Understanding that as we learned in the past, it is no longer effective and meaningful, the concept of lifelong learning, combining all three approaches to learning - formal, non-formal and informal learning, is gradually starting to emerge in schools. European-wide learning approaches are changing, that requires teachers and youth workers to look for innovative learning methods. Likewise, even more schools are using non-formal learning methods that fosters modern organization of the learning process in schools. Therefore it is important to share how formal and non-formal education can complement each other in order to integrate young people more effectively into the learning process. Similarly, when working with young people, the educators must raise their professional competences in order to be able to provide a modern and effective learning environment. The main idea of the project is to bring together formal and non-formal education to explore different creative learning spaces which will give ownership of learning process to the learners. The aim of project is to provide space and support for cross-sectoral cooperation of professionals in formal and non-formal education on innovation of education in order to create contemporary and successful learning environments for young people. Effective learning involves three important aspects: environment, content and emotions. One of the task in the project is to share good practice and experience how to use and act more effectively in all these areas in order to help both educators and young people to learn effectively and with pleasure. The primary audience of the project is teachers and youth workers. Secondary - young people who will indirectly "get" and "feel on their skin" new experiences, methods and approaches from teachers and youth workers. The main project activities: 1. 4 short-term joint staff training events organized in Bulgaria (Sofia), Romania (Bucharest), France (Pau) and Latvia (Ranka, Gulbenes novads). 2. Each visit has an average of up to 14 international participants (2 from each partner and Gulbene Municipality council - 4 participants). 3. Developed 16 (3 of Latvian, Romanian, Bulgarian and France partners and 4 - UK) 1-2 day training programs for the transfer of knowledges. 4. A total of 16 (3 in France, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, 4 in UK) knowledge transfer or follow-up activities will be organized in every partner country after short-term joint staff training event. Minimum - 10 participants in every knowledge transfer activity. In total could be approx. 160 participants. 5. Two coordinators` meetings (first transnational meeting in United Kingdom and the second in Gulbene, Latvia) will be organized during a project. 6. Dissemination event in Latvia, Gulbene, organized with participation of project partner's coordinators. Approx. 40 participants from Gulbene region educational institutions and youth centers. 7. Project results and project publicity will be available to a wider target audience in the media and social networks in Latvia, Romania, UK, France and Bulgaria.
The main aims of this project were to link non-formal education to the school education and practicalities. In this way, complementing teachers' methods and methodological material. Effective learning today is not only learning from books, where the main character of the lesson is the teacher. Today, the teacher needs to become part of the group and team in order to explain the topic in an effective, creative and engaging way. In this way, the project provided an opportunity for teachers to learn these topics and to raise their awareness of formal, non-formal and informal learning and how to integrate these types of education into their teaching approach. In this project, the most trusted teacher companion and friend became a youth worker who helped the teacher understand what non-formal education methods are, where they are used, and give different recommendations for methods. Of course, youth workers take some benefits from this cooperation, they also learned in this way from teachers with considerable experience in their profession. Most importantly, the two professions, each representing their own field of education, had the opportunity to share experiences, observations and methodologies and work togehter. The Effective Learning project has enabled both teachers and youth workers to develop their professional skills, both through talking to one another and learning new methods. The Effective learning project helped teachers and youth workers to learn a variety of creative forms of learning that are relevant to their immediate work responsibilities. The biggest beneficiaries, though not participating in the project, are the children and young people who attend the educational institutions that participated in the project and the youth organizations that participated in the project. All three aspects of learning - environment, content and emotions - were used in the project. The project participants, both within the program and independently of the content of the study visits, shared examples of good practice on how to learn more effectively, how to arrange the classroom more effectively, and how to use the layout to teach children and young people. The Effective learning project also focused on solving non-standard situations and conflicts at school, in the classroom, in different groups. The most important project activities that took place in the project were: • Four study visits were organized to Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania), Po (France) Gulbene (Latvia) - attended by more than 50 foreign participants as well as representatives of local partners; • In total, 16 one- to two-day training programs were developed in the countries following the study visits. • As a result of the study visits and subsequent training sessions, a total of 20 knowledge transfer activities were organized for colleagues, faculty and stakeholders with over 300 participants. • Two partners gained unique Erasmus + experience to transfer to their school work. • In Gulbene, there was an end-result dissemination activity attended by more than 80 participants.