BACKGROUND AND CURRENT SETTINGAccording to Eurostat for 2014, there are app. 122,3 mio (24,4%) people in the EU-28 at risk of poverty or social exclusion, among which the most vulnerable groups are disabled people, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, Roma, long-term unemployed, NEETs etcWith raising societal challenges, especially increased migrant and refugee flows in the last years, Europe has been facing highly multiculturalism, diversity, social inequity, and a growing population of persons under risk of exclusion. Therefore professionals working with these groups constantly seek for new knowledge, skills and approaches to be able to empower them in a most effective way. The StoryTeller project therefore proposes a traditional but still very innovative psycho-social approach of STORYTELLING, that has proven to be highly beneficial in empowering a wide variety of final beneficiaries, contributing to their social inclusion and active citizenship. However, through implementation of the previous RSRC project and preliminary analysis, undertaken by partners, a lack of formal educational modules in the area of storytelling in Europe, as well as lack of professional VET curricula has been recognised. Thus this project proposes a development of a professional freely available (on-line) VET training for the continuing education (C-VET) in 6 partner languages, and initiation of its certification by National VET certification bodies in all partner countries aiming at enhancing access to training and qualifications across Europe.PARTICIPANTSThe project involves 7 partners from 6 EU countries. They incorporate numerous professionals, experienced in working with disadvantaged groups. 1 of the partners is an IT expert.>MAIN TARGET GROUP are professional workers, social workers, educators, mentors, trainers, psychologists, therapists, storytellers (>20 directly involved in implementation, >240 in multiplier events, >5000 indirectly involved in dissemination).>MAIN FINAL BENEFICIARIES are persons from disadvantaged and socially excluded groups such as disabled, Roma, migrants, asylum seekers, NEETs, long-term unemployed etc. (>130 directly involved in implementation).PROJECT AIMS, OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGYPROJECT AIM is to develop a formal C-VET curriculum in storytelling profession, aligned with the EQF, and to be presented for formal C-VET accreditation, thus bringing storytelling closer to a wide range of professionals working with people under risk of exclusion.LONG-TERM GOAL of this project is to promote and employ storytelling (C)VET trainings into national professional practice when working with disadvantaged groups and gradually into national (C)VET systems across Europe. It aims to initiate growth of newly skilled professional storytellers, that will be able to empower as many disadvantaged people as possible through their every day practice, and thus promote their social inclusion.Project activities will be implemented through 7 Work Packages (WPs), resulting in 5 Intelectual Outputs (O1-5), 13 Multiplier Events (E1-13), and 1 Teaching/Training activity (C1):>O1: Compendium of storytelling trainings and certifications initiatives>O2: StoryTeller C-VET Curriculum>O3: StoryTeller Universal Methodology>O4:On-line Interactive StoryTeller Platform>O5: Business & Provision Plan with a map of National VET Accreditation Bodies, Systems and possibilities, 5 National Accreditation Procedures Initiated, Recommendations for decision makers>E1-12: National Multiplier Seminars (2 per country, >240 participants)>E13: Final International Conference (Austria, >55 participants)>C1: Train-the-Trainer event (UK, app. 20 trainees, 3 trainers, 5 disadvantaged)> National Pilot project experiences in 5 »less-equipped« partner countriesIMPACTThe project is expected to have a multifaceted impact:1.) PROFESSIONALS, working with disadvantaged groups,2.) DISADVANTAGED GROUPS facing risk of social exclusion, marginalization, stigma and discrimination.Through intensive training, guided by certified storytellers (facilitators, assessors, verifier from UK), the targeted professional workers will get new knowledge, skills and competences and will be able to implement storytelling techniques into their everyday work aiming at empowering disadvantaged people they work with. 3.) ENVIRONMENTStoryTeller project will have impact on stakeholders (VET providers, professionals' associations, final beneficiaries' associations, decision makers etc.) through 13 multiplier events, and a set of dissemination, exploitation and sustainability activities.The partners have developed L, R, N and EU networks of stakeholders in the field of social and health care, social inclusion, psychosocial support, vocational rehabilitation, and C-VET and adult education. They are members of relevant networks (EASPD, EVBB, SOLIDAR, ULIXES, AECOP etc.). As such they have reach to a wide arena of members.
The background and needs of the project is based on EU-28 data and information on approximately 24% of population being at risk of poverty or social exclusion, disabled people, Roma, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, long-term unemployed, NEETs etc (2014 data. Europe has been facing significant challenges in dealing with its multiculturalism, diversity and social inequity. Northern and Northwester EU countries face inequality challenges better than other EU countries. The reason lies in applying innovative approaches when working with communities, e.g storytelling. The background and needs analysis together with previously successful implementation of other E+ projects and most of all a lack of formal educational modules in the area of storytelling in Europe, lack of professional VET curricula in this field have been recognised as needs for cooperation. This project is therefore based on the real needs of the changing society including the need to empower a growing population of disadvantaged groups across EU, need for implementing new, but well-proven approaches to face current multiculturalism, social inequity and fast changing society, equipping professional workers in psycho-social, employment, education and other support oriented professions with new knowledge and skills to be able to face the more and more challenging diversity and needs, need to employ professional storytelling across EU, need to develop an extended C-VET training and to integrate it in the national C-VET systems. Specific goals and main results achieved within the project: - 1 Compendium of storytelling trainings and certifications initiatives in storytelling “The state of the Art on Storytelling in EU” - 1 C-VET Curriculum “Working with stories” aligned with the EQF (ECVET, EQAVET for recognition of learning outcomes and skills) for professional workers to acquire professional storytelling, thus bringing storytelling closer to a wide range of professionals working with people under risk of exclusion due to disability, ethnic, cultural background, social and economic barriers or other disadvantage; available in 6 languages, tested within a min of 125 final disadvantaged users in 5 “less equipped countries” - 1 Universal Methodology for professionals, aimed at providing a set of universal guidelines for using storytelling approach regardless of professional background together with supporting video material in 6 languages - 1 Interactive Platform-OER with interactive on-line modules, videos, games and learning contents - 1 learning/teaching/training activity. -1 Business and provision plan describing steps towards embedding storytelling profession into formal national systems in each of the 5 “less-equipped” available in 6 languages - 1 Final conference for multiplication of project results, promotion of professional storytelling and StoryTeller brand among national and international stakeholders. The overall long-term effect of this project - “setting foundation for a long term development of Professional storytelling in the "less-equipped" European countries” was reached within tangible results developed and feedback collected through intensive promotion and dissemination campaign. The project gathered 7 partner organisations: Austria (1), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), Slovenia (2), Spain1, United Kingdom – Norther Ireland (1): Coordinating organisation OZARA d.o.o. – service and disability company (SME) with a mission in the training, employment, vocational rehabilitation and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. Partner organisations included were: Berufliches Bildungs- und Rehabilitationszentrum BBRZ Ö (Austria) - association providing services in the fields of prevention, intensive rehabilitation and health-related organisational counselling and working with adults/youth with health or functional impairments and/or mental health problems; EOLAS S.L. provides advice, consulting and support to optimise all processes related to the design, preparation and management of projects and experience in working with exclusion groups; UNIPOSMS – Università Popolare Nuova Scuola Medica Salernitana, a voluntary association of almost 50 people specialised in different areas (medicine, psychology, biology, engineering); The Storybag, a mall consultancy company designing, organising and facilitating in-company and open workshops and trainings for diverse national and international clients; Ceres Europe(NI) Ltd. ngo/association/social enterprise with "professional storytellers" for disadvantaged groups and experience in working with community & voluntary groups; Imagine d.o.o. a company engaged in developing business software.