Erasmus+ Youth Exchange, Czech Republic

"Beyond the Veil" represents a project funded by Erasmus+ Mobility for Youth Workers, in which the Social Policy and Action Organization participates as a partner. The aim aim of the project is to show young people that video can be beneficial instrument for their self-presentation, both personally and professionally. The first activity of the project, a Training Course was organized from 16th-22nd October 2017 at Czech Republic. In total 20 young people from Czech Republic, Romania, France, Slovakia, Italy, Greece and Cyprus participated at the Training Course. The Social Policy and Action Organization was represented by Ms. Elena Loizou. 

Erasmus + K1 Action, Training Course, Poland

​This project was held from 4-11 December 2017 at ‘Orion centre’ at Wisla, Poland, with 16 youth workers or active volunteers of participating   organizations from 8 countries (Poland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Spain, FYROM and Romania). The project aims at enhancing or providing participants with skills on how to use storytelling as a powerful tool in youth work and supporting young people with fewer opportunities. Cyprus was represented by Elenitsa Georgiou and Anna Tapani.

The main objectives of the training were the following:

• To equip youth workers with knowledge and skills regarding Storytelling as a tool for changing young people’s attitudes and behavior, as well as promoting important values among them.

   

• To develop the participants’ practical skills in using Storytelling in the most effective way.

   

• To share experience and lessons learnt (both from participants and organizations) in using stories while working with youth.

   

• To discover how Storytelling can be used in the work field of the participants and the activities of their organizations, in order to help them achieve their goals.

• To become more aware of opportunities that Storytelling gives as a tool of non-formal education.

   

• To establish a network of organizations and youth workers who are interested in a future cooperation regarding the use of Storytelling as a tool for changing behaviors and attitudes of youth at risk of social exclusion.

   

  During the seminar non formal educational methods and tools were used, including interactive games and exercises (energizers from different participants), team building activities (yoga, popping dance workshop), simulation exercises, self-reflection and self-assessment exercises, experiential workshops such as a storytelling workshop based on an African tale, role-play exercises, small group discussions, and more.

  In order for the calling organization to ensure the active engagement of the participants, the national groups in pairs prepared:

   

• "Table" of their country for intercultural evening, which included a video presentation of photos/videos of our countries’ flags and meaning, main sights, a small quiz on the phrases pronunciation/sights/traditional food, lessons of traditional dancing.

   

• Presentation regarding their own experience and experience of their organizations (and lessons learnt) in using stories in working with youth.

   

• Show examples of online material (e.g. videos of other storytellers) which, according to them, is a good example of engaging Storytelling.

Erasmus+ Training Course for Youth Workers, Czech Republic

"Beyond the Veil" represents a project funded by Erasmus+ Mobility for Youth Workers, in which the Social Policy and Action Organization participates as a partner. The aim aim of the project is to show young people that video can be beneficial instrument for their self-presentation, both personally and professionally. The first activity of the project, a Training Course was organized from 16th-22nd October 2017 at Czech Republic. In total 20 young people from Czech Republic, Romania, France, Slovakia, Italy, Greece and Cyprus participated at the Training Course. The Social Policy and Action Organization was represented by Ms. Elena Loizou. 

Erasmus+ Partnership Building Mobility, Martinique Caribbean Region

In the beautiful island, Martinique (insular region of France), situated at the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, 34 youth leaders and youth workers, representing various organizations from 15 different European countries, participated at the Erasmus+ Partnership Building Activity (PBA) entitled “Step by step: Boosting youth employability through learning mobility opportunities”. The PBA was organized by the NGO Equipe D'Antilles Et D'Ailleurs, from 1st to 8th October 2017 and the goal was to establish new partnerships for future innovative projects related to fostering youth employability and inclusion, using non-formal learning tools, including small group discussions, presentations using digital tools, networking interactive exercises, simulation exercises and others. During the week participants also had the opportunity to visit the L’Association Lasote, an NGO actively promoting traditional land cultivation for humanitarian support and aid to the most deprived of the island and to network with local NGOs and government stakeholders for planning and implementing joint projects in the future. Cyprus was represented at the project by the Social Policy and Action Organization with Ifigenia Katchie, the Director and President of the Board and Vesna Milovanovich, youth leader and consultant of the NGO. The Social Policy and Action Organization established constructive contacts for collaboration with NGOs from Greece, Romania, the UK and Italy, in three major projects in the future.

