"CultureYouthLab: Youth Activation and Emancipation through Creative Processes ”is a project that seeks to take advantage of the interdisciplinary experience (Art-Education-Citizenship) of the participating organizations to build an innovative methodological model that serves to improve the system. Non-formal education associations from Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Germany, and associated cultural and training entities in each country are part of the project. We consider that the areas of formal education, non-formal education, culture, social services and public health should be connected in another way to make better use of resources and to be more efficient in their strategies and in their tactics. We believe that incorporating artists and creators and cultural programs into socio-educational and training processes in a systematic and consistent way improves learning and promotes social inclusion. In addition, there is great opportunity for employment and innovation in this approach. Thus, the project will collect existing initiatives, and will agree on a methodological model that will then be tested in each participating territory and evaluated. In parallel, we will organize training events for trainers and for young educators and artists so that later in their countries they can multiply the processes. Later, we will create several products that will serve to inspire, guide and train youth actors in the development of socio-educational projects that incorporate artistic and cultural processes. And finally, we will present the results of the project in different informative actions that will promote above all the increase of formal and informal networks, of interdisciplinary connections.""CultureYouthLab: Youth Activation and Emancipation through Creative Processes"" will serve to improve socio-educational programs and to strengthen the cultural arts sector. This pandemic crisis requires us to accelerate some innovations already underway and can help us better reconnect services for youth and build more effective methodologies. Art and culture can be an axis that improves treatments, that helps us in social incorporation, that increases learning process, that reinforces employability and citizenship."

"Bratislava Volunteer Centre is working since 2012 with volunteers and organizations in order to improve volunteering within Bratislava region by educations for volunteer coordinators or activities for slovak/non-slovak volunteers. Based on the long - term partnership, the BVC was asked to contribute and support the project of the Mladez ulice which is accreditted only as receiving organisation. The motivation of BVC to join this project is to use the previous EVS coordinating and volunteer management experiences, support development of the Mladez ulice and intercultural learning among all 3 partner organisations. Mládež ulice have already hosted 4 EVS volunteer before this project which has a significant meaning for this organization - the best described by their mission: ""To improve life quality of children, youth and communities from residential and socially disadvantaged environments."" Foreign volunteer was a great support for organization even by her presence in organization. She brought new ideas, experience, good practice exchange, prevention of stereotype in client-based activities and different views. As clients of the organization usually come from socially and economically poor conditions, have no funds and possibilities to travel abroad, it was great also for them to met her and learn about new culture or the possibility to travel abroad. It was also form of goal fulfillment to present them other countries of the EU. Elisa used use mutual activities (photos exhibition, flag drawing, quiz, food, interviews) to present her country. Through this project we contributed to the personal development of an EVS volunteer, to the development of services of Mládež ulice and the strengthening of local community which is in contact with EVS volunteer. The project objectives were following: 1. Elisa contributed to build up a relationship between organisation and clients by providing leisure time activities and motivating clients. 2. Elisa tutored children and youth in a school activities and discussed the need of knowledge and skills development. 3. Elisa helped Mládež ulice with organization of various activities and events for clients. 4. Elisa supported administration tasks of Mládež ulice. 5. Elisa came up with the new ideas about work with children and youths. 7. Elisa was graduated in socila helpin filed, so she was able to support growth, progress and maturity of a client so she is able to cope with life problems better as part of the social consultancy. All original objectives were met. Participant were in in touch with clients (children) 3 times per week during streetwork and sometimes also more ofter if there were some additional activies (trips, events.. etc). She had time to prepare herself for each activity and consult them with EVS coordinator in Mladez ulice. Also there was intervision meetings with coordinator, other socialworkers and volunteers after each activity, which help to build relationship and trust. During the streetwork, participant was ussualy talking to children and youth and help them with preparation. This developed her skills and also skills of children and youth- cultural diferences, language differences, learning problems.. Participant was preparing for each activity a lot in order to help them to understand more the topic. As you will find below (very below) she was able to learn basic of slovak in very short time. She was very good in Slovak after few months. Participant was helping a lot with preparation of other projects and events of Mládež ulice- she was always asking for more becasue she was really interested about the topic. She also helped with preparing Chronicle of Stará Jedáleň, organizing events for youth and children, cultural meetings with other EVS volunteers- everything in cooperation with other collagues and under the supervision of the responsible project coordinators. Each project work bring also administrative task which helped participant to understand the context of work and also responsibility and timemanagment. This was very important for her to learn because she have problem with it. By doing also administrative work with deadlines she has gradually learned that