cultures and ways of life. This current project creates a space for the young people to explore their identity, discuss issues that are important to them and think about their role as global citizens. The design of the programme allows the young participants in both Ireland and Portugal to share and exchange experiences and views, think about issues from different perspectives, and develop a sense of who they are. In addition, the young people are learning about leadership, task completion, challenging attitudes, problem solving and making connections. The project is being delivered through various youth work methodologies such as creative workshops, graphic harvesting, Youthpass activities, physical activities and games.

Limerick Youth Service €15,528 | 10 months Limerick Youth Service was founded in 1973 and is a provider of youth work, education, training and employability programmes with youth-friendly spaces to young people aged 10-25 in Limerick City and County. Limerick Youth Service has taken part in a number of international youth work programmes including youth exchanges, training programmes and European Voluntary Service.

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This project is a youth exchange between Ireland and Finland supporting 26 young people (aged 15-20) to attend a youth exchange in Ireland. The project aims to bring a wider experience of leadership to the young people involved. Currently these young people are engaged in a 10-month programme to be junior leaders. Having a European element to the training will help the participants to gain a different understanding of what leadership is about and will provide a European context for their learning.

Nigerian Carnival Ireland (NCI) €36,010 I 4 months Nigerian Carnival Ireland (NCI) is the first of its kind celebrating Nigeria, Nigerians and other cultures in the Republic of Ireland. It is the biggest and most popular mainstream Nigerian outdoor event in Ireland and Europe. The aim of NCI is to promote integration, celebrate cultural diversity and heritage, combat negative stereotypes and much more.

The main aim of the project was to develop digital products and performing arts work that address hate crime. Through collaborative workshops supported by professional artists and within peer-led sessions, this project saw creative actions carried out that helped to develop key skills and competencies. The project enabled the young participants to successfully develop cultural products (music, spoken word, dance, digital work) that offer counter-narratives on issues of migration and immigration. The project included 56 young people—39 with fewer opportunities—who went on Youth Worker Mobility to Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, the UK, and Spain.

Search youtube for ‘nigerian carnival youth exchange’

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We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion. — Max de Pree

Teaching children to be knowledgeable about differences, supportive of others, and active in changing structures that are oppressive to various groups can all begin within inclusive classrooms. — Mara Sapon-Shevin

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Key Action 2 - KA2 Strategic Partnerships

(Cooperation for Innovation & Exchange of Good Practices) This action enables organisations from different countries taking part in Erasmus+ to share experiences, exchange or develop new practices in their work.

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School Education

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Trinity College Dublin € 277,260 | 36 months Trinity College Dublin was established in 1592 and has a tradition of scholarship spanning more than four centuries.

This ongoing project aims to address educational inequality through widening the participation of students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in higher and further education across Europe. The project brings together four partner institutions (three schools and one university) from three countries across Europe, to develop, adapt, and expand an existing ‘widening participation’ programme—Trinity Access 21—in European schools.

Using a combination of practical and practitioner focused design-based research methodology (DBR) as well a design-thinking approach, the project will create an Access 21 Programme course book, consisting of four modules, each addressing the process of implementing one of the core practices.

Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar € 29,688 | 24 months Coláiste Mhuire is a co-educational, voluntary Catholic Secondary School. It was set up in 1948 by members of the community for the community, and it caters for a wide range of students from the surrounding rural areas. The school aims to provide a quality teaching and learning experience which fosters the development of the whole person. Coláiste Mhuire currently has an enrolment of 224 students as well as 13 adults in its PLC course.

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This project, which will finish in 2020, will enable young people from Ireland, Belgium and Germany to

meet each other, come to know each other, learn to understand and so learn to value each other.

These young people have differing social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with this project they are taking part in an intercultural dialogue around these differences. The project looks at social inclusion and gender equality, as well as the experience of migration in each country. The aim of the project is for the pupils to develop a sense of cultural diversity in a common Europe and work on democratic values such as freedom, tolerance, human rights and equality.

