Context In 2014 several youth work organisations in Europe teamed up. We shared the wish to use the new features of the Erasmus+ KA1 youth programme in order to increase the inclusion and learning of ALL young people, the collaborative level among the partners and the impact of these European youth projects locally. The idea for multi-activity Erasmus+ KA1 youth projects was born. Over the course of the last 2 years we have been collaborating iduring 6 multi-activity Erasmus+ youth programs. Together we have offered a learning environment for a total of 450 young people, 110 youth workers and an estimated amount of at least 60 staff members of all partnering organizations. Together we have experimented and experienced how to develop longer term European learning paths. To combine different mobility activities within KA1 seems to be a successful and valid approach to increase the inclusion for ALL young people. As partnership we seek to bring the experience that we have gained during 6 (multi activity) Erasmus+ KA1 youth projects to a higher level. Using an innovative participatory peer research design we would like to understand the impact of (multi-activity) E+ projects on: 1. the personal and professional development of young people 2. the personal and professional development of youth workers 3. our local communities 4. the quality development within our own youth work organizations Goals and objectives With ImpACT+ we will to contribute to an increase in the quality and outreach of Erasmus+ youth KA1 projects, consequently contributing to the development of young people, youth workers, our local communities and our own youth work organizations. In order to reach this we have formulated the following objectives; - Measure the impact of 6 Erasmus+ (multi-activity) projects that have been developed in different partnerships - Use the impact results to define recommendations for future similar projects - Find efficient ways and strategies to demonstrate the impact of Erasmus+ youth non-formal learning paths in order to gain more support from stakeholders and policy makers in our communities. We believe that the structure and impact of multi-activity Erasmus+ KA1 youth projects have led to strategies and approaches that can easily be integrated in all Erasmus+ KA1 youth projects and are not exclusively preserved for multi-activity projects. Participants The following participants will be involved; -The peer research team consisting of 2 young persons and 1 youth worker per partner organisation. The research group will offer space to ALL young people regardless of their academic level. - 2 researchers (PHD) that will lead the Intellectual Output 1 and mentor the peer research group -2 experienced social workers/youth workers that will support the participants of the peer research group -staff. - >300 respondents that will be part of the ImpACT+ research; young people, youth workers, representatives and stakeholders from the local communities of partners -140 stakeholders and policymakers that take part in one of the 6 multiplier events. -14 participants of the 7 ImpACT+ partners that take part in the project management team. - Approx 25 young people and youth workers from the 7 partner organisations that will be part of the ImpACt+ project; for example as photographer, social media, organisation of the meetings, etc. Methodology & activities ImpACT+ is for a substantial part based on peer involvement and participation. Using a peer based methods in this KA2 are indissolubly linked with the project's objectives, the results, the expertise and identity of this partnership. The desired project results will only be reached when young people and youth workers have an essential role in the creation of it. During the project lifespan of ImpACT+ we combine blended mobility activities with the development of 3 intellectual outputs and 6 multiplier events. The blended mobility period has 3 physical meetings in combination with online work assignments. We designed the blended mobility in a way that young people can be trained as peer-researchers. Involvement not only helps to overcome issues of legitimacy and accuracy of the research, the participants of this team will also directly benefit in their development by stimulating them to develop research skills, to increase confidence, and to enable them to gain ‘real life’ experience in research. Results and impact The are the envisaged potential benefits of ImpACT+ - tangible proof on the impact of 6 Erasmus+ (multi-activity) projects that have been developed in different partnerships - created set of recommendations for future similar projects available on a wide range of channels, helping other youth organizations/stakeholders, therefore young people - recommendations to demonstrate the impact of Erasmus+ youth non formal learning paths in order to gain more support from stakeholders and policymakers
CONTEXT & OBJECTIVES Does international youth work offer a valuable contribution to the development and education of young people? Six youth work organisations from Romania, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Ireland, Lithuania wanted to provide an answer based on sound research. The six organisations collaborated in providing an alternative form of education for young people all over Europe better known as ‘non-formal education’, which is enacted in an international youth work setting. Contrary to formal education, learning outcomes within non-formal education are not measured by standardized testing, but based on self-evaluation and peer assessment. The organisations involved were eager to explore ways to measure the impact of their non-formal educational programmes. In line with their work methodology, this started with the inclusion of young people. Between 2015 and 2017, the ImpACT+ framework implemented six international multi-activity youth programmes financed by the Erasmus+ youth programme. A total of 450 youngsters, 110 youth workers and an estimate of at least 60 staff members were part of these programmes. Although each of the organisations received a significant amount of positive feedback from the (young) people involved, the organisations wanted to get a better understanding of how these programmes contributed to • the personal and professional development of young people, • the personal and professional development of youth workers, • quality development within the participating youth organisations, • the local communities of each organisation. It was evident that young people and youth workers should play an essential role in the project. In collaboration with senior researchers of the research lectoraat Social Work of the Saxion University of Applied Sciences, our seventh partner, an approach was developed where young people were not solely the topic of research, but they were the researchers themselves instead. It was evident that participatory youth research would allow both goals to be reached. This provided the outlines of ImpACT+; a research (IO1) that aims to gather data on the impact of non-formal educational programmes, but also teaches young people to do research. In order to effectively use the outcomes of the research, it was decided that the ImpACT+ research would provide two sets of recommendations developed for youth work organisations and policymakers with the aim: 1. to increase the quality and outreach of international youth work activities, consequently contributing to the development of young people, youth workers, local communities and youth work organisations (IO2) 2. to reach out for more stakeholders, gaining more support, knowledge and recognition for international youth work among stakeholders and policymakers (exhibition) (IO3) PARTICIPANTS & PROFILE PER ACTIVITY IO1 - 21 peer researchers including youth and youth workers, 2 senior researchers, 1 senior NFE trainer and 2 extra authors and 1 designer to finalize the report. 300 respondents that have been participating in the research IO2 - 14 project managers including junior and senior project managers IO3 - 7 young artists, 1 senior researcher, 1 author, 1 designer and 14 project managers, including junior and senior project managers TPM 1, 2, 3 & 4 - In total 14 junior and senior project managers have been working hard to manage the ImpACT+ project Multiplier events - More than 200 people have been welcomed during multiplier events and more events are yet to come ACTIVITIES - 3 blended mobilities consisting of 3 training courses and 3 periods of online collaboration. - 4 transnational project meetings. - 3 Intellectual outputs. - 7 multiplier events in 6 countries and for the remaining part of 2019 more multiplier events are planned RESULTS & IMPACT The ImpACT+ project developed three resource documents that can be freely downloaded and disseminated. https://www.theyouthcompany.nl/en/impact-plus-resources/ IO1 - Research report This participatory youth research shows how non-formal education supports the learning and development of young people, youth workers and their organisations. IO2 - Exhibition Booklet & Posters This exhibition can be used to support your youth work organisation creating more knowledge and recognition of international youth work among local, national and European stakeholders and policymakers. The lessons learned during the research are made available in this exhibition. IO3- Best practices Do you want to increase the outreach and quality of your international youth work? Read the 12 stories for impact in your Erasmus+ youth project. These stories are based on 6 programmes in which 300 young people took part and that had a massive impact. Discover what made it work and how you can do it in your own Erasmus+ youth projects.