every action also has a consequence - and that consequences can be positive or negative in case of neglect of her work. Unfortunately, she did not have time to create her own project because she decide to focus more and deeply on her tasks in Mládež ulice and other projects of Mládež ulice. She was working hard to understand child and youth mind- also she found out during her EVS stay that she wants to continue her study in this area so she was trying to get as much experience as possible during her working time. Mládež ulice and BDC team supported participant to growth, progress and maturity of a client so he/she was able to cope with life problems better. Participant gained unforgettable experience, opportunity to know a lot of new people, have a taste of our or Roma culture, she took a part in a various informal educational courses and professional intervisions and supervisions. Work and regular meetings with clients really helped her to learn her strengths and weaknesses. Participant was are highly valued and respected in Mládež ulice and also in BDC- we always try to provided her with the best conditions for work. There were also regular teambuilding events- like weekend in the countryside, theather events, cultural exhibitions, experience meetings or group games- organized regularly by Mládež ulice and BDC and participant was always invited to join. Both organiztaions were interested in her opinions, personal motivations and satisfaction and we took them into account when further communicating or setting up projects. Particpant had always time for reflection- she was in every day touch with her coordinator in Mládež ulice, every week with coordinator in BDC. She also took advantage of the opportunity to visit professional supervision for EVS volunteers organized by the BDC."

"Street based youth work is a form of fieldwork where youth workers carry out activities on public spaces - in the living environment of young people (streets, markets, parks …). The target group are those young people who are endangered, deprived and socially excluded in their environment. Among these groups, NEET youth are also included, those who are not employed, neither in education or training. We feel that NEET youth is a group that is too often overlooked - organizations do not offer support programs that respond to their needs, as well as they do not provide information or support in their living environment. Street based youth work, with its basic principles, offers an answer to the described issues.Through this project, we provided training to street workers, and at the same time we also influenced on the recognition of street based youth work, on the general and professional public.Within the project, we created two trainings for street workers. The first one titled ""Basics of youth based street work"" took place between 24 and 30 September 2019, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The second training “Social Participation and Social Marketing” took place between 11 and 17 November 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal.The methods used in the planning and implementation of activities were based on the theory of experiential learning - Kolb's cycle of learning. Through the process of non-formal education, the participants actively participated in the process, so they worked, tried out and constantly upgraded their knowledge. The presentation of the content to participants was based on experiential and reflexive methods. Some of the most commonly used methods were: work in groups, work in pairs, explanation, discussion, brainstroming, role play, work evaluation and reflection.The trainings were attended by 37 street workers coming from 11 organizations that are engaged in the implementation or coordination of street work. Participants were youth workers, social workers and volunteers who carry out street work. They were between 21 and 61 years old. We covered three age groups of participants: from 17-29 y.o., 30-42 y.o. and 43-65 y.o. This enabled us to provide an an opportunity for both young and older street workers with different range of experiences to share them with each other. All participants were selected on the basis of past experience with street work.The project has fully achieved all the objectives and enabled: 1. Improvement of the support programs of street work of 11 organizations for NEET youth and for young people with fewer opportunities, 2. Increasing the competencies of 37 youth workers who carry out street work in the field of street based youth work and work with NEET young people, 3. Increasing the quality of street based youth work in 11 organizations, 4. Sharing good practices of street work and upgrading existing ones on the basis of others' experience among 11 organizations.Following the evaluation we confirmed the following effects at the level of the participants. They acquired specific competences in the field of street based youth work, gained knowledge of basics of street work, target groups, social marketing and advocacy. They strengthened their communication in English and the knowledge of professional vocabulary in English. Organizations and participants have networked during training sessions, enabling them to exchange experiences and further cooperation. One of the effects was also the creation of the Facebook group, which still works and where street workers inform each other about the possibilities of international cooperation, and at the same time they can also turn to professional help. All organizations and participants have received materials that can be further shared. With the acquired knowledge in social marketing and advocacy, they directly influence the increasing recognition of street work at all levels.The effect of the project is that a group of individuals started planning international cooperation during out their off time at the training in Portugal.We believe that the project has enabled the increase in the quality of street work, especially with NEET youth and young people with fewer opportunities. We have strengthened the network of organizations who do youth based street work. As a result of the transfer of knowledge, we also strengthened the youth sector in the participating countries.By strengthening the network of organisations and exchanging experiences and knowledge we hope to continue to strengthen the youth work sector in the participating countries in the future."