Firhouse Community College ₏ 36,658 | 24 months Firhouse Community College is located in south west Dublin and caters for more than 750 students. There are approximately 50 teachers in the college, as well as a team of Special Needs Assistants. Tutors and year heads—along with the school chaplain, counsellor, and guidance counsellor—look after the pastoral needs of students.

Transition Year is compulsory in Firhouse and this project focuses on TY students. The motivation for the project is the increasing importance of promoting wellbeing in the second-level education system. The project focuses on the emotional wellbeing of young people: how they cope with stress on a day-to-day basis and how they might be encouraged to ask for help and support. The project highlights the importance of positive mental health, the need to be socially responsible, and how to use communication in a positive healthy way. A variety of students from different backgrounds are taking part, ensuring that this is an extremely diverse project. Around 40 students in four partner countries can access the exchange programme but the entire school will have access to the lessons and resources learned on all of the trips.

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Vocational Education & Training

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Meath Community Rural and Social Development Partnership Limited â‚Ź 40,952 | 18 months Meath Partnership is a county-wide organisation responsible for the design and implementation of local, rural and community development programmes. It specialises in building the capacity of local communities through a range of projects and programmes tackling the persistent incidence of exclusion and disadvantage.

The overall objective of this strategic partnership was to provide an overview about projects, initiatives and methods that support and facilitate refugee entrepreneurship. The work addressed the specific needs of those who have recently arrived in Europe and those who are likely to arrive in the years to come: namely refugees from the civil wars and unrest in Syria and other parts of the Middle East, and also from Africa. Having a (social) enterprise helps to create normality in difficult circumstances, brings employment, provides ways to unite communities and preserve traditions. Overall, it can be said that entrepreneurship improves the psychological wellbeing of individuals and the overall atmosphere in refugee centres and communities.

Visit reentryproject.eu

Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited â‚Ź 372,840 | 30 months Interesource Group (IGI) is an Irish SME that provides specialist services to a diverse but small client base.

IGI has successfully promoted a number of Leonardo da Vinci/Lifelong Learning projects (MEDISIGNS, SIGNALL and EUROSIGNS) of which two were awarded the European Language Label.

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In 2010, SIGNALL II featured in the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty & Social Exclusion Booklet. IGI began engaging with the Deaf community in 2007 as a result of SIGNALL, a project that developed training and awareness materials for employers to encourage them to be supportive of Deaf employment.

This ongoing project aims to develop an innovative vocational training programme for key social actors to support the employment of Deaf people in skilled jobs, to offer career progression and to promote upward mobility. The project brings together experts in the fields of employment, sign language training and Deaf studies to tackle universal problems and propose some tried and tested solutions which can be replicated across many countries. The consortium consists of seven leading organisations from four countries. Technical innovation includes the creation of an App and a training e-guide for the Deaf community. This product will be accessible to Deaf people across Europe.

Visit designsproject.eu

Institute Technology Tralee â‚Ź 289,516 | 24 months The Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) offers a range of full-time and part-time courses from foundation level through to certificate, degree, post-graduate and doctoral level. Based on two campuses, ITT has over 250 academic staff and serves a community of over 3,500 learners consisting of a diverse mix of home, EU and overseas students. ITT has participated in a number of EU and national programmes as both a partner and co-ordinator.

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The aim of this ongoing project is to transfer innovation from a previous project (VOCAL-Medical 2014-2016) on language and cultural learning in vocational settings to a new vocational area: security.

The project targets security professionals who need to communicate with the migrant community, in specific situations where good communication skills can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. The project aims to provide language and culture training materials contextualised for the security sector, through cooperation between educational institutions and professionals working in this sector. One of the five online training modules is also aimed at agencies that work with migrants.