ERASMUS+ Youth Exchange, Romania

The Youth Exchange JOB GPS was organised in Romania from 6-11 November 2017, by Pro Dezvoltare DACIA Association (APDD) . The aim of JOB GPS was the enhancement of skills and knowledge required to increase the employability chances for 25 young NEETs. The specific objectives: To increase the chances of labor market integration of young Neets, and to encourage self-employment and entrepreneurship by supporting creativity, with a particular focus on traditional crafts;  To reduce social exclusion by involving the young Neets in all the project activities; To develop communication skills in English and to remove intercultural barriers by knowledge and understanding of other cultures through non-formal education. 

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The Social Policy and Action Organization participated in the project as one of the partners, with a group of 5 youngsters, accompanied by a leader. In total 30 young people from 5 European organizations: Associação Juvenil da Ilha Terceira (AJITER) Portugal, Aux couleurs du DEBA France, Building Bridges Cultural Association Spain, Cyprus Social Policy and Action Organization, alongside with the coordinating organization, PRO Dezvoltare DACIA Association (APDD) Romania.

Project information: http://www.apdd.ro, e-mail: apddacia@yahoo.com

Erasmus+ K1 Training Course for Youth Workers, Slovakia

The “Limits of our Planet” involved the organization of training course, from 7th-15th July 2017, in Ruzomberok, Slovakia, with the aim to tackle issues like environment, climate change, air and water pollution, innovation in non-formal education, new learning methods, and development of training courses. The Social Policy and Action Organization was represented by a group of 3 young volunteers. Participants had the opportunity to be presented with motivations and experience from youth leaders in an attempt to better preserve and appreciate the value of natural resources. The main objectives were to find ways to lessen the detrimental impacts of people´s actions, to find new innovative methods of non-formal education and to develop training courses which should lead youth workers to be more and respectful towards others and the environment.The most important need was to increase the youth leaders` awareness for understanding that the environmental issues can be similar in all countries although there can be cultural differences and to promote the cooperation between different countries, exchange of experience and respect cultural similarities and differences.

Erasmus+ K1 Training Course for Youth Workers, Italy

“Millennium: New Trends and Challenges in Human Rights Education for Youth” represents an Erasmus+ Training Course, organized from 9th-16th December 2016 at Cagliari, Italy. The Social Policy and Action Organization was represented to the course by a group of 3 young volunteers. The scope of the project was to fill the gap of information and knowledge of youth workers, leaders and activists, on human rights from a youth perspective. In total 30 young people from 10 different EU countries participated at the Training Course, in an environment of mutual respect and understanding. 

Erasmus+ K1 Youth Exchange, Poland

The Social Policy and Action Organization has participated as a partner organization, with 5 energetic youth volunteers, in the Youth Exchange MOVIE IT! funded by Erasmus +.   Communication skills are essential part of our lives. Each day we are using thousands of words in order to pass the statement about what we think, how we feel, what we want to other people. But in the world ruled by social media without proper preparation, sometimes it is hard to communicate. That is why this youth exchange was created.

„Movie it” was a multilateral 8-day long project which aimed to enhance youngster’s communication skills as well as to show the effective way to communicate using video as a tool within the frame of Erasmus+ Programme. It gathered 42 youngsters including 6 youth leaders from Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Spain, Poland and Slovakia and it was held in Hermanów near Poznań in Poland from 16 to 23 of November 2016. This project was an opportunity for young people to understand what are communication skills, why do we need it and how to get to people through a video. Participants have not only straightened out their cultural competences, by working in an intercultural environment, but also  grasped the concept of tolerance and mutual understanding. Each day we were using the methodology of non-formal education such as, simulations, brainstorming, role-playing and open space discussions in order to introduce to participants the issue of communication skills and social media.  Also one of the key point of this youth exchange was promotion of Youthpass certificate as a tool to recognize gained competences throughout the learning process of this project. As a final result participants created videos, which present to recipients what is communication and why it is so important. All videos are uploaded on different types of social networks in order to reach the largest audience and to spread the knowledge gained during these 8 days.

