Most of the activities usually set up to facilitate meetings between local and international young people around intercultural, linguistic or European citizenship themes and the fight against prejudices happen most of the time face-to-face. In addition, they help to create social ties and promote meetings, which are eminently important given the topics discussed. However, the COVID-19 crisis has risen new challenges on these activities. Not only has the international mobility of young people been greatly slowed down, while international mobility allows the best experience of interculturality and meeting with others. But also the youth and student associations carrying out this kind of activities are greatly weakened because they do not always have the technical, human and financial means to ensure continuity in their actions. The Online Intercultural Meetings project is a response to these two needs: to support youth and student associations in order to continue to carry out quality intercultural activities allowing exchange and meetings, even online. The general objective of the project is therefore to adapt and develop linguistic and cultural learning practices in digital format through pedagogical and technical guides, to organize workshops and online meetings such as international dinners, language cafés, training in European citizenship and the promotion of cultural diversity. This facilitates exchanges between young people and the commitment of volunteers despite the difficult health context. The first beneficiaries of the project are therefore the youth and student associations to support their transition to online activities. These structures benefit from tools to run workshops and choose the most appropriate digital platform according to the selected pedagogical framework. Thus, the structures are trained to use these tools and to implement these online activities. Thus, young people involved in 180 structures are trained and equipped in about 10 European countries. Through them, a minimum of 720 young people are thus reached by these workshops. To achieve these objectives, the Online Intercultural Meetings project is developing three tools: - a pedagogical animation guide with animation frames adapted to the digital format on the following themes: language learning, intercultural encounters, the fight against prejudices and awareness of European citizenship. This guide also proposes an animation framework to help participants identify the skills acquired at the end of these workshops. - a technical guide to present the digital tools (videoconferencing platforms and their possibilities) best adapted to each animation frame. These digital tools will be carefully selected by the project partners thanks to numerous tests and feedback from project participants. - a communication kit to enable the young organizers of the digital workshops to publicize this opportunity. Above all, this communication kit will include short video tutorials to explain in a simple way the use of the digital tools to the participants, so that they encounter as few problems as possible. Methodology to carry out the project The expected results of the project are the following: quality digital workshops are implemented through simple tools for non-formal education actors, especially youth and student associations. The young participants in these activities benefit from a meeting and exchange place adapted to the health context. Thus, they develop new skills, especially soft skills around interculturality. The activities of language learning, multicultural understanding and citizenship learning are accessible to a diversity of youth profiles, including those who are far from international mobility or traditional forms of socialization. These young people are supported in the use of these tools thanks to clear communication and tutorials. On average, 720 young people are reached through 180 youth and student actors in 10 European countries. The impact is intended to be long term. The young people involved in youth and student associations develop digital workshops to complement their actions in the field and enrich the social bond through innovative practices. The participants know how to better interact in an intercultural context and adapt to a constantly changing international context. They also develop academic and professional skills, as well as a greater awareness of European values.
This project sought to set up an exchange of practices, training, and the creation of shared educational tools to enable the best methods and tools to be disseminated among the structures concerned, and to provide support for the target audiences, always adapting to the various societal challenges. The general objective is to adapt and develop language or intercultural learning practices, or awareness-raising about European citizenship, to the health context and to the evolution of digital uses and tools, in particular with a view to the inclusiveness of different audiences. The specific objectives were to cross practices on virtual formats by linking different structures interacting with young people, to propose innovative and inclusive formats and to strengthen the quality of peer-to-peer exchange in the framework of non-formal education despite health barriers
Before the COVID19 pandemic, all the activities put in place to facilitate the welcome, integration, and cultural and linguistic immersion of international and local young people took place face-to-face. The social dimension is an important part of the quality of these activities. This is often the main reason and motivation for their involvement, as the majority of them have already completed one or more mobilities and seek to stay and participate in a dynamic intercultural context. The COVID19 pandemic stopped the intercultural experience of many young people from having access to the same linguistic and intercultural offer and activities. At the same time, volunteers in youth organisations had to reorganise their activities. While some structures had the technical and human resources to set up virtual alternatives, others found themselves at a disadvantage and encountered numerous difficulties. In response to these constraints, there seems to be a need to transform the facilitation methods, the tools, to allow young people to access learning resources in a non-formal setting, via the peer-to-peer link.