Youth unemployment is one of the most relevant challenges in contemporary Europe. Youth transition into an adult autonomous working life has been becoming a longer and complexer issue. Youth employability is directly related to life independence, which plays a central role in other structural social policies, like family policies, for example. All the new documents – Europe 2020 and its flagship – stress on the employability as a key factor for development.The general approach was to focus on unemployment from a meta-level and structural position: what policy should do, how economy should be ruled etc. The idea of this training course was to make it upside down! How the empowerment strategy within a non formal education approach can support youth employability? What concrete tools do we have as youth workers to develop the competences of the young people we work with? In this TC we tryied to find answers to these and related questions with an international group of 27 youth workers and 3 learning facilitators coming from 10 different countries.The main objectives of the training course were:1. Deepening the understanding of employability2. Exploring how NFE can promote empowerment and how it is linked with youth employability3. To experiment an empowerment process4. To learn how to use a concrete tool as photo-voice to support youth employability and to involve the community in this process (photo-voice is a Participatory action and research method by which people create and discuss photographs as a means of catalyzing personal and community change)5. Getting to know how Erasmus+ can support youth employabilityThe project included 13 promoters and it took place in Padova (Italy) from the 15th to the 22nd of November 2014 (6 days training + 2 travel days).The methodology used for the activities were based on the principles of non formal education, using in the specific group work, forum theatre, acting, simulation and role play.

<< Objectives >>These days, technology and media are ubiquitous. It can be hard to find a moment free from distractions, notifications, and social media. While being able to connect with others so easily it’s a wonderful thing, our digital lives may, in fact, be making us more distracted, distant and emotionally drained. Whether it’s dealing with a chaotic schedule, or finally completing that project that has been on the to-do list forever, increasing productivity is a seemingly endless struggle, especially when online distractions are this generation's biggest time waster. With the accelerated rhythm of today's modern society burnouts and exhaustion are more and more common especially among young people.Is constantly being connected and plugged in harmful for our well-being and mental health? As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Despite the many benefits of technology, there are downsides to always being available to others and the internet. Always being available can increase stress and anxiety. This can make it more difficult to focus and tune into what you are really doing. According to a research conducted in January 2019 by the European Parliamentary Research Service entitled “‘Harmful internet use - Part II: Impact on culture and society’”, “information overload is the condition of having too much information to adequately understand an issue or make effective decisions. Information overload is associated with loss of control, feelings of being overwhelmed, reduced intellectual performance, diminished job satisfaction, damaged personal relationships and harms to health. Particularly at risk are social media users”. That being said, our project aims to offer innovative and inclusive high-quality non-formal education tools based on the synergistic combination of mindfulness and nature-based methods for the youth. The main activity of the project, a youth exchange held in August 2020, is an invitation to turn off the usual distractions and practise mindfulness for a week, all while discovering the benefits of different learning environments by taking part in outdoor-based activities. The participants are encouraged to experience the power of nature in order to build and fuel meaningful connections not only with themselves but also with other young people from all over Europe.Specific objectives:O1: Support personal development of 42 young people from 7 NGOs through 7 days YE built on outdoor activities meant to develop skills for interpersonal and real-life communication.O2: Raise awareness about the importance of creating learning environments that support mindfulness and build self-confidence, especially for young people with fewer opportunities. This will be achieved not only through the YE itself but also through 7“MindfulStories” workshops for 120 European youngsters.O3: 42 young people and 7 NGOs will launch a European online community – One Month of Mindfulness Challenge - in order to support the growth of youngsters` concentration and productivity, sharing the results of day-by-day practices and other methods related to the topic.The project aligns with the Erasmus+ programme as it is mainly focusing on: Improving the level of key competences and skills of 42 (with and without fewer opportunities) young people from 7 European countries by assuring them with a learning environment in which they can understand and practise mindfulness and nature-connection throughout non-formal methods, while also providing them with tools for peer-learning and self-assessment.Enhancing the international dimension of youth activities by promoting intercultural dialogue and encouraging the participants to share common European values, but also to embrace the diversity of habits and cultures of other young people, especially those with fewer opportunities. Supporting the inclusion of NEETs, youth from rural areas and from low-income families and newcomers in mobilities in order for them to discover other European cultures, participate in intercultural dialogue with other youngsters while developing key-competencies valuable for their further insertion on the labour-market. Moreover, they will develop job-related competences (foreign languages, social, civic and cultural competence).