The European Council invites to act in order to provide learning opportunities to the Union's 61 million low-skilled and/or low-qualified adults. (Council conclusions…Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults 2019). Increased levels of migration create diverse and complex societies with stronger needs for intercultural understanding and democratic values, as well as the provision of individual learning (languages, basic knowledge and values of the host societies) and societal learning (strengthening intercultural understanding and mutual respect)” (European Agenda…). It is a call to improve literacy in the EU, as “the ability to identify, understand, express, create, and interpret concepts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written forms, using visual, sound/audio and digital materials across disciplines and contexts. It implies the ability to communicate and connect effectively with others, in an appropriate and creative way.” (Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages, Brussels on 22 May 2019). The council also states that “Non-formal and informal learning play an important role in supporting the development of essential interpersonal, communicative and cognitive skills such as: critical thinking, analytical skills, creativity, problem solving and resilience” Our project’s main objective is to develop language literacy, cultural exchange and the building of cross-community communities, through cultural participation, using theatre experiences as a highly motivating learning methodology.OBJECTIVESThe LiteracyAct project is addressed to education professionals, trainers, artists, voluntary workers in the field of migration and adult education at national and European level, as well as to Policy makers responsible for adult education. Its main objectives are:Developing and disseminating language/cultural learning strategies based on theatre activitiesFacilitating the exchange of good practices among European organisations involved in social/educational projects related to migrant populationCreating a set of tools to guide professionals, associations and institutions from the adult education/migrants’ issues sector in sharing/delivering such learning approachesNUMBER AND PROFILE OF PRTICIPANTSThe project will involve 4 staff members from each of the 4 participating organizations experienced in adult education, theatre-based learning methodologies, European projects planning and delivering.Around 200 adult migrants from target groups involved in the piloting activities are expected to participate to the laboratories (see below 01).Around 600 participants are expected to attend the 4 multiplier events planned.ACTIVITIES and METHODOLOGY Planning, development and delivery of the project’s goals will include:•4 Transnational Meetings: 20 people from partner organizations involved as educators, trainers, experts.•1 Joint Staff Training: 20 people involved from partner organizations staff•4 Multiplier Events: 600 participants expected from associations, institutions from the adult education/migrants’ issues fieldThe working style will be cooperative and based on decision sharing, project planning and implementation will rely on S.M.A.R.T. criteria.Project’s activities are aimed at the production of 5 intellectual outputs:O1 – LiteracyAct Desk Research: collection of good practices based on educational theatre activities aimed at developing basic skills in disadvantaged situations, to be published on relevant European platformsO2 - LiteracyAct Labs: creation of a Toolkit based on 3 piloting workshops involving different approaches to learning through theatre. Workshops are based on active spectatorship, creative acting/authorship, critical appraisal of the language learning outcomes from the previous activities.O3- LiteracyAct Tutorials: Production of 3 video tutorials based on the above described workshops and resulting performances (O2)O4 – LiteracyAct Handbook: Training people to form communities, a handbook for social workers/teachers/artists willing to improve social/cultural literacy through theatre practices. 05- LiteracyAct Impact Evaluation Guide Lines: Evaluation tool for assessing the impact of theatre practices in language/social literacy improvement.RESULTS AND IMPACTExpected results:- developing new methodologies for literacy skill development through theatre- increasing at local/national/European level the awareness on need of motivating, and effective basic skills teaching strategies-wide visibility and exploitation of the educational/training tools elaborated through the project’s productsLONG-TERM BENEFITS-creating a Europewide network of educational/cultural associations actively involved in theatre-based literacy improvement-promoting and sharing cooperative, creative innovation among professionals, associations and institutions from the adult education/migrants’ issues sector-availab

The cultural and creative activities in our organizations play a key role in enhancing our adult students and participants innovation, creativity as well as enhancing the well-being and self-esteem of these adult students. This is especially true in the case of adult students with a disability or with limited skills from disadvantaged groups in society like migrants. The Covid 19 pandemic affected these activities drastically and, in some cases, brought them to a halt. Even our local networks partners belonging to the creative and cultural sector have suffered from the pandemic at a similar rate. The project will establish a partnership for creativity between our organisations that aim to: •Stimulate European awareness among our adult students •Enhance skills development and competencies that reinforce creativity and boost quality, innovation•Enhance the students' digital skills and competence in using online teaching tools and social networks •Enhance the students' communicative skills at the European and international levels•Contribute to the recovery resilience of the cultural and creative sectorsThe project will engage our students in several online and local activities in the form of:1.Design competition for projects logo, brochure, and handout calendar. Students at the classes where the project will be piloted can voluntarily participate in the design of the project’s logo and /or brochure. 