"<< Objectives >>The purpose of the project is to improve the competences of youth street workers in the area of ​​using participatory research methods for better addressing the needs of the target group.In the context of modern society, hardships and problems faced by young people, street work with young people is an increasingly necessary and recognized form of work. The lever for the implementation of the project is the increase in challenges faced by young people, as we note that the problems have only deepened during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the participants and in accordance with our observations from the field, which are also confirmed by research (Mladina 2020), the (covert and overt) homelessness of young people has increased, and the socioeconomic and health conditions have also worsened. Above all, we take into account the issue of the individual's mental health, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and research also shows that young people exercise less and experience feelings of loneliness and anxiety. They are that group of society whose social contact with their peers was limited due to the covid epidemic precisely during a developmentally important period. Public areas were in these unstable times and when restricting access to most institutional forms of spending free time, often the only space for live interaction, moving away from the home environment or a way of resisting the authorities.Young people are a heterogeneous group whose needs are changing. Quality youth work also relies on a good knowledge of the needs of the target group, which are the basis for preparing programs, projects, activities, choosing approaches... Good and timely recognition of the needs of the target group allows us to respond to the needs of young people more easily and quickly (and above all appropriately) . Training that enables us not only to learn about new tools, methodologies, theories and techniques for working with the target group, but also to exchange good practices, connect and socialize with youth workers from other countries, are therefore much needed and necessary..The goals of the project are:1. During the seven-day training, 28 street-based youth workers learn about 2 participatory research methods and:knows how to more effectively address the needs and wishes of young people;raise awareness and deepen understanding of the importance of enabling and encouraging the participation of vulnerable young people in the research and implementation of street-based youth work;get to know 2 good practices of participating organizations;;spread acquired competences in his professional environment.2. 28 street-based youth workers, in their professional environment (at their organization, with colleagues and new generations within the framework of training), implement the knowledge acquired during the training (use the participatory research method) and thus improve the quality of street-based youth work in their local environment.3. The 7-day training enables and encourages networking for 28 street-based youth workers from 13 organizations from 12 countries in all phases and also with other stakeholders of youth work in Slovenia (organizations from the Network Young Street).4. 28 youth street-based youth workers exchange good practices throughout the duration of the training. They transfer the newly acquired good (participatory research) practices to their environment as part of project dissemination.<< Implementation >>The central activity of the project is the short-term mobility of youth workers in the form of training for youth street workers. The activity will be based on learning about participatory forms of research. In the following, the methods that we will learn about during the training are briefly described.Digital storytelling and Sounds Scape are considered tools for learning and participatory action research. The hybrid nature of digital storytelling, combining narrative processes and technical applications to actually develop the end result, makes it a powerful and flexible didactic tool that can be used across multiple domains. Digital storytelling is presented as a facilitated group process, a kind of group journey during which participants are accompanied towards a common goal. However, the journey itself is perceived as more important than the destination, as the exchange (knowledge and emotions) between the participants and the acquisition of new skills (oral communication, writing, digital, editing) are more important than the individual production of the story. (or soundscape). It all started in California in the late 90s when a group of artists and media professionals began exploring the idea of ​​using technologies to empower lay practitioners and ordinary people to share their personal stories. The Digital Storytelling methodology began to spread in Europe in 2003, when the BBC organized the first international conference on DS in Cardiff, Wales. Since then, its popularity and use has been steadily increasing around the world.28 street-based street workers from 12 different countries will take part in the seven-day training. The participants of our activities will be experienced performers of street-based youth work (employees, students, volunteers) from the countries of the partner organizations. They have in common the need for additional methods and tools, materials and ""know-how"" for street work. Youth and street workers will primarily come from organizations that use street-based youth work as a method of work, and that work or are interested in working in the field of street-based youth work.