Visit www.vocal.erasmus.site

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Adult Education

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Exchange House (Tribli Company) ₏ 276,232 | 24 months Exchange House (or Tribli Company) is a national organisation with nearly 60 staff that provides frontline services including education and training, family support and crisis intervention, mental health and suicide prevention, and children and young people’s services. They work with Government agencies and departments, national organisations, local and community groups and have partners from across Ireland.

Through training 50 counsellors and trainers, as well as NGO staff that work with Domestic Violence (DV) survivors, this current project aims to significantly improve the knowledge of DV to enhance skills and competences for DV prevention and intervention, and, first and foremost, to empower DV survivors. The project also promotes social and civic competences, democratic values and fundamental rights, social inclusion, non-discrimination and active citizenship.

Age Action Ireland Ltd â‚Ź 256,095 | 24 months Age Action Ireland was established in 1992 as a national non-governmental organisation concerned with ageing and older people. Its mission is to achieve fundamental change in the lives of all older people by empowering them to live full lives as active engaged citizens and to secure their rights to comprehensive high quality services according to their changing needs. It has nearly 4000 members.

The objectives of this project were to address gaps in awareness and knowledge of elder abuse prevention by designing an education programme to provide new learning opportunities in human rights.

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The Alzheimer Society of Ireland â‚Ź 54,613 | 24 months The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is a national non-profit organisation that works across the country in the heart of local communities providing dementia specific services and supports. It also advocates locally and at national level for the rights and needs of those who live with dementia and their carers. Their vision is an Ireland where no one goes through dementia alone and where policies and services respond appropriately to the needs of those affected by dementia.

The objectives of this project were to develop a high-quality training course based on an existing and popular face-to-face course for family carers of loved ones with dementia. This required the production of two outputs: an online course structure and accompanying materials, which will be available to organisations working with family carers, and a Quality Framework User’s Guide to provide information, advice and practical plans to facilitate this course for service users. Direct participants in this project included training staff from The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (11 people), online teaching and learning experts from FuN in Norway (two people), and lecturers at IC Dien, a Further Education college in Belgium (three people).

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Youth in Action

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Beyond 96 Youth Club € 48,920 | 14 months Beyond 96 is a voluntary youth group established in 1996 to provide leadership opportunities for young people at local, national and cross-border levels.

Their mission is to support civic participation of young people in their own communities. The uniqueness of this group is that it was set up by young people for young people who wanted to play a more active role in their local communities.

This current project is a youth-led partnership of young people from Ireland, Macedonia and Finland of similar backgrounds and age profile. They are looking at education structures and the challenges students face when it comes to state exams or assessments.

They want to share and discuss their findings to develop concrete evidence of how young people’s learning needs could be better met in education.

As young learners challenged by these systems, the participants are also exploring alternative solutions to current learning assessment structures, in search of innovative and inclusive ways to assess learning of all learners.

Ultimately the expected result for this project is that the coordinating group, ‘Young Critical Thinkers’, with input from their European peers, will host a structured dialogue event with education stakeholders and policy makers in Ireland to propose alternative ways to assess young people learning in school.

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Aurelia Trust limited € 59,630 | 13 months The Aurelia Trust is based in Cork and works in eastern Europe with abandoned children and young adults who have been institutionalised since birth.

The main focus of their work is to improve the lives of children and young people in state institutions by offering alternative forms of care such as fostering, adoption, the creation of group homes and by upgrading the institutions in which they live. Many of the young people they work with have suffered serious levels of deprivation which have resulted in both physical and psychiatric/psychological disabilities.

Changing Minds! was a project to exchange practices between a diverse range of youth and community-based organisations in Ireland and Romania that deal with young people in the area of youth work, disability, challenging stereotypes and influencing policy. The project involved 17 young people from both Ireland and Romania. Two week-long transnational learning activities took place, one in Romania and one in Ireland, involving directly working with people with disabilities. Mindfulness, reflection and group sharing were intrinsic to the methodology of the project, given the nature of the work. Core qualities were developed and enhanced such as self-awareness, kindness, compassion, empathy and gratitude.

