In "ProPaD - Progress on the Path of Digitisation" five volunteering organisations (IBG Germany, Egyesek Hungary, CBB Belgium, INEX-SDA Czech Republic and Lunaria Italy) are working together to advance on the path of digitisation. All five partners are NGOs with a focus on the format of "international workcamps"; all of them have so far used digital tools only as a complementary measure (for communication, recruiting or preparing volunteers, or as a partial element). The cooperation is intended to initiate new impulses and developments concerning digitalisation for the entire international workcamp sector, to develop new formats and to reach additional target groups. We will develop three products during ProPaD: 1. a digital training seminar for group leaders in international workcamps (camp leaders). 2. an advanced module for active camp leaders on the topic of "Inclusion of volunteers with special needs". 3. a new developed and tested format of a "virtual workcamp". Here, at least two tested and trusted approaches to the conceptualisation and design of a digital international workcamp will be presented in a kind of online library, together with the corresponding reports on experiences, challenges, scope, etc. The main question here will be how the implementation of a virtual volunteering project can be designed in such a way that all the characteristic elements of a workcamp, such as "exchange in the international group", "learning together", "volunteering" and "integration into a local community" are reflected. The target group of the products are primarily organisations of international workcamps and other youth exchange organisations. By using the developed products and formats the range of reached young people should be extended and might be an answer the following four aspects: Time pressure: Due to various commitments, many young volunteers do not feel able to spend several days or weeks continuously participate in an international workcamp, an ESC volunteering team or a seminar. Sustainability: We are often asked whether it is really necessary for everyone to travel long distances in order to to get involved in an international volunteering project or to be trained as a campleader. Inclusion: The development of digital opportunites of training and international volunteering enables participation even for people with personal barriers (e.g. low mobility due to physical handicaps, visa barriers etc.). External influences: The current situation clearly shows that a system based entirely on personal meetings is vulnerable to external influences. Even before 2020, there were situations in which projects had to be cancelled or many participants did not reach them (e.g. train strike, storms, volcanic eruptions). Each workcamp is designed in cooperation with a local partner. The "virtual workcamp" format is also intended to address new partners at local level. The new format seems especially interesting for small partner in case hosting a traditional workcamp seems to be too demanding (e.g. local youth facilities, associations, etc.). Fot many of them this will be the first experience with international exchange. The individual Intellectual Outcomes are developed and realised collaboratively by all partners. One organisation will always be in charge of the coordination of an IO, the overall project will be coordinated by IBG. The joint development and technical implementation will be a learning process for the organisations and therefore explicitly not outsourced. Regular meetings of the actors ensure the involvement of all and the joint development. The development of the above-mentioned products will be linked to a comprehensive discussion on "digital formats in the workcamp sector ". This discussion about differences to presence formats, challenges and chances, scope, limits and intensity should be conducted both in and between the participating partners and with other workcamp organisations. In order to achieve the expected effects, ProPaD pays special attention to the dissemination of the results and to maintain the products, keep them usable for us and others and also develop them further. Especially the new format of the "virtual workcamp" requires other organizations to participate in an exchange of volunteers and with their own projects in order to establish the format permanently. We are aware that ProPaD will only be the starting point on the path to developing and establishing digital formats in the workcamp sector. We are also aware that digital fromat can only be an additional offer in supplement to the existing projects. We expect the project to have an impact on the entire international work camp scene by encouraging professionals to use the exemplary products that have been developed and to develop their own projects in this area. The partners involved will also finally agree on further digital development steps.
The central project goal of ProPaD was the joint development and testing of digital tools in the work with volunteers and international volunteers as an important and necessary supplement to the existing offers of the partner organisations and work camp organisations in general. ProPaD focused primarily on training and further education for prospective and already active volunteer group leaders, as well as on concrete forms of digital volunteering in international groups that meet the relevant criteria of the international work camp format. The results have been developed in a form that has produced sustainable effects and products that will prove to be transferable and usable for all work camp organisations, and in some cases already have. The user base is not only limited to European organisations, but the products can in principle be used by work camp organisations worldwide. At the same time, the project debated the basic opportunities, possible applications and the limits and restrictions of digital approaches and tools for the organisations and laid the foundations for follow-up projects. We see ProPaD as an important contribution to the further development of European youth work and the professionals active there.
In "ProPaD - Progress on the Path of Digitisation" five volunteering organisations (IBG Germany, Egyesek Hungary, CBB Belgium, INEX-SDA Czech Republic and Lunaria Italy) were working together to advance on the path of digitalisation. All five partners are NGOs with a focus on the format of "international work camps"; all of them had so far used digital tools only as a complementary measure (for communication, recruiting or preparing volunteers, or as a partial element). The cooperation was intended to initiate new impulses and developments concerning digitalisation for the entire international work camp sector, to develop new formats and to reach additional target groups.