2.Writing competitions where students write 1 A4 page about a fairy-tale from their own culture. Language Teachers in each partner choose 5 different students texts based on their quality to be read in public if the prevailing Covid 19 allows it or in an online event at each partner school, Three fairy tales will be voted to be published in the project blog and translated to English and PJM and the other partner's languages. The students will dramatize the winning fairy-tale from each school in cooperation with local cultural organizations. The role play will be presented at the partner school and published online i3.the projects promotional hand out calendar contest: participants from the courses\study groups will join a photo completion to choose several photos taken under the activities of the project by the participants using mobile phones for the projects handout calendar. 4.The project promotional video contest participants from the pilot courses\study groups will join a video completion to choose video clips taken of the project's activities by the participants using mobile phonesall the following competitions will acknowledge the EU and international personal integrity and privacy laws and rulesto enhance the capacity and share knowledge and good practice the project partners will attend 4 transnational meetings held at each of the partner organisation. each partner hosting the meeting will arrange a half-day workshop on a topic related to the project's activities as follows:1.Digital tools for learning contests in Sweden2.Digital Photography to enhance learning and self-esteem in Poland3.Roleplaying and dramatization as a learning tool4.workshop on elementary video- making for Students with low digital skills using BiteableAll the project activities will be documented and evaluated using different questionnaires to students/ participants and the teachers /instructors. To disseminate the project locally. regionally, nationally and internationally, the partners will use the following tools and methods: the project brochure in English and leaflets in partners languages, the projects half-annual newsletter, the projects promotional hand out calendar, the projects website, the projects promotional video and the project social media pages and channels in Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and articles epale and Erasmus+ Project Results Platform

"The ""EVS for FUTURE"" project is a series of activities prepared for young people with fewer opportunities that, like their peers, would like to actively participate in the life of Europe and the possibilities offered by the ERASMUS + Program. The aim of the project was to integrate and cooperate with young people with special needs in the field of European Voluntary Service. Activities in the project were closely related and occurred in the sequence planned and agreed by the parties. The project consisted of - Szkolenia / TC; short term EVS for 10 people with Hearing / EVS defects from Poland in Greece (8 mobilities were implemented) and Ewunaacyjnej Meetings / SE.The main goal of TC was to provide detailed knowledge about European Voluntary Service to organizations working for youth, presentation of tools supporting EVS and building sustainable, high quality Partnerships for people with special needs. The implementation of 8 short term deaf people was a response to the real needs of the group of young deaf people from the RA and DO Foundation. Implementation of theory in practice, presentation of the methodology of recruitment, preparation, implementation and support of EVS for people with special needs. Evaluation meeting after 6 months after TC and 2 short term EVS for 4 people and before the next two turns allowed to summarize and reflect the process of using knowledge in practice and contributed to the real use of knowledge in planning projects for the future. The project was attended by 18 youth workers working with youth also with special needs and 124 Głuchych / Słabosłyszących from Poland and Spain. The project took place in the Center of the Professional Activation Center in Krzyżew (Podlasie) where people with disabilities work. Through the activities disseminated and presenting project results worked out during the whole project, the group of recipients was much larger. The project involved 10 Partners from 8 EU countries: Greece (2 org) Hungary, Estonia, Cyprus, Italy (2 org) Spain, Slovenia and Poland. The partner from France was planned to participate, however, due to financial problems, this partner was replaced by a partner from Hungary (NA consent). The project included the following phases: a process aimed at achieving the planned positive result of the project, i.e. increasing the number of organizations accepting and sending young people with special needs for EVS, and increasing interest in this activity among young people themselves. These were: PREPARATION - theoretical preparation, gaining knowledge about the principles and mechanisms of support, building a cooperation platform REALIZATION - conducting EVS (in this case 8 short term in 4 turns for 2 people, each turn for 59 days) for Deaf people from Poland, in the perspective based on the experience of this activity discussed