<< Activities >>The activities to be implemented during the project are the following:A1. A 7 days youth exchange about mindfulness and connection with nature for 42 participants;A2. 7 local “MindfulStories” held in partner countries after the mobility for over for 140 young people, organized by YE participants in order to promote Erasmus+ Programme in their communities and share the experience and specific methods learned in the mobility.A3. One Month of Mindfulness Challenge – participants will create 31 tasks involving the topic of mindfulness and put them in practice for one month after the mobility is over and share the results in one online community.The participants who will get involved in these activities fall into 2 categories:1) 7 youth leaders from 7 countries who are actively contributing to their Youth organizations. They are youth workers, former EVS, ESC volunteers, people experience in Erasmus+ programme, developing projects and long-term programmes to empower young people who are less active in the community. During the project they will support the participation of the young people by creating bridges between them and the learning experiences, giving them the opportunity to design, to plan and to lead. Youth leaders are trained to manage diversity during mobility, help young people with fewer opportunities to overcome their economic and geographical obstacles and have the ability to translate the learning process to each one’s reality. Youth leaders’ priority is to ensure inclusion and diversity are present in all phases of project implementation and that common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of human rights will be present along with the learning experience.2) 42 young people from 7 countries with multiple cultural, religious and social differences, but one shared an interest in the topic of the project. They are aged between 18 and 30 years old and most of them are either in the last years of high school or are attending university. However, some have already completed their studies while some of them are in NEET. Out of the 42 participants, 60% will be a youth with fewer opportunities as it follows: 20% coming from rural areas, 30% NEETs, 10% newcomers into Erasmus+ Programme. The national groups will consist of young people representing the majority culture of the respective country. At least a third of the participants face geographical obstacles and have limited opportunities to international learning experiences.<< Impact >>42 European participants will develop key-competences and gain knowledge about the concept of mindfulness in a 7 days youth exchange. 1 online community “One Month of Mindfulness Challenge” with concrete methods and practices of mindfulness created by the participants during the YE to promote the topic for more than 200 young people and to help those facing the same struggles; practices can be also shared through other channels;140 youngsters from the partner countries will participate in 7 local “MindfulStories” where they will listen to the stories of the participants in the YE and find out more about the Erasmus+ Programme; they will practice some methods of mindfulness that had a great impact on the participants;35 Youthpass certificates for 42 young people with key-competences and know-how about mindfulness, increased concentration and productivity and prevention of burnout;15 articles published by the media in the partner countries;2 press releases in English sent to minimum 50 national and international publications (education, spiritually, sustainability, general)1 short video testimonials with participants from each country filmed in the last day of the YE, with their impression on the mobility and what they’ve learned about themselves and the importance of mindfulness, uploaded on the Facebook page of the Hosting organization.At the local level:42 young people (direct beneficiaries) and 140 young people from DEOR activities will find out more about Erasmus+ Programme and opportunities for funding and international mobilities, European Union values and mindfulness. Local media will publish information regarding opportunities for young people from rural areas and low-income families in order to create equality of chances for young people. All the results of the project will be uploaded on Monomyths Association and partner organizations’ websites and social media channels, also on Erasmus+ Project Results Platform. Participants with social media accounts will post info and pictures about the project that they were involved in. At the national level:Increased visibility of Erasmus+ Programme among youth organisations and young people with fewer opportunities and increased visibility of mindfulness practices among young people. At the European and international level:The online community “One Month of Mindfulness Challenge” will be promoted at the international level among other youngsters from different Youth NGOs as an invitation to understand and practice self-awareness. The project and the concept of mindfulness have the potential for synergy with other Erasmus+ Key actions and/or European programmes. Also, the representatives of NGOs will improve their project management competencies and will be able to develop further projects for young people based on their needs.