<< Results >>The results of the project will be:1. Seven-day training, after which 28 street-based youth workers know 2 participatory research methods and:• address the needs and wishes of young people more effectively;• is aware and deeply understand the importance of enabling and encouraging the participation of vulnerable young people in the research and implementation of youth street work;• know 2 good practices of participating organizations;• expand acquired competences in his professional environment.2. Implemented the knowledge gained during the training (participatory research method used) in the professional environment of 28 street-based youth workers (at their own organization, with colleagues and new generations within the framework of training) and improved the quality of youth work in the local environment.3. Strengthening the cooperation of 13 partner organizations from 12 countries and an expanded network of acquaintances of organizations at the international level.4. Exchange of good practices of street-based youth work among 28 youth street workers. Acquired practices implemented in the local environment.Street-based youth workers will acquire competences and strengthen their skills for addressing vulnerable young people (mainly socially and economically weaker, NEETs, homeless, drug users, young people with a migrant background) through street-based youth work and the use of digital tools when working with vulnerable young people. They will get to know new innovative, participatory research tools for working with young people (digital storytelling, soundscaping) and the practices of other organizations from Europe that carry out street work, thereby gaining new perspectives and ideas. Learning about new tools and approaches will increase the quality of street work implementation in partner organizations' countries, whose programs will better respond to the needs of target groups.In the long term, the greatest effect of the project is expected for the target group; due to the improvement of the quality of youth street work, a greater number of vulnerable young people will be involved in the daily activities of youth street work, who will have a positive experience of participation in the process of youth street work. As a result, they will trust the processes more, get involved more intensively and better address their needs also more widely.The quality, enrichment and upgrades of the implementation of street work at all levels (local, national, regional, international) will have the expected effect on the sector as well, on the visibility of organizations in the general and professional public, which affects the strength of arguments and advocacy power of young people in social discourse or . hearing and representation of young people in it.The involved organizations will establish a wider network of contacts in the field of youth street work (international, local, national) and other relevant institutions (national, local), thus spreading their skills, approaches and visibility outside the sector as well."

<< Objectives >>Dynamo International is an NGO that fights at the international level for the defense of human rights with populations in a situation of social exclusion, and in particular, children working and/or living on the street. Its strategy of actions is developed through 3 poles: socio-educational work for young people in difficulty, international cooperation and solidarity, and the Street Workers Network.Dynamo International Street Workers Network - DISWN is an International Network of Social Street Workers (SSW) members of national platforms, distributed in 4 Regions, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Americas, that coordinate and mobilize the SSW in order to reinforce at the local level the quality of their practices and their advocacy actions for the benefit of the target populations. DISWN faced with the Covid-19 health crisis and its global consequences, had to postpone the International Forum Words from the Street which was to be held in October 2020 and schedule a new edition which took place from 18 to 22 October 2021 in Brussels. However, to better understand the impact that the pandemic has had on precarious populations and on the practices and actions of street social workers, DISWN proposed a week of exchanges, testimonies and reflections, called nternational digital Street Web Forum, which took place from October 26 to 30, 2020.Three key moments: oInternational Pilot Group (decision-making body of DISWN) allowed to collect the findings and recommendations of the members oFour international webinars on the impact of the crisis on precarious populations, findings, and recommendations at the international level, inviting actors from civil society and public institutions to participate,oPress Conference to present a summary of the week’s work and recommendations.The reality: we are not all equal when it comes to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted issues related to poverty, exclusion, and discrimination. Everywhere the repression and especially the stigmatization of the populations in street situation have increased. In this crisis, young people aged 18 to 25 are particularly vulnerable. Mental health, a topic that is so pervasive at the international forum, is of great concern and alarm to the community of street social workers.https://dynamointernational.org/en/street-workers-network-en/web-of-the-street/ These observations