The Commission communication Rethinking Education: Investing in Skills for better socio-economic outcomes set up the purpose to sharing best practices on how to promote the creativity and innovative capacity of young people by identifying competences and skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning relevant to employability. They also stressed the need to improve and widen the recognition of non-formal learning, and not just in relation to employability, for example promoting cohesion by formal education and non-formal learning, supporting young people’s innovation and creativity. The role of art and performing arts in formal and non-formal education is relevant to pursuing learning-by-doing methods, reinventing ourselves not only as a person, but also as a group, learning the art to live together through respective differences and attitudes. The specific aims regarding adult education intend to improve and extend the offer of high quality learning opportunities, also extending and developing educators’ competences for better outreach and improved learning outcomes. Main objectives: • Exchange of good practices and teaching approaches from both the Education and the Creative Sector • provide teachers/educators with tools to better respond to learning opportunities and - seek new and more engaging ways of teaching for the modernizing of curricula and find solution for inclusion of disadvantages communities • expand interpersonal relations between direct beneficiaries and between them and their local communities • Increase meaningful skills and reinforce problem solving capacity in learners • reinforce new socio-cultural perspectives in selected target groups • enhance good interactions and mutual comprehension between people from different cultures thanks to the use and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication • foster the creation of experiential learning communities and experience of social inclusion • support best practices of empowerment community and new social ecosystems • reducing social stereotypes related to social conditioning and issues • Support educators to discover and prevent healthy and learning disorders in young learners as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia thanks to the application of performing arts languages • share good practices, professional experience and respective expertise and know-how • reinforce social empathy and kinaesthetic, ideokinetic, cognitive and receptive skills in learners • investigate regarding plans for integrating cultural and creative sectors with educational sectors. The consortium will be composed by 6 organizations located in 5 different countries: UK, Italy, Spain, Germany and Estonia. Sirios Training is a company dedicated to professional training, EU project management, English language and British culture courses. Artemovimento is a choreographic research centre. Euro-net is a non-profit organization giving children, youths and adults these services: information and project development centre; organization of training courses, exchanges and cultural, artistic and sport activities; research activities and sectors studies; counselling and crisis support and prevention; e-learning, networking, training courses and workshops; publications, newspapers and websites. Ost-Passage is a creative association and a theatre for neighbours. Academia Postal3 is a SME committed to training, consultancy projects and development of software projects and online resources. Eesti People to People is a non-profit organization aimed at enhancing international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities. Using non-formal education and training we will develop art and media skills in 18 adult learners from UK, Italy, Spain, Germany and Estonia during a workshop training in the UK. We will select 3 participants per organization involved. Participants are adult experts, teachers and trainers engaged in the field of formal and non-formal education and training methods, such as psychology, pedagogy and social sciences curricula, dancing and holistic methods, social affairs and support of disadvantages groups. They will transfer new methods through implementation of at least 2 educational local activities per country involved, aimed at 30 direct beneficiaries, for a total of 150 direct beneficiaries. Two transnational meetings and a final conference will be organized. Teamwork coordinated by the project promoter will define key assessments, tools and every relevant document regarding methodology followed and applied. Project management plan, including monitoring and evaluation activities, will cover the overall duration of the project, estimated in 20 months. Expected impact on direct and indirect beneficiaries at local, regional, national and transnational level will be multiplier and differentiate. A dissemination and communication plan will be design with the contribution of all partners.
CONTEXT/BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT The Commission communication Rethinking Education: Investing in Skills for better socio-economic outcomes set up the purpose to sharing best practices on how to promote the creativity and innovative capacity of young people by identifying competences and skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning relevant to employability. They also stressed the need to improve and widen the recognition of non-formal learning, not just in relation to employability, for example promoting cohesion through formal education and non-formal learning, supporting young people’s innovation and creativity. The role of art and performing arts in formal and non-formal education is relevant to pursuing learning-by-doing methods, reinventing ourselves not only as a person, but also as a group, learning the art to live together through respective differences and attitudes. The project, focused on adult education intended to improve and extend the offer of high quality learning opportunities, also extending and developing educators’ competences for better outreach and improved learning outcomes. OBJECTIVES • Exchange of good practices and teaching approaches from both the Education and the Creative Sector • providing teachers/educators with tools to better respond to learning opportunities and - seek new and more engaging ways of teaching for the modernizing of curricula and find solution for inclusion of disadvantages communities • expand interpersonal relations between direct beneficiaries and between them and their local communities • Increase meaningful skills and reinforce problem solving capacity in learners • reinforce new socio-cultural perspectives in selected target groups • enhance good interactions and mutual comprehension between people from different cultures thanks to the use and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication • foster the creation of experiential learning communities and experience of social inclusion • support best practices of empowerment community and new social ecosystems • reducing social stereotypes related to social conditioning and issues • Support educators to discover and prevent healthy and learning disorders in young learners as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia thanks to the application of performing arts languages • share good practices, professional experience and respective expertise and know-how • reinforce social empathy and kinesthetic, ideokinetic, cognitive and receptive skills in learners • investigate regarding plans for integrating cultural and creative sectors with educational sectors. The project saw the participation of 6 organizations located in 5 different countries: UK, Italy, Spain, Germany and Estonia, working at different levels with the target groups identified in the project, and able to bring the necessary expertise in order to achieve the project results. NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS: Using non-formal education and training we developed art and media skills in 18 adult learners from UK, Italy, Spain, Germany and Estonia during a workshop training in the UK. Participants were adult experts, teachers and trainers engaged in the field of formal and non-formal education and training methods, such as psychology, pedagogy and social sciences curricula, dancing and holistic methods, social affairs and support of disadvantages groups. The staff were selected according to their expertise, and the possibility to both deliver workshops and the ability to used learned techniques in local events. After the international training each country organised 2 local event with 15 people each, mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds (people with learning difficulties or people at risk of social exclusion), for a total of 150 local participants. During the local events, partners used the methods and techniques learned during the international training event. IMPACT The project gave the participants the chance to: - reinforce experience and know-how about innovative ways of teaching and disseminate cross-sectorial methods thanks to non-formal learning; - discover new ways of practical and performing activities as result of a balanced mix of creative and holistic approach and conventional training and teaching; - broaden audience development thanks to cooperation with other European organizations and enhance knowledge about EU policies and overall objectives regarding education and training; - share experience with other actors active in the same fields of interest and employability, increasing at the same time links and connections with creative sectors. The learners in the local activities had the chance to acquire new creative and social skills to reinforce empowerment of communities, and learn new educational approaches to enhance personal and social responsibilities, change management, problem solving, self-confidence and motivation, physical and mental abilities, and so on.