Why are some young people more optimistic about their futures than others?How can we motivate young people to take their future in their hands to ensure they have a better quality of life?The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) tells us that Greece is the least optimistic country about its future. The UK Audit on political engagement and other statistics reveal that the UK's youth population is the least politically active in Europe. What can these two nations learn from each other?This project brought together young people aged 13 to 21 from the UK and Greece so that they could learn from each other and apply best practice in their own communities. During peer learning exchanges, 30 young people from London and Athens found out about the opportunities, services and social offer including education, employment, in their respective countries.Participants looked and services in their local areas and found out what their peers thought about their social rights and how optimistic they felt about the future. The groups hosted each other during an exchange where they took part in teambuilding activities and sessions on Youth Voice, leadership, citizenship, local policies and cultural experiences, exchanged experiences and took part in discussions about the challenges they faced as young people. During the project, the youth workers from both countries had their own professional exchange to develop a long term partnership to implement the innovative and creative project ideas resulting from the project. Young people's views and opinions have been collated and fed back to decision makers and leaders so that policies are written that meet their needs. This project will ensure that Youth Voice is included in the debate on quality of life and young people's feelings about their prospects and the future.

In Spain, in terms of youth involvement and volunteering, at national level, according to the Youth Barometer 2014, 30% regularly or occasionally volunteer and only 14% are involved in community projects. Practically, although there are many NGOs, the young people involved in them are few, and the uninvolved are finding it hard to know how to participate. At European level, things are better but not excellent: according to the Youth Eurobarometer 2014, 25% of young people have been involved at European level in volunteering activities. At the level of partner organizations, the situation turns out to be more negative, especially as they work in the field of integration, increase the employability of young people, and work with young people from less favored backgrounds. These young people, from the experience of the organizations, rarely participate in projects or events dedicated to them or volunteering. In this context, young people need positive models, need to be motivated to get informed and involved in community life, but also need an environment to facilitate their skills and personal development. PURPOSE Increasing the level of involvement of young people from disadvantaged communities. OBJECTIVES O1: Training of 28 socio-educational animators, 4 of each partner organization, in November 2018; O2: Writing and implementing a socio-educational animation project by the 28 participants, in the city neighborhoods, in January 2019; O3: Developing 6 socio-educational animation projects - one in each partner country - in January 2019; O4: Informing young people from partner countries about options for engagement and volunteering in January 2019 The project reunites partners from: Spain, Romania, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria and Greece, therefor having a European dimension

"The project aims to comnect the environmental protection work with the promotion of youth entrepreneurship, exploring and promoting new ideas and new models thought to deal with the social needs following from migrants crisis. Four-day study visit in Puglia (South Italy) land denominate ""bridge between cultures"" holding 12 participants, trainers, educators, leaders of youth policy and youth leaders from Israel, Palestine, Tunisia, Greece, Netherlands and Italy. Interaction with local associations, Migrants Centers, Public Institutions, Schools and National Parks, all engaged in synergistic integration experiences of migrants in actions to protect public and social gardens, eco-tourist routes, environmental education and active citizenship, intercultural events as the ""Cultures Festival"". Through a communicative methodology peer to peer suitable to overthrow stereotypes and prejudices and to promote liability, participants will be relate not only with places, but with people who live these places. Learning through relationship and experience the importance of the protection of values and common heritage to approach a shared reflection and share best practices to promote projects and partnerships which support the role of youth in activities and networks to contribute to dialogue and dissemination of European citizenship values, democracy and respect for human rights, especially in those communities facing the migration and default of peace and dialogue."