The idea for this project was born out of common interest of all our partner organizations across Europe in:-The need for a better understanding of key competences for lifelong learning amongst youth workers on the ground.-Equipping youth workers with skills and tools to better support young people in their development of the key competences.-The importance of enhancing the quality of youth workers and their capacity to complement formal and other types of non-formal and informal education.General objectives of the training are: -Address the needs of youth workers, youth organizations and young people across Europe with regards to lifelong learning and key competencies.-Enhancing transnational partnerships and collaborations in the youth sector-Encourage youth workers to improve their practice and share their learning with the youth they are working with.- Support especially most disadvantaged youth through their empowerment through key competencies. - Create a public discourse on key competencies influencing the public political agenda.Number and profile of participants: -37 youth workers between 18 and 35 years old. Our 11 partner youth organizations across 9 different EU countries have selected among their staff/network 3-5 candidates that meet the following requirements-Interest and knowledge on the topics of key competences, lifelong learning and professional as well as personal development-Directly working with youth who have fewer opportunities or come from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. -Active participation, pro-activity and reflection during the whole life of the project. -Willingness to collaborate in the communication & dissemination of the training -outcomes. -Logistical capacity in order to replicate the training for other youth workers in their national countries/regions/citiesMain activities:-Expert-led workshops-Creative collaborative exercises-Participant presentations, sharing of good practices-World café discussions-Self-evaluation, reflection, and personal development planning sessions-Peer-learning, informal learning and networking opportunitiesResults & impact:-Improved knowledge, skills and tools with regards to key competences to improve the quality of youth workers daily activities-Implementing their new knowledge, skills, and tools into their daily work and help nurture it in the youth they work with-Development of specific action plan ready to be implemented on a regional/local level-Improved critical self-evaluation and continuous reflection on key competences-Enhanced multicultural communication of participants as well as renewed appreciation in active citizenship and EU values-Communication of policy suggestion (Young Europeans Declaration on Key Competencies for LLL) on a regional, national and European level to create a more conducive environment for this agenda to be supported and implemented across the EU member states. Long term benefits include:-The quality increase of youth work and youth workers-Participants are more likely to become effective lifelong learners and active citizens with good employability and entrepreneurial skills who make a contribution to society-Stronger appreciation of mobility, lifelong learning, continuous professional and personal development, professional networking, reflective practice, and critical self-evaluation-Capacity building of all participating partner organizations through enhanced transnational partnerships and collaborations in the youth sector-Improved management skills of YPA as well as all participating partner organizations, including quality improvement of project preparation, implementation, monitoring, and dissemination-Increased international visibility of all key actors

<< Objectives >>Although many of our national members are aware of the great opportunity of Erasmus+ as a great tool for youth workers and youth empowerment, they lack in many cases deep knowledge and experience on how to successfully identify, apply and report within the program ensuring thou that their impact and their opportunities for youth empowerment are always maximized. The same way, while deeply rooted in non-formal and informal education, they experienced a lack of knowledge and practice on new innovative methodologies that could be applied on their work with the youth and especially to power their work with different groups of disadvantaged youngsters. During YouthProAktivs' General Assembly taking place in Brussels in February 2018, our national members requested a training that could give them a deepen knowledge on Erasmus+ and on innovative methodologies to apply on non-formal education, as well as a space for the exchange of best practices among them. This partnership for the project was built in order to address the following needs:- A lack of clear knowledge and expertise on Erasmus+ (special focus on KA1) and successful innovative methodologies on youth work. - An effort in order to professionalize and increase the quality of youth work and youth workers by providing them with professional tools to develop their work.- An effort in order to present the means and ways that the European Union, through the Erasmus + program, is providing them in order to ensure an effective way to reach marginalize youngsters and to tackle European societal pressing issues.This way, the two main general objectives of this training for youth workers are:- Increase their specific knowledge of the Erasmus+ program, actions, and tools in order to ensure a professionalization of youth work and youth work impact within society. - Increase their specific practical knowledge on new innovative methodologies to be used in the area of non-formal education with a special focus on empowering and developing the skills and engagement of most disadvantaged youth. The training is also following this set of specific objectives: - Increase youth workers knowledge and practice on KA1 mobility projects. - Equipping youth workers and youth organizations with a deep understanding of the common values inspiring the Erasmus+ program increasing their chances to successfully reach and include the most disadvantaged youth and contribute through non-formal education to the creation or more tolerant and inclusive European society.- Improve the professional competences of youth workers equipping them with the skills, non-formal methodologies and working methods needed in order to successfully implement their activities in the youth work sector.- Increase the quality of youth work ensuring that the available tools and means to develop their work are successfully used and implemented.- Ensuring the creation of a space for the exchange of best practices that will help them to identify successful initiatives in favor of their main young target groups.