Central to the project was the development of key skills in the young participants, such as leadership skills, entrepreneurial skills and personal growth.

These skills were accelerated along with communication skills and a huge growth in participants’ confidence.

Visit www.changingminds.eu Search youtube for ‘changing minds erasmus+’

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Moville Family Resource Centre â‚Ź 23,428 | 7 months Moville is one of 108 Family Resource Centres in Ireland and is the only family resource centre on the Inishowen Peninsula. They are part of the Government National Programme supported by the Child and Family Agency and their main aim is to promote community development. They liaise with families, individuals and local groups to identify their needs and implement initiatives and programmes that enable their aspirations to be met effectively and successfully.

Walking Against the Wind looked at enabling and empowering young people (aged 14 to 25) from East Inishowen, County Donegal, to explore contributory factors to personal growth and development within a rurally isolated environment. The project set out to enable young people to: develop their personal, social and educational needs; develop their voice, influence and place in society; and reach their full potential. The objectives of the project included: (1) to explore how isolation in a rural environment can affect the growth and opportunity for development of young people; 2) to examine issues of equity, diversity and opportunity; 3) to promote fairness and community tolerance. Through providing opportunities for effective personal and emotional growth and development, the project aimed to challenge socio-cultural attitudes and norms and create and realise holistic and active citizenship.

Visit leargas.ie/blog/moville-watw/

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Key Action 3 - KA3 Support for Policy Reform Support for Policy Reform is for projects that empower young people to have their voices heard and to take part in policy discussions with decision makers.

Key Action 3 only applies to the youth field.

PASS

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Central Remedial Clinic € 49,775 | 15 months The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) is one of the largest organisations in Ireland dedicated to the health and wellbeing of people with Disabilities. It has four main centres in Clontarf, Limerick, Waterford and Clondalkin as well as three day centres in Dublin.

The CRC provides a range of services for people from school age through to adulthood.

The Rights to Decide - Making Equality Our Policy is a youth-led, youth-organised and youth-designed project with young people from the Central Remedial Clinic who have intellectual and/or physical disability.

The project emerged from initial consultation with young people regarding the non-ratification of the Convention of the Rights of People with a Disability.

From this starting point a need to engage in a structured dialogue with policy makers emerged as an issue of interest. The project itself entails selfadvocacy workshops, meetings with local government representatives, and a visit to the government buildings. It has produced a video presentation made by the young people to chronicle their journey and learning throughout the project.

Involve Ltd € 36,212 | 17 months INVOLVE is the main provider of Youth Work Services for young Travellers throughout the country. The organisation currently employs 31 people; there are 14 youth workers with eight workers on the Travellers’ Voice magazine project. INVOLVE delivers support, training and strategy to the youth projects linked to the Association. Each project has its own programme of activities and in total they engage with approximately 4,000 young people every year.

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As a group with fewer opportunities they see Erasmus+ as a perfect way to open up to new cultures and ways of life.

Good Nuck is a current Structured Dialogue project for young people from the Traveller Community in Ireland. It gives them the opportunity to have their voices heard on local, national and European levels on mental health issues relating to their culture, their community and being a young person living in Ireland in a modern society. The project came about from attending a number of conferences in Ireland over the past few years. After attending the National Youth Council of Ireland Young Voices Conferences in 2016 and 2017 the young people felt they were ready to plan their own Structured Dialogue project.

Over 17 months a number of different activities have been taking place to facilitate this process. These activities include planning and support meetings, a national Youth Mental Health conference, and a final Showcase event of the project findings. With over 120 young people (aged 14 to 20), youth workers, relevant stakeholders and policy makers attending these events, the participants hope this may lead to a nationwide discussion forum within Ireland’s Traveller Community and further afield around the many mental health issues and inequalities that the Traveller community faces.

National Youth Council of Ireland ₏ 18,430 | 12 months The National Youth Council of Ireland is the representative body for national voluntary youth work organisations in Ireland. It represents and supports the interests of 47 organisations. NYCI’s role is recognised in legislation through the Youth Work Act 2001 and as a Social Partner in the Community and Voluntary Pillar.

