Context/background of the project International mobilities are used unequally by young adults. Young adults with good educational opportunities benefit strongly from mobility programmes, while young adults with disabilities and low educational opportunities are disadvantaged as participants. The activating methods of non-formal global learning used in international mobility makes it difficult for these young adults to take part on an equal and inclusive basis. Also, young adults with educational disadvantages or disabilities can rarely use existing engagement opportunities and are largely excluded as multipliers and trainers in international non-formal educational activities. Aims of the project Within the framework of this project, concepts and methods are therefore being developed to - break the educational exclusivity of international mobility in the context of preparation, accompaniment and follow-up of non-formal education, - promote the participation of young adults with educational disadvantages or disabilities in the development of non-formal education, - show young adults with educational disadvantages or disabilities opportunities for engagement and enable them to function as multipliers and trainers themselves, - implement new approaches of European non-formal educational work in the field of international mobility. Number and profile of participants Direct participants of the project are 200 pedagogues, trainers, multipliers and former volunteers who are involved in various formats of international mobility. This includes 70 young adults with educational disadvantages or disabilities (people with intellectual, learning-related, physical, sensory or other disabilities as well as people with educational disadvantages - learning difficulties, language difficulties, early school leavers, low-skilled, young people with poor school performance). Activities and methodology The project is divided into four phases: - February 2020 to October 2020 - Development phase: Basics, practices and methods are collected, exercises and learning modules designed and concepts developed. - November 2020 to June 2021 - Trial phase: Inclusive, participative and activating methods are prepared for the target groups and tested with test groups in the environment of the participating organisations. Conclusions for the further development of the modules and concepts are elaborated. - July 2021 to October 2021 - Editorial phase: A method kit, a video tutorial and a trainer concept are elaborated. - November 2021 to January 2022 - Implementation and dissemination phase: Multiplier training courses for professionals, trainers and multipliers are run to make the new methods known and to promote their application. Results and long-term benefits The following results are achieved within the framework of the project: - 1 inclusive method kit for designing trainings for international mobilities will be developed, tested and distributed. - 1 concept for training young adults with educational disadvantages or disabilities is developed, tested and disseminated. - 1 video tutorial is produced to support the learning and implementation of the methods which have been developed. - The materials (method kits, training concept, video tutorial) will be distributed/ and downloaded 3,000 times in printed and 1,500 times in digital form. - 200 trainers, staff involved in deployment, transcultural exchange and youth education as well as multipliers in youth education work (e.g. former volunteers with and without disabilities or educational disadvantages) are trained in the methods and the application of the concept and will be able to apply the methods and the concept in their work. By developing new methodological and conceptual approaches and promoting their implementation, the project offers experts working in the field of international mobility programmes and their organisations the opportunity to implement and to strengthen inclusive processes. Thus, the project impoves the institutional, programmatic and methodological-didactic design of inclusive training measures in the long term. This will enable educationally disadvantaged people and people with disabilities to benefit from international mobility programmes.
Within the framework of this project concepts and methods were developed to break the educational exclusivity of international mobility in the context of preparation, support and follow-up of non-formal educational activities, to promote the participation of young adults with disabilities and/or fewer opportunities, to show them opportunities for engagement and enable them to become a multiplier and trainer in such activities themselves. Following this aim, we wanted to develop useful and concrete tools, methods and concepts that offer exemplary and innovative approaches to inclusive methods and to support people with fewer opportunities as trainers. With the training activities, outputs and activities we produced in this partnership, we aimed to address pedagogues, trainers, multipliers and former volunteers who were involved in various formats of international mobility. At the same time our project was designed to create inclusive settings and to make participants with fewer opportunities to be fully involved in all activities, which included to produce fully accessible outputs.
We noticed, that young adults with disabilities and/or fewer opportunities are disadvantaged as participants in international youth mobilities, e.g. volunteer services or intercultural encounters. They can rarely use existing engagement opportunities and are largely excluded as multipliers and trainers in international non-formal educational activities. Many playful, group-dynamic and activating educational methods used in preparatory seminars and international trainings are not inclusive, as they tend to oversee the support needs of participants with disabilities and fewer opportunities and make it difficult for some to participate on an equal and inclusive basis. Our leading questions were: What can we do to ensure that young adults who are disadvantaged due to their educational background, social situation or disability have better access to international volunteering and exchange programmes? How can we design group dynamic methods so that no one is excluded and everyone benefits equally? And how can we support people with disabilities or fewer opportunities to become trainers themselves.