- Increasing the capacity of national youth organizations to operate transnationally and ensuring the establishment of strong and long-lasting partnerships among them.Following the great interest of YPA partners and members after our last General Assembly in September 2018, the coalition decided to reapply for this project after introducing some suggested improvements.The Erasmus+ program through its Key Action 1 is the perfect way to conduct this project that is mainly aiming to support the professional development of youth workers, through the implementation of a transnational training course. The training will count with the expertise of external trainers specialized on Erasmus+ funds and innovative methodologies applicable to youth work and non-formal education and youth projects but will also count with a constant involvement of both partner organizations and participating youth workers throughout the whole duration of the project. This way, we will ensure that they also increase their knowledge and skills to design, execute and disseminate successfully and professionally an international project from the beginning till the end and to increase the real impact on their daily work with young people.<< Activities >>The 29 participating youth workers will respond to an estimated age acceptance between 18-33 years old in order to ensure a much more close and deep understanding of youngsters needs and mentality. All our events and training respect the principle of gender balance as we promote equal access to opportunities as a requisite for a real and successful impact on society and youth work. Out of these 29 participants at least 9 will be youth workers directly working with disadvantaged youngsters. This training course is mainly designed for youth workers that are actively working or volunteering in a youth organization; actively involved in youth work&thinking on starting their own youth organization or youth project&that are actively working with less advantaged youngsters of marginalized youth.All the different stages&phases of this project& its implementation has been co-designed to ensure a real&measurable achievement of the different goals&aimed defined for this project. Following this pattern, the program has also been structured around 9 different types of activities conceived in order to help the achievement of the different goals &outcomes of the project as well as a full&comprehensive involvement of participants throughout them. 1. PresentationsDesigned in order to make sure that youth workers&youth organizations get a deep understanding of the common values inspiring the Erasmus+ program as well as its main implications for youth work&youngsters. The same way, this activity will be also ensuring that youth workers clearly understand why including the most disadvantaged youth&contribute through non-formal educations to the creation of a more tolerant&inclusive European society is a very important priority to be included within youth organization's working plans. 2 Exercises& 3.ActivitiesThese types of activities co-designed by all partner organizations are fully participatory non-formal elements of the program with the main aim of deepening into the different topics proposed throughout the program through intercultural learning &by better experiencing and understanding the commonalities&also the different feelings with regard to these topics in different countries&groups. 4. Parallel Sessions 5. General Assemblies 6. WorkshopsCo-designed in order to improve the professional competencies of youth workers equipping them with the skills, methodologies&working methods needed in order to successfully implement their activities in the youth work sector. The same way, they are the instruments that we will be using in order to achieve our goal of training the youth workers on specific knowledge on the Erasmus+ program, actions& tools what will clearly ensure higher standards& professionalization of youth work&youth work impact within society. These activities will ensure that youth workers gain a better knowledge on how to target, include and successfully have an impact on most disadvantaged youngsters when defining and implementing their activities and applying for Erasmus + Funds (with a special focus on KA1). These sessions will allow participants to gain or improve their direct practical skills on writing EU projects (KA1) through a realistic simulation of the project definition and application process and a special focus on most disadvantaged youth groups. 7. Self and group evaluation sessions &8. Discussion & ReflectionThis set of activities will make participants reflect on how all the different acquired knowledge, skills&attitudes contribute to the general increase in the quality of youth work&thus of youth empowerment. The same way, they will create a space for the exchange of best practices that will help them to identify successful initiatives in favor of their main young target groups&especially most disadvantaged and marginalized youngsters. Through discussion and reflection activities participants will gain a better understanding of policies and practices in another European country and will be encouraged to think about their own national context and how it compares. The different evaluation sessions during the program will represent reflection point for youth workers on their process of self-evaluation through the use of the YouthPass. The final self and evaluation session is aiming at ensuring that youth workers finish successfully their process of self-evaluation thanks to the use of the YouthPass and with an up to date Europass CV. 9. Ice-breakers and networking eventsFinally, all the different ice-breakers and networking events have been designed to directly increase the capacity of national youth organizations to operate transnationally by establishing strong and long-lasting partnerships among them as well as to better experience and benefit from intercultural learning and multiculturalism. All the activities proposed as well as the different phases of the whole project are expected to have a real positive impact on the quality and professionalization of youth work. << Impact >>According to the general and specific objectives set up for this training, participants, participating organizations and other target groups are expected to experience the following positive impact:Youth workers will experience an improvement of their professional competencies through - The reinforcement of their contextual knowledge on the Erasmus+ Program goals and priorities; the different Erasmus+ actions (special focus on KA1) and programs and the different aims, priorities and best practices for each one of them and the positive impact that the Erasmus+ program brings to society especially in the youth sector.- The reinforcement of their technical and practical knowledge on the different steps in order to successfully apply for an Erasmus+ project (KA1); the best tips and advice for successfully writing an application and the knowledge for a better reporting and management of mobility tools.- A wider knowledge of different innovative methodologies that they can apply for non-formal learning and how to better use them and adjust them to the needs of most disadvantaged youth groups. - They will increase their sensibilization and awareness regarding their work for the empowerment of the most disadvantaged youth through the reinforcement of their knowledge on the best activities and methodologies to be applied when working with less advantage or marginalized youngsters. They will thus increase their level of engagement toward the inclusion of less advantaged and marginalized youngsters as well as a more open-minded approach to different issues, conflicts, and youngsters backgrounds.