CONSORTIUM
Asociatia Be You
E10035935 – Romania
https://beyoueurope.eu
Since 2015 Be You Association is the first landmark of non-formal education in the local community. It is a youth organization that ensures the personal and professional development of all young people without discrimination, with emphasis on identifying and developing each youth potential, developing the civic sense, active citizenship skills, openness to internationalization, European values and a sense of belonging to the Union through non-formal activities.
Be You Association is permanently open for involvement in local, regional, national and international projects that support the stimulation and involvement of young people in activities carried out within the association and local community, that support the continuous training of youth workers.
Be You is a non-profit organization created in November 2015 by a broad group of people with a range of professional, social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, energetic members with a sense of initiative and experience working on national and international youth programs. Be You promotes and supports the personal development of youth through non-formal education, national and international projects, workshops, seminars, training, volunteering, and sport activities. Our organization’s goal is to instill in young people European values, a sense of belonging to the European area, and a desire to be active citizens in society.
Our purpose is based on the notion that the capacity for action and engagement of youth holds the key to society’s future. Our main aim is to offer youth the opportunity to be active in society fostering social cohesion through personal and professional development. We encourage young people to value and develop their abilities and skills, as well as to learn new skills and obtain information for a better social integration and active citizenship.
The objectives of our association are:
• To involve youth in non-formal education on a variety of topics through national and international projects, workshops, seminars, trainings, volunteering and other activities;
• To promote among youth active involvement in society, democratic participation and active citizenship;
• To encourage involvement in democratic life, as well as the promotion of European ideals and citizenship
• To implement activities which support and promote human and youth rights;
• To promote equal chances and access, diversity, and fairness in all of our operations in order to enhance the social inclusion of young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities;
• To support positive behavioural changes among young people in personal preferences, consumption habits and lifestyles for the transition to sustainable development and care for the environment;
• To assist the development of young people’s digital abilities, as well as to create innovative digital non-formal instruments to aid in the transition to digitalization;
• To assist young people in selecting the appropriate sort of education in order to further their careers and achieve financial independence.
Our target group is formed by young people aged between 13-30 years, living mainly in rural and outskirts areas, but also in urban areas. They are young people who come from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds (from broken families, single-parent families, with parents working abroad, from families with poor financial situations, health problems, young people with cognitive developmental delays, but also very skilled young people, capable of performance). They originate from families that are uninterested in their children’s education, which is reflected in their lack of enthusiasm and drive for activities, as well as their lack of engagement in community life.
The staff is made up of 5 members of the Board of Directors, 10 constant volunteers, 4 youth workers, and over 1000 beneficiaries are directly involved in activities annually.
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZE
E10209099 – Italy
https://www.unifi.it
The University of Florence is an important centre for research and higher education in Italy, with 1,800 lecturers and internal research staff, 1,600 technical staff, and over 1,600 researchers and PhD students. It offers a wide range of study programmes in all areas of knowledge.
It is one of the largest and most productive public research systems in Italy. This result is accomplished thanks to the number of permanent and temporary researchers working in a wide range of disciplinary and scientific fields, and the numerous junior scientists in training. It is also due to an intensive participation in research programmes of national and international relevance and to the significant scientific results achieved. External funds support the research and knowledge transfer activities. This combination of factors qualifies the Florentine institution as a modern research university and accounts for its excellent position in national and world rankings. Researchers at the University of Florence operate within 24 different departments and count on 40 research structures comprising interdepartmental and inter university centres as well as specialised research, knowledge transfer and advanced training centres.
In recent years the University of Florence has increasingly consolidated its ventures in the field of knowledge transfer: from the filing of patents to the setting up of joint workshops with businesses, through to participation in spin-off companies.
UNIFI participate to the project with the Department of Architecture – DIDA. Its mission is to provide scientific and technical support to teaching, research and knowledge transfer in the fields of Architecture, Industrial Design, and Spatial and Landscape Planning. DIDA has developed a system of more of 30 Laboratories: DIDALABS ad Laboratory od Design for sustainability and DIDA communication Lab.
UNIVERSITATEA VALAHIA TARGOVISTE
E10203727 – Romania
https://www.valahia.ro
Valahia University of Targoviste (VUT) is a state-run comprehensive higher education institution dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of Targoviste, a Romanian Middle Age capital, and nurturing the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vibrancy of a thriving city. The university has taken from the past a vibrant tradition of leadership, high culture, interculturality, and multilingualism, which are conveyed into high-quality education and scientific research, outstanding study and living facilities for students, national professional integration, and academic openness in Europe.
VUT is a modern university endowed with two brand new campuses in Targoviste and Alexandria, as well as spanking novel and innovative research, educational, and social facilities and, most importantly, the energy of a youthful and dynamic faculty, research, and student communities. The university, which was founded on June 1, 1992, is Romania’s only higher education institution to have built an entirely new infrastructure from the ground up, providing a highly competitive and cutting-edge educational, research, social, and cultural environment. This is ideal for our programs’ forward-thinking orientation, which fully integrates us into the dynamics of a competitive global higher education market.
