The European project, Erasmus + "4ever 2gether" is a project aimed at promoting the exchange of good practices for the social and labor market inclusion of young adults at risk of social exclusion. This project has lasted 30 months and has involved five European partners: CPEPA Cuenca Minera (Spain), Curio (Netherlands), Seinäjoen koulutuskuntayhtymä (Finland), Officine Zero (Italy), and Galway and Roscommon Education & Training Board (Ireland). All partners have identified a common need i.e. that there are many young people at risk of social exclusion in our areas due to a lack of academic training. This project has been focused on helping our students with their social inclusion through lifelong learning in adult education as a second chance to become active citizens. In order to achieve this goal successfully, we have also counted on - in this context of work- external partners from institutions that work directly with this profile of students as social workers, psychologists, and youth institutions, all of whom have helped us by acting as a link and support mechanism during the whole project. The three pillars of general objectives which this project has been based on are firstly, to know, learn and apply motivation strategies and educational guidance for young people between 18 and 30 years old who may have difficulties (academic, social, personal, and work-related) that are not allowing them to develop properly in their local environment. Secondly, to know, learn, and apply new active work methodologies that allow students to maintain a positive attitude toward their studies and consequently, towards an active and productive life. Thus, showing them all the possibilities that the adult education system offers them through individualized training itineraries. The third pillar is to know, learn and apply techniques on how to reach the young adult population that brings the school closer to society in order to build an open and accessible school for all by promoting the participation of local entities that actively collaborate in the project. This has been one of the strongest points of the project: to be able to establish relationships that are maintained over time and allow to join the efforts of all the different agents involved in the achievement of a common objective: the social inclusion of young adults at risk of exclusion. The project deliverables have been carried out through regular communication between teachers, students, collaborators from the external associations, and the inspiring figures, called "mentors" in the project. A series of materials have been developed using a digital platform where everything developed during the project has been stored, as well as the drafts, studies carried out, and evaluations of the results of the implementation of these studies. The application of the active methodologies has been carried out in "open classrooms", where teachers, mentors, students, and external collaborators worked collaboratively. The project has been concluded with two European mobilities involving students where knowledge and exchange of ideas, problems, and solutions have been strengthened. The ultimate aim of the good practices exchange among the European partners has been to learn from each other’s similar problems by presenting different points of view to solve them and reaching, as far as possible, a consensus on them. Likewise, our partners have shared and been enriched by the cultural aspects of each country, promoting European and global citizenship and the use of languages. The results and long-term benefits expected from the development of this project and the ones we have achieved are the following: - We have improved our educational practice thanks to the professional enrichment that we have obtained from this exchange of good practices and from sharing our strengths and weaknesses. - We have strengthened ties with nearby institutions; ensuring we will keep collaborating and working together in the future with the aim of helping the social inclusion of those who need it the most. - We have learned techniques for guidance, motivation, and the creation of individualized learning paths that we will put into practice and improve in the upcoming school years. - We expect to have an increment of students between 18 and 30 years old in our classrooms who obtain successful results in their academic training and, above all, feel motivated to continue with this training in the next course years. - We have made an effort to ensure that other adult education schools and institutions that work with young adults are aware of the work we have made in order for them to benefit from the results since we would love to help having an impact on the project to go beyond our institutions.
The more specific objectives to be achieved during the project are: 1. To create a good communication/cooperation network between the partners and between the schools and their own students. For this purpose, we will create a website where the different training pathways will be shown and all the figures involved in the project will be present. different training pathways and all the figures involved in the project will be present. 2. Students will be actively involved in the proposed tasks. 3. To learn how to motivate students. 4. Create individualized training itineraries. 5. To increase the number of enrolments of this type of student and to ensure that these enrolments are maintained over time and achieve successful results. 6. To exchange active methodologies that encourage the creativity of our students. 7. Learn ways to make the offer more attractive: advertising, social networks, ... 8. Promote European values of tolerance, equality, and freedom through adult education. 9. To enrich our teaching work with the exchange of good practices. 10. To reduce school drop-out rates.
It was requested to promote the exchange of good practices aimed at the social and labor inclusion of young adults at risk of social exclusion. The three needs were: to learn motivation strategies and educational guidance for young people between 18 and 30 years old who may have difficulties. To know, learn, and apply new active work methodologies that allow students to maintain a positive attitude towards life and their studies. To know, learn, and apply techniques on how to reach the young adult population, to bring the school closer to society in order to build an open and accessible school for all, encouraging the participation of local entities that actively collaborate in the project. To be able to establish relationships that are maintained over time and allow us to join forces toward the project's objective. Another need addressed has been the application of active methodologies in the "open classrooms" where we have worked collaboratively, which concluded with two European mobilities with students where knowledge and exchange of experiences, problems, and solutions were strengthened. As well as sharing and enriching cultural and linguistic aspects.