- The will experience a positive impact in the development of soft skills such as communication and analytical skills, leadership skills, team-work, negotiation, and problem- solving, effective planning, networking skills, language skills, and drafting skills.All these benefits will have a direct positive impact within the partner organizations. In addition to all these common benefits, partners are also expected to:- Benefit from an active exchange of best practices in order to better identify successful initiatives in favor of their main young target groups.- Benefit from an increased capacity to operate transnationally through the establishment of strong and long-lasting partnerships among partner organizations.- Benefit from the experience gained by the youth workers participating in the project that will become much more engaged within the organization, thereby triggering positive outcomes on the social level and providing inspiration to the organization for potential future activities, projects, and initiatives.- Benefit from a much more accurate and reliable knowledge about the Erasmus+ project, Structure Dialogue and Youth Strategy what will increase the quality and possibilities of their projects and activities.Finally, other targeted groups, especially through our communication and dissemination campaign, will also experience the following positive impact:- Local and national youth organizations working on the youth sector will increase the impact of their activities through a deeper knowledge on the tools for youth empowerment provided by the Erasmus+ program.- The local Youth with a special focus on marginalized youth will boost their professional and personal skills through a better knowledge of the different opportunities that Erasmus + program is offering them.- National Agencies will improve their communication with the different national youth actors and will benefit from the spotted best practices implemented by other National Agencies.- International organizations from partner countries will increase their knowledge on the different opportunities for youth empowerment that the Erasmus+ program is also offering to them. - European stakeholders working on Erasmus+ will benefit from first-hand feedback coming from the main beneficiaries of the program. - EAECEA will also benefit from first-hand feedback coming from the main beneficiaries of the program. - Members of the European Parliament from the CULT Committee working on Erasmus+ will benefit from the support of all the different youth stakeholders working on the sector as well as from the experience of those youth workers from their own national counties. This project is designed in order to have a positive impact on youth empowerment through better use and information of all the available tools provided by the program Erasmus+ as well as new innovative non-formal methodologies. This way, the project will have a direct impact not just on the participating youth workers and partner organisations but directly on the youth and most marginalised youth as well as on all the different related stakeholders that could benefit of Erasmus+ for the empowerment of the youth both local, national, internationally and at the European level.

The current European situation, with high rates of youth unemployment especially affecting youngsters with fewer opportunities, the refugee crisis or the raising of extremism patterns and nationalism among youngsters of not exclusively poor backgrounds, required an urgent action in Europe. When conducting YoutProAktiv's General Assembly and defining our priorities of action with the national youth organizations inside the coalition, we all agreed on the fact that there is a need for social programs and initiatives that tackle all these issues and ensured the proper transmission of the European fundamental common values. Young Europeans belong to a generation highly prepared and are full of great potential and initiative. However, on numerous occasions, they lack the skills and knowledge to turn all this potential into successful social entrepreneurship stories. The project is aiming at: 1. Provide youth workers with the tools to A) Develop a real awareness social issues that will allow them to work more efficiently with young people at risk of exclusion and transmit efficiently the EU common values; B) Develop their professional and entrepreneurial skills in order to ensure a higher quality of youth work within their organizations; C) Develop the skills and methodologies necessary to train young people on social entrepreneurship as an instrument to respond not only to social problems but also as an instrument for developing the human, professional and economic potential of the youth. 2. Enhance and develop youth workers relevant skills and competencies in the field of social entrepreneurship. 3. Raise social awareness 4. Equip youth workers with the practical skills and knowledge to effectively engage young people in their daily work as a direct way to create a positive social impact. 5. Promote intercultural learning and exchange of good practices 6. Improve the English language skills of youth workers in order to empower them both personally and professionally to work more actively and effectively with refugees and immigrants from other countries. Participants will be preferably between 18 and 32 years old. A similar number of male and female participants will be selected. The various activities defined in the program will also ensure that this gender balance is protected and maintained. The training will count with the participation of 6 youngsters coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. The training will offer 5 different types of activities: 1. Training 2. Icebreakers and networking events. 3. Practical sessions for skills and project development 4. Direct contact with practical examples of social entrepreneurship 5. Self-assessment activities The working methods applied are design thinking, focus group, brainstorm, Co-Creating Value, deep-dive, Lean Thinking, scenario planning, six sigma, Technology Roadmapping, Introduction to the active-participatory approach, Active Learning method, Ask-listening encourage, Building Community, Cooperative Learning, Planning and reflection, Re-framing Conflict and Youth Voice. *Detailed description of activities and working methods can be found in the program of activities. - Participants will develop an awareness of the pressing social issues that affect European inclusion as well as a deep, multifaceted and multicultural knowledge of the concept of social entrepreneurship, the common values of the EU, and its great potential to promote social inclusion. - Participants will reinforce their skills and competencies improving their professional competences and their work in the field of youth. At the local/regional and national level, both youth workers and participating organizations, as well as young people, will benefit from the development of their professional competencies through the implementation of the action plans and social projects defined by the project. These actions will have a positive impact on the most disadvantaged youth too. At the European level, the project will have a positive impact on capacitation of youth work and workers in the field of youth, as well as in raising awareness among policymakers about the direct impact of non-formal education and youth work in the creation of a social, inclusive and empowered Europe.