Although the university is primarily dedicated to the region in which it operates, South Muntenia, the breadth of its teaching and research programs knows no bounds. It provides solutions to present and future difficulties that will best serve the global social and environmental challenges. In this respect, the university provides solutions to the educational sector, companies, governmental and local governmental authorities, cultural institutions, SMEs, NGOs, and society as a whole.
Global warming and its consequences, social and gender inequalities, development imbalances between regions, rural and urban areas, poverty, quality of life, cultural heritage preservation, and the clash between local, national, European, and global are all addressed in an innovative and solution-based manner in our study and research programs. Alternative green energy solutions are already being applied within the institution, and programs like E-land give answers that are viable for local, regional, and global communities. The university’s commitment to green energy and sustainable development is reflected in its international rankings.
VUT collaborates with 123 universities, institutes, and businesses from 38 European Union, European Economic Area, and other European countries, as well as the Asian, American, and African continents, demonstrating the university’s commitment to European principles, as well as its openness and global outlook. Inter-university or partner collaboration agreements encompass a wide range of forms of collaboration, including bilateral and multilateral agreements, Erasmus Plus contracts, research contracts and partnerships, and multilevel arrangements.
The university is committed to gender equality and balance, as evidenced by worldwide rankings that award it top honors in this area. The gender balance among professors, researchers, and students is excellent in both senior and junior positions, reflecting the fairness and modern stance of our institution of higher education.
VUT is based on a rich and diversified legacy, both in terms of past and present, constructed cultural heritage and non-material heritage as well as the research of Europeanness and European integration. Thus, the Department of History and the “Grigore Gafencu” Research Center for the History of International Relations and Cultural Heritage, named after a pioneer of European unification, former Romanian Foreign Minister Grigore Gafencu, have extensive experience in projects dealing with issues of European integration, studying the history of ideas about Europe’s unification as well as the EU’s inclusion of East-Central Europe.
YOUTHFULLY YOURS SK
E10032000 – Slovakia
https://youthfullyyours.sk
Youthfully Yours SK is a Non-governmental organisation located in the Eastern part of Slovakia.
We would like to see AMBITIOUS & COMPETENT young people eager to benefit their community in our region.
To achieve that, we feel determined to advance young people’s competences, empower a SENSE OF INITIATIVE & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, and promote ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP, SOCIAL INCLUSION & INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE among young people from Eastern Slovakia.
At the LOCAL LEVEL, we focus on YOUTH EMPOWERMENT and the Youth’s ability to PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY in society.
We strongly believe in the value of Non-formal education and experiential learning. For these reasons, YY regularly organises various seminars, educational and training activities, cooperates with local schools, educational centres, universities, and introduces innovative educational approaches to young people, youth leaders, and youth workers. We increase young people’s awareness about available learning, volunteering, and work opportunities on the local, national or international level, empower them to apply for various educational programs, training courses, conferences, volunteering activities, and internships. As a sending and an intermediary institution, we enable young people to use all of these opportunities, moreover provide them with appropriate mentoring and assistance.
At the INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, we are part of numerous well-built partnerships and networks supported by different programs and initiatives e.g. Erasmus+, Europe For Citizens, International Visegrad Fund, European Youth Foundation, European Solidarity Corps.
PRISMA – https://www.prisma-network.eu/members
YEU – observer
In February 2022, YY TEAM comprises 15 ACTIVE MEMBERS, youth workers, social workers, professional facilitators, trainers, youth leaders, and active young people interested in non-formal education. This project will actively benefit the whole team. In YY COMMUNITY, we have 830 registered members actively participating in our activities. Our Social networks have 4400 (FB) 1000 (IG) followers. In the closed FB group we address 830 members and in the closed WA group 350 members.
In 2019 we signed a MEMORANDUM of COOPERATION with KOSICE SELF-GOVERNING REGION (Regional government) involving our organisation in collecting needs among young people from our region and the creation of the CONCEPTION for YOUTH WORK at the REGIONAL LEVEL.
In 2018 our core members became part of the operational group Youth Creativity and Entrepreneurship, led by the Slovak National Agency for Erasmus+. Its mission is to support the elaboration of the Action plan for STRATEGY OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC FOR YOUTH in Youth Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Employability. In particular, the group aims to identify priorities in these fields that should be supported on the national level, specify demanding goals and propose strategies for reaching them. The group comprises experts in the field of Youth work, successful and experienced entrepreneurs, representatives of the private sector, NGOs, public institutions, and local authorities all connected with the topic of Youth entrepreneurial skills and their development.
In the same year, our core members took part in Strategic partnership activities among the National Agencies of the Erasmus+ named Europe goes local to raise the QUALITY of LOCAL YOUTH WORK in particular through enhanced cooperation between various stakeholders that are active at the municipal level. Thanks to this initiative, we have started a collaboration with the CITY COUNCIL and REGIONAL EXPERTS in the field of youth work with the aim to elaborate YOUTH WORK STRATEGY for KOSICE CITY.
