All participating institutions provide vocational training for young people with disabilities in accordance with the respective national education system. The increased need for support for young people can take many forms (physical, mental, psychological disabilities, social disadvantages, learning difficulties). The pupils involved in the project usually have neither foreign language skills nor international experience that is common in other schools. The project will involve up to 10 trainees in each institution. The average age of the participants is 19 years, all participants show an increased need for support. Due to the composition of the participating pupils it is particularly important that the project is practice-oriented. For this purpose we will create orchard meadows in two facilities and an insect hotel in one facility. In connection with the project topic of climate and environmental protection, we intend to make it practically accessible to our students, thus increasing awareness and, in the best case, bringing about a change in behaviour. To achieve this, all those involved must acquire the necessary background knowledge before the project can be implemented in practice. These activities, such as the preparation of joint actions or contacting and agreeing with other organisations not directly involved in the project or creating the necessary expertise (mostly in the context of teaching) are carried out in the respective countries, the practical implementation will then take place together in the partner countries. However, it is not only about the internationalisation of the organisations, raising environmental and climate protection awareness, but also about the promotion of the personal competence of our students. We intend to strengthen the personality, increase the self-confidence and self-esteem of our students. Ideally, successful participation in an international project gives our students a head start when applying for jobs in the primary labour market after completing their training. All three partner organisations see themselves as European acting institutions in an international context. It is therefore important to us that we internationalise the structures in institutions (e.g. bilingual or multilingual homepages) but also train our staff interculturally. By internationalisation we mean intensive contact, a permanent exchange of knowledge and experience, international flexibility and cooperation that takes into account other local conditions. We have to make our participants fit for a job market that is looking for intercultural skills and expects international experience. At the end of the project, two orchard meadows will have been created in two countries (Hungary and Germany), taking into account the current developments of the local climate. In Slovakia there will be an insect hotel at the end of the project, which will deal with the extinction of insect species. We will make the results of our project publicly available, and we will also publish the experience we have gained. In all three countries we intend to integrate relevant organisations such as nature conservation and horticultural associations into the project. As the participating institutions have different experiences in the implementation of international projects, we will all benefit from each other. A further effect will be for the participants from the vocational training staff that they will get deeper insights into the respective vocational training system. The way in which vocational training for people with special needs is organised in the partner countries will also be important. The participating institutions also strive for more internationalisation, although experience with international contacts and Erasmus+ projects varies.
The participating institutions have successfully implemented vocational training programs according to the national education systems for young people facing disadvantages in Hungary, Germany, and Slovakia. The increased support needs of these young individuals were effectively addressed, considering various forms such as physical, intellectual, psychological disadvantages, social, or learning difficulties. Students and apprentices in Hungary, Germany, and Slovakia generally lacked foreign language proficiency and the international experiences typical of other schools. Up to 10 apprentices participated at each project site, with an average age of about 19 years. All participants exhibited an increased need for support. Given the composition of the participating students, it was crucial to design the project in a practical manner. In Hungary, an orchard was planted; in Germany, a dry stone wall and a wildflower meadow to enhance biodiversity for insects and small animals were successfully constructed, and in Slovakia, an insect hotel was built. In the context of the project theme of climate and environmental protection, practical experiences were created for the students to foster a deeper awareness and, ideally, induce behavioral changes. Before the practical implementation, the necessary background knowledge was acquired and conveyed to the participants in an understandable form. Preparation for joint activities, contacting and coordinating with other organizations not directly involved in the project, as well as acquiring the necessary expertise, were carried out in the respective countries. The practical implementation then took place collaboratively in the partner countries. The successful participation in this international project gave apprentices and students an advantage in job applications after completing their training. The three partner organizations, understanding themselves as European institutions in an international context, internationalized their structures, including bilingual or multilingual websites and intercultural training for staff. At the end of the project, in Hungary, an orchard with future-oriented tree species adaptable to climate change was created, in Germany, a dry stone wall and a wildflower meadow to enhance biodiversity for insects and small animals were established, and in Slovakia, an insect hotel addressing the decline in insect populations was successfully completed. The project results are publicly accessible, and the gained experiences have been published. In all three countries, relevant organizations such as nature conservation associations and horticultural clubs were integrated into the project, with participating institutions benefiting from each other's diverse experiences in conducting international projects. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the institutions maintained contact between partner organizations and exchanged information through virtual meetings. These adjustments allowed for the successful continuation of the project. Throughout the project, a positive change in attitude toward environmental and climate protection was observed among participating apprentices and students. This suggests that the project had not only short-term but also long-term impacts on the awareness and behavior of the participants. Upon successful completion of the project, the participating organizations expressed their commitment to permanently maintaining and sustaining the project goals at their respective locations. This decision underscores the sustainable impact of the project on the institutions and their efforts in the field of environmental and climate protection. The positive experiences also led all three institutions to explicitly seek further collaborations in the Erasmus+ program, emphasizing their dedication and willingness to continue successful cooperation and undertake future projects.