Videos produced by participants during the Youth Exchange:

Movie It! - Communication 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWsdk8OhZNo&t=104s

Movie It! - Communication 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSbAh6MC510

Movie It! - Communication 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69_REcSPgsg&t=41s

Movie It! - Communication 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b6xsWit3kk

Movie It! - Communication 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtaeTEPp3cY&t=3s

Movies from Tomek about project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sru1jWEGIGc

Erasmus+ K1 Training Course for Youth Workers, Italy

The Social Policy and Action Organization was represented as a partner organization, with 5 youth volunteers, in the "Path towards organizational management: a new age" a training project that took place in Santa Maria di Leuca (Apulia Region, South Italy). , from 18th of June till 24th of June 2016. In total 31 participants from EU countries and in particular from: Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary. Participants had the opportunity to share experiences to improve organisation management in their NGOs, identified all fundamentals influencing organisation management, project management, decision making progress, hand over competences to the participants and stimulate a new way of thinking regarding management of youth NGO, implentation of youth projects, partnership development. Tangible outputs, developed by all participants, included a booklet regarding organisation management in youth organisation and a training manual. 

Erasmus+ K1 Youth Exchange, Italy

The Social Policy and Action Organization has participated as a partner organization, with 5 youth volunteers, in “The Long Way Home" a youth exchange project, from 10-17 April 2016. The project aimed to encourage a reflection on what happened in the years of the Second World War by commemorating the Zivi Miller’s trip. With the reference to one of the primary purposes of the European Union which is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples, this project aims to encourage a reflection on what happened in the years of the Second World War by commemorating the Zivi Miller’s trip. He was a Jewish painter born in Bucharest who was deported with his family to Auschwitz, from which he escaped, with the help of the Soviet Army, and went to Santa Maria al Bagno in Italy. Here, him and his friends and familiars spent few years and painted graffiti and murals which are nowadays collected in the National Museum in the town of Nardò. When they left Italy, directed to Palestine (today State of Israel), were intercepted from an English military boat and they had to spend 6 months in Nicosia (Cyprus) as prisoners, before to arrive to their Promised Land. The main stages of his trip towards the so called Promised Land were Bucharest (Romania), Zivi Miller’s hometown, Auschwitz (Poland), the Desplaced Camp n° 34 in Santa Maria al Bagno (Italy), Nicosia (Cyprus), and finally Haifa (today State of Israel).

Erasmus+ K1 Training Course, Sweden

The Social Policy and Action Organization has participated as a partner organization, with 3 youth volunteers, in “Sensitization for Action" a training course organized from 23-30 March 2016, in Sweden.

Erasmus+ K1 Youth Exchange, Poland

The Social Policy and Action Organization has participated as a partner organization, to the Youth Exchange “Next step to healthy Europe” implemented between 20-128 September 2015 in Zakopane. Participants originated from 4 European countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lithuania and Poland in total number 34 young people. The main topic of the exchange was the connection with health promotion, especially in the field of patient’s rights. During 9 working days participants became familiar on how to build and implement a health campaign among local society (in that purpose they will use several IT skills). They shared knowledge on first aid in advanced cases. All activities were provided using non - formal education methods. As a result participants prepared patient’s rights codex and implemented it after the exchange among their local societies. Another result was the project’s mind map, which was prepared constantly during everyday evaluation and in the end it will show every piece of health aspect of the whole project.

Erasmus+ K1 Training Course, Poland

The Social Policy and Action Organization has participated as a partner organization, with 3 youth workers at “HOP into NET”, from 20-26 July 2014 in Poland. The main goal of the project was to build strongest partnership between different youth organizations, which will lead to new youth projects creation. During the 6 days seminar, participants from different European countries developed a Net of contribution between their organizations and will find common interests. They took a cruise between islands of the “Erasmus+” Programme opportunities and will work together on new results dimension methods. Thanks to open space corner they shared their best experience and knowledge about youth projects. Altogether they found new possibilities for partnership and networking. 

Erasmus+ K1 Youth Exchange, Poland

The Social Policy and Action Organization has participated as a partner organization, with 3 youth workers at "European Warm-Up a Youth Exchange organised from 15-23 October 2014 in Poland. The main goal of the project was to connect young people from Europe and give them opportunity to actively spend time. The aim was also to promote health through non formal education, such as sports events, collective games and exercises.Thanks to the project, young people learned how to take care of their own health thanks to principles of a healthy lifestyle. Project should bring better understanding of the issues related to health and help to change bad, unhealthy habits.