on the SE, preparation of subsequent activities with a much greater scope EVALUATION - conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the theoretical (TC) and practical (EVS) process at the meeting of Partners and volunteers after arrival with EVS, working out new better solutions. EXPOSURE RESULTS - preparation of the tool which will be a brochure with illustrations of its distribution in paper and electronic version (the drawing version is much simpler and more readable for people with special needs). NON - Formal methods (group work, graphic presentations, use of on-line training platforms, discussion panels, EVS exchanges, drama, individual work, non-fomal art methods, drawings, learning through experience, learning informal, lip reading) , flashing) were the main methods used in all three activities in the project. The project resulted in: - detailed knowledge of ERASMUS + in the context of preparing, conducting and evaluating EVS for people with special needs - high quality Partnerships for the mobility of young people, especially with special needs - 8 short term EVS for Deaf / Hard of hearing with support in Greece - detailed knowledge about working with deaf / hard of hearing people - EVS exchange for people with special needs with real partners - opening the office of the RA and DO Foundation during the project - the event was international and at the same time local. The event was held under the patronage of the mayor of Ursynów. Information about the event was promoted on the website of the Ursynów District Office, at the DKDS (District Social Dialogue Club) EVS (Short and long) projects prepared by Partners or in the Partnership for people with special needs - a graphic guide (brochure in paper and media version) completed three stages of the project - sending a media version to about 100 organizations dealing with EVS, the ability to distribute a brochure to interested people - knowledge about support tools - MOODLE platform, E-mentors long-term benefits - increasing the competences of young disabled people - long-lasting Partnerships"

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVESThe project was aimed to train youth workers on the use of methodologies for the surfacing and validation of learning experiences of young people related to volunteering and social engagement.Volunteering and social engagement, in fact, have usually a strong impact in terms of learnings on young people; it is a heritage of values skills, knowledge, which often remains unexplored and undervalued, also because related to non-formal and informal learningYouth workers can be a support to realize this process of surfacing, through the learning of specific and effective methodologies.In line with European Union’s aim to be a society of knowledge, we want to give our contribution on awareness, keeping track and share hidden skills of young people.ACTIVITIES AND METHODSThe main objectives of Skills in action has therefore been to train young worker on diverse competences areas and through specific methods:-Awareness of soft and transversal skills by youth workers-Learning approaches to facilitate the emersion of soft and transversal skills from everyday activities in volunteering.-Learning to use specific methodologies such as digital storytelling, portfolio of competences and narrative approaches to retain the learning outcomes.-Give a deeper meaning to volunteering in terms of employability, activation of a virtuous circle of giving and receiving within a community.-Help young people to be aware of their skills and be more confident towards job seeking.-Foster active citizenship.-Spread European values.Project actions were:- Preparatory actions. - Training. A week of training in Italy, Siena (Tuscany). - Networking activities. The course was focused mostly on narrative methodologies, like autobiographical approach, digital storytelling.PARTICIPANTS26 youth workers (no age limit).ENVISAGED RESULTS OF THE PROJECTOn participantsIncreased knowledge about the topics of the project, namely: - Increased knowledge of approaches to facilitate the emersion of soft and transversal skills from everyday activities in young people active in volunteering and social sphere.- Ability to use specific methodologies such as digital storytelling, portfolio of competences and narrative approaches (narrative multimedia portfolio) to retain the learning outcomes.- capability to enhance a deeper meaning to volunteering and social engagement, in terms of employability, activation of a virtuous circle of giving and receiving within a community.- capability to help young people to be aware of their skills and be more confident towards job seeking. - capability to Foster active citizenship and spread European values.On organizationsIncreased skills within the organization, the training of young workers in the themes of the project.On young peopleYoung people, who will have the chance to get in contact with the project content and methodologies, thanks to the young workers trained in the project, will enhance self-confidence, awareness of soft and transversal skills, and will became more able to transfer in other environments, such as job-environment those skills. Among the learning outcomes will be included an increased knowledge about the appropriate use of the Europass CV and the use of YouthPass.POTENTIAL LONGER TERM BENEFITS The project represents a contribution to the important issue of the emergence and enhancement of skills acquired in non-formal and informal, also in order to facilitate a better entry of young people into the labor market, as in the aims of the Erasmus+ Program.ORGANIZATIONS Applicant: Foundation Fortes Sending Organizations: Organizations working with youth workers or focused on training of trainers.