It is apparent that, in many fields such as labour, rights enjoyment, social discriminations and political participation, gender gap is a fact. For the European Commission, gender inequality has been at the core of discussions since the creation of the Roadmap for equality between women and men in 2006, followed by the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development in 2016. The growing gender violence among young people (WHO data: over 10,000 deaths in one year in Europe), particularly millennials, requires a deep understanding of the phenomenon and an effective implementation of innovative practices in terms of preemption in youth working through digital practices and countering-hatred approach.Plus, with the presence of new challenges in terms of digital education as well as intercultural issues, partly due to recent migrations and flows of refugees, gender as an autonomous theme of discussion has partly lost its track and its impact in terms of public opinion. As youth trends with reference to gender roles and growing sexual violence, particularly in the cyber-space, are becoming a structural situation, we have shown a strong need in radically changing such a situation by investing in high-quality youth working. However, empirically, many associations in Europe still treat gender issues more as an add-on to their work than as a structural issue. This means that gender matters are reduced to a simple ratio balance (e.g. how many men/women are involved in a training course), to how the concrete accommodation of participants is arranged, or only to the organisation of special courses aimed at ‘solving’ the issue. On the other hand, the GENDERS project has entailed a systematic attempt to focus on a simple yet complex methodology to make gender mainstreaming feasible and attractive for young people and youth workers new to the topic. GENDERS has focused on gender-mainstreaming as a way to support youth organisations in assessing their work through gender lenses, would it be when it comes to their structure (board of members, decision-making mechanisms, etc.), their youth work activities, their internal and external communication, and the level of equity in the involvement of their volunteers. The focus of the project has also been on young people to challenge and break down stereotypes and to address youth who often ignore or are not prepared enough to counter traditional and inflexible gender roles, substantially repeating existing models.Our work has been to create a simple way to self-assess one’s youth organisation through an online questionnaire on gender-friendliness - the idea has been to set up a tool to convert input data into a measurable outcome that could guide young people of youth organisations to have a clear idea about their work on gender mainstreaming.The ICT tool has been integrated into www.gendersproject.eu, a web-platform which also offers support from problem identification, awareness and creative solution ideas for collective decision-making, as well as new practices to be included in youth working activities in the technical features of an e-learning environment. The ICT tool and the information and methodology in it has been compiled based on 1) national research carried out in all the project partners’ countries, which emphasised the current needs and existing practices on the topic 2) the input and feedback from youth at the three training events organised 3) the input and feedback from youth at the many dissemination activities organised by different partners. The three trainings organised within the project played a specific role in the development of the final output: participants of C1 were asked for input and discussed the methodology and topics needed to be addressed, participants of C2 were beta-testing the platform, giving further input and feedback and participants of C3 were using the platform as a learning tool, giving feedback to the final details. The target groups of the trainings were thus selected accordingly, C1 and C2 were targeted towards staff, youth workers and trainers working on gender mainstreaming, while C3 was targeted towards youth and youth workers not knowledgeable or involved in the topic yet.In addition to the participants of the trainings, many other target groups were involved in the project. The many dissemination activities and side projects of the partners involved thousands more young people all around Europe. Workshops, presentations of and consultations on the platform were conducted with youth. Experts, policy- and decision-makers and other NGO representatives were involved in conferences, panel discussions and activities to bring youth together with the important stakeholders of the field.The project has been supported by four partners coming from Belgium, Spain, Italy and Romania active in gender education in the youth field in Europe.