and recommendations were a good springboard to continue the exchanges and reflections during the Forum Words from the Street in 2021.Nearly 800 street social workers from 53 countries took part in the International Digital Web Street Forum.Dynamo International – Street Workers Network mobilized in Brussels from 18 to 22 October 2021 within the framework of the Forum Words from the Street which aimed to generate an international mobilization of social actors from various sectors and promote the speech of young people and street social workers, as privileged witness to the social realities of the street. The choice to organize an Open Forum, a tool of collective intelligence, enabled the participants to be the main actors by giving them the opportunity to propose workshops and facilitate them. For five days, based on the reality of their fields, the participants exchanged and enriched their practices through the fifty workshops offered, created, energized,and produced recommendations presented to the European Commission on the closing day of the forum. Other activities were set up during the Forum, such as field visits to Brussels associations doing street social work, evenings organized to share informal moments of cohesion, workshops centered around regional reflections on the progress and observations about the state of street social work in the world. One afternoon was devoted to the exchange between young people and social workers. Finally, all these activities have prepared an intervention organized with the European Commission. Street social workers and young people were able to share and present to political stakeholders the recommendations made during the forum.The Forum Words from the Street brought together 300 participants from various sectors (32 of whom via the Erasmus+ KA1 project), including young beneficiaries of associations present, street social workers, and other actors of youth services. The participants were nationals from 25 different European countries and elsewhere (13 of them via the Erasmus+ KA1 project), representing 80 organizations from around the world.Further to the Forum, advocacy activities will be implemented at the European and international level by the members of DISWN among others through interpellations on youth policies.https://dynamointernational.org/en/words-from-the-street-2021-international-forum-of-social-street-workers/<< Implementation >>Web from the Street International Digital Forum (october 26-30 2020) :The Web from the Street Week programming was organized as follows:- Two days of information exchange and development of concrete proposals following the COVID-19 pandemic by webinar between representatives of the international network of street social workers. 2020 Pilot Group (DISWN decision-making body) - Four international webinars in English, French and Spanish on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on street populations: findings and recommendations from DISWN member countries and partners. - 5 local forums organized on the theme of Children’s Rights in the Covid-19 period, in 5 countries, namely; the DRC, Tunisia, Switzerland, Vietnam and Senegal.- A video conference in French on the issues of precariousness and poverty in the context of Covid-19 in partnership with the Festival des Libertés.- A press conference to address to national and international bodies the findings and recommendations from the week of «Web from the Street» exchanges. Finally, nearly 800 street social workers from 53 countries took part in the Web from the Street International Digital Forum.Words from the Street (october 18-22 2021) :Words from the Street followed the methodology of the Open Forum: this concept was born from the observation that during a meeting, the most interesting exchanges between the participants took place during the coffee break. Thus, this methodology aims to reproduce the conditions of these informal exchanges. The open forum is a method of participatory animation that promotes the emergence of collective intelligence within a group.The participatory methodology and tools of collective intelligence enabled the participants to be the main actors of the Forum by giving them the opportunity to propose workshops and facilitate them. Around 50 workshops were offered, 48 to be precise.Some instructions were given for organizational and qualitative purposes:• The workshops will last one and a half hours.• Workshops will be open to a maximum of 25 participants including facilitators.• Each person offering a workshop is committed to facilitating it and ensuring a written record of it, he or she may designate a note taker from among the participants in the workshop.• It is requested that, as far as possible, a synthesis of the workshops be carried out during the last 15 minutes of the workshops. This short synthesis will serve to bring out the main ideas of the workshop and can be used to produce the recommendations of the Forum. A very simple document to complete will be provided to each facilitator.The forum allowed each and everyone to propose a workshop and to make full of ideas in a superb organized chaos. For five days, based on the reality of the field, participants exchanged, enriched their practices, created together, energized and produced recommendations that were presented to the European Commission during the closing day of the forum.In addition, other activities were set up during the Forum, such as field visits to Brussels street social work associations, in order to introduce participants to the local