FROM PAPER TO E-FORM AND FINALLY INTO REALITY

Eurodesk Comune di Valdagno

Media materials:

Organisation:

Eurodesk Comune di Valdagno

Country:

Italy

About organisation:

Eurodesk Valdagno is a historical member of the Italian Eurodesk network, in charge of the Valdagno Municipalities and run by a social cooperative called Studio Progetto holding Quality Label for European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus Plus. Within thi time the office has developed competences in spreading the values and the opportunities of European Programmes such as Erasmus Plus and European Solidarity Corps. We cover a population of 26.000 inhabitants and provides information and guidance to young people in the surrounding area (other municipalities for a total amount of 40000 citizens). Our office is located in the school district of the city and offers information and guidance also on the Italian education system and job-oriented guidance for young people approaching the job market for the first time. Thanks to developed competences we link information and guidance to concrete opportunities of engagement for young people, supporting them in all phases.

Contact person:

Sergio Urso

Title of the project

FROM PAPER TO E-FORM AND FINALLY INTO REALITY

Start date:

March 9, 2023

End date:

October 1, 2023

Source of funding:

The office has used its own resources to power two sessions of training courses and the two youth exchanges were funded under Erasmus Plus Programme.

Objectives:

Eurodesk-Valdagno offered two free training courses on European Project Design, aimed at girls and boys aged 18-30, youth groups, associations, and student volunteers. The courses focus on equipping young people with necessary information and tools to create and search for financial support for their ideas through European Solidarity Corps and ErasmusPlus. The first edition of the course, held in March in a hybrid format to include 2 participants with health issues, had 6 participants, two of whom attended online. The course facilitated collaboration through a hybrid learning environment. The methodology used was non-formal education.The second edition was part of a broader program for seven students in a EducationalPathways for Transversal skills and Guidance. The students designed the topic and participated in 2 European exchanges organized by the Social Cooperative Studio Progetto. Both editions of the training courses provided participants with necessary skills for organizing and implementing complex activities, including an international perspective.The participants highly appreciated the initiative, stating that it increased their knowledge about European Union projects and helped them to feel more aware of EU values. The project promoted participants' knowledge and encouraged the emergence of youth-oriented project topics.

Why does it correspond to the thematic category:

Youth Participation and Engagement We started from the need of youngsters to see their ideas coming to reality and the lack of competencies and support in project design and project implementation among young people in our community.We offered 2 courses of 8 hours per course divided into 4 days. Each of the courses could be run in a hybrid format to be environmentally friendly and inclusive as much as we could. With non-formal education, the groups of young people went deep into the E+ and ESC programmes, explored a graphic tool to learn how to organize and design a project, developed their ideas into a real project proposal to be applied by the E+ project platform. After having created two projects, they participated into the projects created during the training courses and they played the roles of the local team of participants.

The impact the initiative had on young people and the local community:

The feedback sent to the office at the end of the course was highly positive. The participant mentioned that they had expanded their knowledge about European Union projects, especially Erasmus+. They also mentioned their participation in a project design workshop for a youth exchange, which helped them develop skills such as decision making and collaboration. The participant felt that their teamwork skills had improved and they were able to work well with others. They appreciated the trainer's availability and kindness, and were pleased that their concerns were addressed. They highly recommended the experience to other young people, highlighting the atmosphere of tranquility and acceptance. The participant mentioned that the training was comprehensive and varied, and the different methods of learning were engaging and encouraged participation. Overall, they considered the educational experience favorable and helpful for knowledge development.

How it ensured the visibility and promotion of Eurodesk:

The initiative was promoted on the website and through a social media campaign. We raised awareness among the teachers responsible for extracurricular projects. The Eurodesk logo was included in all the materials produced, and a presentation was made about the Eurodesk network in Europe and Italy.

How it respected the green principles:

We use as much as possible digital tool such as Zoom to minimize the use of cars to reach the venue of training and this has allowed to some participants to participate online.The use of paper has been reduced and the paper used was already a leftover from previous activities.

Eurodesk-Valdagno offered two free training courses on European Project Design, aimed at girls and boys aged 18-30, youth groups, associations, and student volunteers. The courses focus on equipping young people with necessary information and tools to create and search for financial support for their ideas through European Solidarity Corps and ErasmusPlus.
The first edition of the course, held in March in a hybrid format to include 2 participants with health issues, had 6 participants, two of whom attended online. The course facilitated collaboration through a hybrid learning environment. The methodology used was non-formal education.
The second edition was part of a broader program for seven students in a Educational
Pathways for Transversal skills and Guidance. The students designed the topic and participated in 2 European exchanges organized by the Social Cooperative Studio Progetto. Both editions of the training courses provided participants with necessary skills for organizing and implementing complex activities, including an international perspective.
The participants highly appreciated the initiative, stating that it increased their knowledge about European Union projects and helped them to feel more aware of EU values. The project promoted participants’ knowledge and encouraged the emergence of youth-oriented project topics.