The current Erasmus+ programme, running from 2014 to 2020, will provide opportunities for 3.7% of young people (YP) in the EU to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad. But what will happen to these 3.3 millions of YP once they get back to their own communities and realities? When we set our feet back into our daily lives after a learning mobility, we often end up asking ourselves: "Have I changed, or them?" And sometimes the most difficult thing, then, is to stay hungry, to keep this energy alive, this desire to say “yes” to the unknown, to diversity, to new opportunities and challenges… and to share the knowledge we gained with our peers and communities, determining what we can do with everything we have learnt. However, there is today a lack of social support and effective and coordinated follow up strategies that could help them to give sense, a posteriori, to the mobilities and that could ensure that this engagement can take place at the local level, above all when this concerns YP with fewer opportunities. What we witness is a lack of connection between mobilities and local impact and the consequent waste of human capital and potentials … like an unfinished rite of passage. This is also partially due to the many challenges and difficulties connected to the recognition of competences acquired during mobilities. That's why "Level UP!" wants to ensure that Erasmus+ mobilities have a strong impact at the local level, as this is a strong gap in the Erasmus Plus program that also recently emerged from the midterm shadow report published by the European Youth Forum (Feb 2018). As youth workers and youth org constantly dealing with international mobilities, we see the incredible potential of strengthening and ensuring the local engagement of YP involved in mobilities: their learnings, their new skills and expertise, their opened minds, innovative ideas and committed souls can have an empowering and powerful effect on the communities they live in, as well as on their peers and co-citizens. Thus, the aim of the project is to to provide them with the tools and the opportunities to channel their engagement and their motivation into the local realities, offering space and time for effective follow up and building up a continuum of experiences that will allow YP to give back to the communities. And we will do so by creating specific digital tools that will help us to "LEVEL UP!" the follow up of learning mobilities! The specific objectives of the project are: - To support the capacity building of youth workers and youth org to implement effective follow up strategies and to ensure local impact of international mobilities - To foster engagement, volunteering and stronger participation of YP involved in international mobilities in their own communities and local realities - To enable YP involved in international mobilities to connect, to get in touch among themselves and with policymakers, public administrations, youth org, civic society org, interest groups, etc. in order to increase youth engagement at the local level as a result of international mobilities - To contribute to the recognition of competences and skills acquired by YP through international mobilities, both in formal, non formal and informal settings - To contribute to the creation of a community of European YP who’ve been part of mobilities abroad and are eager to “give back” to their own local communities The project will last 25 months, from Sept 2018 till Sept 2020, and will target: - around 1400 YP (aged 14 to 30 - 1/3 are estimated to be disadvantaged) - up to 24 youth workers - 4 youth org (ABS/Bulgaria, YEU International/Belgium, DYPALL/Portugal and USB/Greece) - around 120 associated partners The project includes: - TC1 "Capacity building of youth workers and youth org": how to ensure local impact and engagement of YP taking part in European and international mobilities - TC2 "Capacity building of youth workers and youth org": learning how to use the “Level Up” app to engage YP who take part in international mobilities at the local level - 12 multiplier events (8 focus groups within the research and testing phases + 4 dissemination events) - local testing activities in all countries and communities The outputs foreseen are the following: - A thorough research and analysis of existing follow up practices in the youth field and in the field of learning mobilities, including gaps and needs to be addressed both at the local and at the european level -A platform/app "Linkedin-style" matching YP competencies with possibilities to engage at the local level (“Shake your competencies” + Creating an “online community” + “Open calls” to initiate local actions and foster civic engagement, etc) - A publication that will encompass the results of the research phase (collection of good practices for follow up of learning mobilities) and the step by step guide to the app/platform (including tips and tricks to use the tools, etc.).
"Level UP!" wanted to ensure that Erasmus+ mobilities have a strong impact at the local level, as this is a strong gap in the Erasmus+ program that also emerged from the midterm shadow report published by the European Youth Forum (Feb 2018). As youth workers and youth org constantly dealing with international mobilities, we see the incredible potential of strengthening and ensuring the local engagement of YP involved in mobilities: their learnings, their new skills and expertise, their opened minds, innovative ideas and committed souls can have a powerful effect on their communities, peers and co-citizens. Thus, the aim of the project was to provide them with the tools and the opportunities to channel their engagement and their motivation into the local realities, offering space and time for effective follow-up and building up a continuum of experiences that will allow YP to give back to the communities. And we did so by creating specific digital tools that will help us to "LEVEL UP!" the follow up of learning mobilities! The specific objectives of the project were: - To support the capacity building of youth workers and youth org to implement effective follow-up strategies and to ensure local impact of international mobilities
Erasmus+ program provided opportunities for millions young people (YP) in the EU to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad. But what happens to these YP once they get back to their own communities? When we return into our daily lives after learning mobility, we often end up asking ourselves "Have I changed?" And sometimes the most difficult thing, then, is to stay hungry, to keep this energy alive, this desire to say “yes” to the unknown, to diversity, to new opportunities and challenges and to share the knowledge we gained with our peers and communities, determining what we can do with everything we have learnt. However, there is today a lack of social support, effective and coordinated follow up strategies that could help them to give a sense, a posteriori, to the mobilities and that could ensure that this engagement can take place at the local level, above all when this concerns YP with fewer opportunities. What we witnessed is a lack of connection between mobilities and local impact and the consequent waste of human capital and potentials like an unfinished rite of passage. This is also partially due to the many challenges and difficulties connected to the recognition of competences acquired during mobilities.