Europe’s younger generation, as a whole, has today become almost a socially disadvantaged group. Crushed by unemployment and by an increasingly competitive job market, they often also lack those kind of skills that such market requests and the schooling system seems unable to provide.We must also consider that the label 'young' is substantiated by an incredibly complex and heterogeneous cultural diversity. A diversification that reflects the stratification of our multi-ethnic society: there are the so-called 'second generation immigrants', born in Europe but never completely integrated, often confined to a third dimension, in between the culture of their country of origin and the culture of the land that received their parents; there are also young people grew up in disadvantaged urban areas, marginalized by a centre where everything (work, training, opportunities) moves and happens too quickly for them to catch the chance. But is in these contexts that are often hidden potential creativity and the possibility to raise in the youngsters positive attitudes to the society. To do that, it’s necessary to work through youth workers, using an holistic and non-formal educational methodology, which looks at the potential of the person, and works on a level of non-formal learning.A recent report from the European Commission identifies in life skills one of the keys to winning the individual challenges imposed by our contemporary society. The WHO defines life skills as “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life”, these abilities are learnt through everyday life experience in different contexts: work, leisure, volunteering, travel, formal and non formal education. The role of educators is to offer tools that lead the development of such skills, supporting the process of reflection, of increasing the self awareness, of exploration of new possibilities, the process of communication and sharing with others, in two words the process of 'learning to learn'.The project proposed a training course for youth workers on the use of the methodologies of theater and clowning for the development of life skills, methodologies which are extraordinarily effective for the emergence of skills such as creativity, empathy, critical thinking, coping with stress, trauma and loss, self-awareness, communication and interpersonal skills.The project meet the needs of youth workers to learn new methodologies to bring out life skills in different educational contexts. Theatrical methodology in fact intervenes with the group and the individual, producing significant results not only in terms of socialization and stimulation of capacity, but also the cultural and critic thought development, of personality, contributing to individual autonomy, at socio-cultural and psycho-emotional level. Youth workers will apply the learnt methodologies in the working context with youngsters.The project included only one activity: a training course for 30 youth workers who work in young field. It will be held in Pantin, near to Paris.The training course lasted six days, and was structured in more steps:- participants presentation and team building;- knowledge on the use of theatre and clowning to develop life skills in young people, and the diverse context where it could be applied;- implementation of methodologies;- detailed study on the use of European certification tools.Coordinator was in charge of planning and realizing the training activities; partners sent the participants. The whole project was structured in four phases: A - Start of the project; B - Selection and preparation of the participants; C - Implementation training course;D – Closure of project.Training had an impact on the group of participants, increasing their competencies in the work with youngster and in the different contexts they belong to. Participants became able to lead theatre exsercises using the clowning methodology for the development of life skills. This had an impact on the quality and efficiency of their work.Project partners have increased the expertise of the organizations about offering educational programs for young people, using non-formal and informal educational methodologies. Impact at national level was focused mainly on the spread and dissemination of methodologies among associations, institution, etc., which work with young people. Partner organizations had an impact on other associations by sharing outcomes results, thanks to national networks.