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NYCI includes young people in its structures through its board and its advisory and working groups such as the International Advisory Committee (IAC), the Policy and Advocacy Committee (PAC) and the Vote@16 youth campaign group.

This project aimed to encourage young people to engage in a diverse, inclusive and connected Europe. It brought young people together as the Young Voices youth group and they took the four priority recommendations identified by young people in Ireland from Cycle V of Structured Dialogue and embarked on a journey towards implementation.

During the project, young people engaged directly with decision makers/policy makers who contributed ideas for action and implementation of the four priority recommendations. With the guidance and support of expert trainers and facilitators, the young people used creative and innovative approaches within a non-formal learning framework to generate ideas to have positive and transformative effects on Ireland in terms of diversity, inclusion and connectivity. By the end of the journey the young people had created a concrete proposal, a target audience, and a clear idea of who will deliver on the implementation plan. They also had a strong sense of the potential positive and long-term impact of their proposal.

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Ballyfermot Youth Service â‚Ź 28,362 | Hosting 4 Volunteers Ballyfermot Youth Service (BYS) work within the principles of youth work to provide a safe, supportive and positive environment that encourages the social and personal development of all young people. BYS has completed many projects with volunteers in the organisation and has seen the positive effects on their young people.

This project hosts volunteers to help develop solidarity and promote tolerance among their young people through youthwork practice and a variety of non-formal approaches. The project focuses on young people with fewer opportunities: the participants have been connected with their youth centre for a number of years. BYS were motivated to receive the young volunteers and to give them an opportunity that they would not otherwise have had, and to create conditions for active participation in their own community, country and beyond.

European Network Anti-Racism Ireland ₏ 12,051 | Hosting 1 Volunteer ENAR Ireland is a network of organisations fighting racism in Ireland. One of the organisation’s new objectives is to have specific action targeting youth and the fight against racism.

This project has brought a volunteer into the organisation to assist in its mission to get involved in youth work. ENAR staff believe strongly that the young people they hope to reach will identify more readily with a peer and so they wanted to host a young volunteer.

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The organisation is also committed to supporting young people with fewer opportunities and the volunteer was selected on this basis.

The organisation has set out a clear plan of support for the young person whilst simultaneously ensuring the objectives of the project will be met.

Cloughjordan Community Farm (CCF) â‚Ź 40,320 | Hosting 4 Volunteers Cloughjordan Community Farm is a member-owned and operated Community Supported Agriculture initiative based in Cloughjordan ecovillage. As a social enterprise the Community Farm promotes a healthy food culture and aims to guarantee a secure local food supply, as well as providing training in resilient food systems and sustainable agriculture.

With this project, CCF has been hosting four volunteers for twelve months. The volunteers have been involved in activities that promote CCF as a model for other community food projects, as well as the ideas of self-sufficiency, sustainable living and local food production. This project contributes to CCF’s mission of promoting healthy eating, sustainable food production, sustainable development, raising environmental awareness and intercultural understanding.

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Policies and Strategies National Policies Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020 Further Education and Training Strategy 2014–2019 Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025 Languages Connect: Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026 Learning for Life: White Paper on Adult Education (July 2000) Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020

National Youth Strategy 2015-2020

European Policies Bruges Communiqué on enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training for the period 2011-2020 Education & Training 2020 EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 Europe 2020 Council Resolution on a renewed European agenda for adult learning (2011) Council Recommendation of 19 December 2016 on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults Riga Conclusions (2015)

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Get in touch If you would like to find out more about how your own project plans can tie in with national and European policies or with the priorities of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, contact us in LĂŠargas. clientservices@leargas.ie 01 887 1260

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Léargas King’s Inns House Parnell Street Dublin 1 D01 A3Y8 T. 01 8871260 E. clientservices@leargas.ie Leargas.Ireland @leargas

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