ALPHABET FORMATION
E10083044 – Belgium
https://alphabetformation.org
Alphabet Formation has been established as a non-profit organization under Belgian law. Its overall goal is to boost human capital development by developing youth training activities, initiatives to gather citizens from different countries across Europe, and projects on the topics of education and training. In this sense, ABF started to work focusing on different target groups: youngsters, adults, teachers, learners, civil society organizations. ABF’s partners are NGOs, schools, municipalities across Europe. The organization aims to improve the achievement in relevant and high-level basic and transversal competences in a lifelong learning perspective, through formal and non- formal education and training, from early childhood education and care, over school education, youth activities, higher education and vocational education and training to adult learning. ABF works in a long-term perspective, aiming to build stable, long-lasting relationships with its partners, based on mutual exchange.
Our mission:
• promoting open and innovative education, training and youth work, embedded in the digital era;
• boosting youth and adult employability;
• developing digital skills;
• raising youth awareness on good values;
• promoting inclusion of disadvantaged people.
Our objectives are to promote:
• Inclusive education through training for adults and youth: in line with the Paris Declaration, within our project, priority will be given to actions addressing diversity in (formal and non-formal) education and training, developing social, civic, intercultural competences and media literacy, combating discrimination and segregation, tackling bullying, reducing disparities in learning outcomes affecting learners with disadvantaged backgrounds in particular through innovative integrated approaches. This should also enhance the access, participation and performance of vulnerable learners and facilitate their transitions between different levels and types of education and training; from education/training to the world of work; and/or from one employment to another.
• Open and innovative education, training and youth work, embedded in the digital era: within our projects, priority will be given to actions that contribute to disseminating learning outcomes of formal and non-formal learning activities as well as to mainstreaming and spreading the utilisation of open and innovative education, training and youth pedagogies, participatory education governance, work methods and resources for educators and learners at all levels, in particular those in a disadvantaged situation. This includes supporting synergies between
education, research and innovation activities, the digitalization of quality learning content and promoting the use of ICT as a driver for systemic change to increase the quality and relevance of education, training and employment policies at all levels.
Terra di Tutti SRL Impresa Sociale
E10215067 – Italy
https://terraditutti.it
Terra di Tutti is a social enterprise based in Capannori (Tuscany) and founded by Cooperativa Sociale Odissea in December 2018 with four main aims:
_CIRCULAR ECONOMY -> Using waste materials and transforming them into artisanal products.
_ASYLUM SEEKERS, MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES’ WORK INCLUSION -> Creating job placement for the asylum seekers and refugees involved in the projects.
_INTERCULTURAL CRAFT -> Enhancing and developing the craft skills of refugees, by linking them to the local traditional skills.
_SUPPORT TO THE LOCAL CRAFTMANSHIP → Rediscovering and supporting the local artisanal knowings and competencies which are being lost due to an inadequate generational turnover.
To achieve these goals, Terra di Tutti arranges several workshops to involve local citizens, artisans, migrants and refugees in different projects about tailoring, printing, serigraphy and carpentry.
Connecting people from different countries and cultures, facilitating them in deep intercultural dialogue, the social enterprise intends to support the creation of bridges between craft skills, knowledge and competencies.
Terra di Tutti is focused on involving migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in its projects, enhancing their manual skills and competencies through workshops and exploring, together with them, a new intercultural craft.
With this method, the purpose is to give them, firstly, the possibility to develop specific skills and then offer some of them an internship in the social enterprise.
Since August 2019 the social enterprise has its own production laboratory of 200 square metres settled in Segromigno in Monte (Capannori) and divided into three areas: carpentry, tailoring and printing/serigraphy. In this space are experienced and produced different product lines that allow the economic sustainability of the social enterprise. Terra di Tutti produces: T-shirts, notebooks, bags, cases, “Paracools”(multifuncional objects made by broken umbrellas), chairs, wooden objects, trying to sell them in the market, in exhibitions and fair trades.
The other core aspect of social enterprise is the attention to environmental sustainability. Terra di Tutti works following the principles of the circular economy, all the products are made by refugees recycling and up-cycling waste materials and no longer used objects.
Since September 2019 Terra di Tutti has a strong collaboration with the Design Campus of the University of Florence, specifically with Laboratorio di Design per la Sostenibilità (Workshop for sustainability’ course). During the first semester of the academic year 2019/2020 around 30 students, plus researchers and professors of design, collaborated with Terra di Tutti to develop the main important aspects of the social enterprise:communication, design, marketing, storytelling, financial sustainability and material procurement.
In May 2021 and Feb 2022 Terra di Tutti won 2 sustainability awards during the Smart School for the “Economy of Francesco” in Lucca and the “International proximity project” in Naples.