community fabric and to inspire or feed their topics of discussion. There were also evenings organized to share informal moments of cohesion, workshops centered around regional reflections on the progress and observations about the state of street social work in the world. An afternoon was devoted to the exchange between young people and social workers. Finally, all these activities have prepared an organized intervention with the European Commission, during which morning street social workers and young people were able to share and expose to political stakeholders the recommendations made during the forum.In figures, Words from the Street brought together 300 participants from various sectors (32 of whom via the Erasmus+ KA1 project), including young beneficiaries of associations present, street social workers, and other actors of youth services. The participants were from 25 different European and international countries (13 of them via the Erasmus+ KA1 project), representing 80 organisations from around the world.<< Results >>In 2020, the Webinars developed during the Digital Forum Web from the Street helped to highlight the findings of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and its consequences on vulnerable populations, and in particular on street children, as well as stakeholder recommendations. Thanks to this, we were able to present the recommendations at a press conference, and support the mobilization of workers and members of the network to prepare the activity Words from the Street 2021.Our objectives being to promote the empowerment and protection of the rights of people in street situations through the capacity building of street social workers, we have chosen the method of the Open Forum for Words from the Street 2021. Thanks to this collective intelligence tool, the first success concerns the way in which we initiated the results and impacts of Words from the Street: in a participatory way, where all participants were included and involved in fact by proposing different themes and workshops. This made it possible to avoid suffering and even to take advantage of the cultural, linguistic and professional diversity of the participants, which could appear in the first place as a problem to be tackled. It has in fact proved to be an indisputable force.The participatory workshops allowed participants on the one hand to share their experience with other social workers, and also to learn from others. There were methodological exchanges in street work, workshops around the transmission of good practices, but also more in-depth reflections on key themes in certain sectors. The following is a non-exhaustive list of workshops proposed and facilitated by participants:• Chess as a Street Social Work Approach Technique• The meeting: spontaneity vs technicality• Precariousness of the social worker• Minority-majority transition and access to housing• Between the street and school• Relationship: a craft that envisions• Living on the street in a feminine way: representations, deconstructions, coping logic• Street work and gender perspectiveOn the other hand, the field visits made it possible to present a set of Brussels organisations working on the street or with people in street situations, giving moments of professional exchanges with the participants, while presenting them with a concrete field framework to inspire their reflections and enrich their panel of skills.One of the activities of the Forum has left the place, the word and the action to young people, accompanied by outreaches and Brussels associations, directly concerned by street social work or not, in interaction with the participants, for most of them youth workers. In a playful way, the young people were able to exchange with the workers and learn from each other, mixing different points of view and thinking about what the social work methods of tomorrow might be, based on desires, the needs and dreams of young people today. This workshop was the result of the policy recommendations that young people were able to bring to the European Commission on Friday, at a time when their words were highlighted and listened to.This day at the European Commission was particularly the moment when the fruit of the reflections carried out during the Forum, political recommendations, were also submitted by the participants during a day dedicated to political interpellation. A decisive advocacy activity for the future of people in street situations, which political and decision-makers must take into account as much as street social workers. With this action, we reaffirm, highlight and put into action the recognized function of social diagnosis of street social workers with the public authorities.Finally, the latest impacts of this project have been the revitalization of certain platforms of Dynamo International’s international network of social workers, in which we noted a renewed interest and willingness to take action on several levels. The physical encounter between the partners created an emulation in which new ideas for partnership projects were born within their country or in an international context. In particular, at the European level, the platforms will soon meet to help each other in advocacy campaigns at the regional level, and to make their projects coincide in order to put into action and at the service of young people several European initiatives, such as the European Youth Guaranty or the latest ALMA (Aim Learn Master Achieve) project, enabling young people with difficulties to do an internship abroad in Europe.