This resource pack documents our journey, experiences and reflections as part of
<INSPIRATION EXCHANGE < an Erasmus + KA2 Youth Strategic Partnership Programme. This project was funded by Erasmus+ Youth in Action Programme through Léargas
It will appeal to youth workers/leaders/organisatio ns interested in: l developing more global perspectives in their youth work practice. l the benef|ts of engaging in international youth work. l developing a proposal for Erasmus+ to support a programme.
Youth Key Action 2
Transnational Youth Initiatives
W
Transnational Youth Initiatives
Project Duration
6 months - 3 years
If you are aged between 13 and 30 and motivated to change the world, developing a Transnational Youth Initiative project could be the way to get started! It is a project designed, set up and run by young people, in your own country and in partnership with another group of young people from another European country. Over 6 months to 3 years you and your peers can run a project that addresses an issue or need that you have identified and is close to your heart, giving you the chance to make a change in society. Some examples might be: • • • • •
Supporting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, or minority groups Creating artistic or cultural performances Developing and delivering courses or trainings on entrepreneurship education Creating initiatives that benefit the local community Initiating activities that stimulate civic participation and commitment among young people.
BE
THE
CHANGE
You can implement your project ideas based on an identified need. You can receive the support of a coach, picked by you, who will help you to reflect on what you are learning throughout the project and point you in the right direction in challenging times. Applying through Erasmus+ Key Action 2, Strategic Partnerships, you have the opportunity to get funding towards Project Management & Implementation, Transnational project meetings and Special needs support (if applicable). This is your opportunity to try out ideas, develop your creativity, and nurture your entrepreneurial skills. You can share practices and make a change in your life, the lives of your peers and your community, while having a really valuable European experience.
Leargas.Ireland
www.leargas.ie
Organisation applies via online e-form by 11:00am Irish time A minimum of 2 groups of young people from 2 countries
Deadlines 2016 02 February 2016 26 April 2016 04 October 2016
Project Budget: Project Management & Implementation
(for managing the project planning, communication needs, virtual cooperation, local activities, developing information and promotion tools such as brochures, leaflets and web etc...)
Transnational Project Meetings
(allowing your group and your partner group to physically meet and engage in meetings and activities together throughout the lifetime of the project)
Special Needs Support
(should you be working with people with disabilities there is extra special needs support available too)
@Leargas
1. WELCOME ‘INSPIRATION EXCHANGE – Encouraging Active Citizenship’ was a Strategic Partnership Programme, funded by Léargas and Erasmus +. It took place between New Ross in Wexford, Ireland and Gavoi, Sardinia, Italy from September 2014 to December 2015 and involved 20 young people - 10 from each town. These 15 to 18 year olds participated in activities such as poster-making, hiking and theatre and lots of other adventures and learning throughout the project. The aim of Inspiration Exchange was to create opportunities; to create a space for the young people to explore identity, important issues and their role as global citizens and to allow both countries to share and exchange experiences and views, think about issues from different perspectives and develop empathy and understanding of other young people’s experience. This resource pack aims to tell the story of our project from the beginning to the end, with all the bits inbetween. We hope that our learnings and experiences will inspire other similar projects and that the butterfly effect of inspiration-exchanging will continue. This project was a massive learning curve on many levels. There are many elements to consider in the design, delivery and dissemination of a Strategic Partnership Programme. We wanted to convey this learning in a very accessible and practical way so that it may inspire and support other similar projects. Initially, we proposed to develop a resource pack for youth workers based on the experience and exchange of methods during the project. It was intended to contain activities to stimulate discussion and engage young people in citizenship and social inclusion themes. Highlighting the opportunities available for young people in the Erasmus+ programme and the promotion of youth work was also an important objective. What emerged, however, is a kind of journal of events, reflections and considerations encompassing the above-mentioned but also including important learning outcomes. We hope these will be both useful on a practical level and inspiring on a imaginative level, for the continuation of inspiration exchanges.
Conten
ts
1. Welc o 2. It me a 3. Writ ll kicked off in w 4. Th g an Erasm hen.... e us 5. Met journey begin + applicat ion s hodolog ie s Globa for e 6. Cre l Citizenship xploring at 7. Imp ive tools a 8. Dos ct , 9. Res don’ts & con siderat ources ions
2. It all kicked off when... In January 2014, our journey began. I approached FYDS to initiate a project in New Ross. The deal was: ‘This group is for young people who want to make a change in their lives and their community, who want to learn new things and have new experiences.’ FDYS were very open to this idea and agreed to offer administrative support, a venue for us to work in and public liability insurance.
pport them in County Wexford to su in s ult ad d an le op pe hieve a state of We work with young ge young people to ac ura co en We l. tia ten mental and realising their full po the physical, emotional, g cin lan ba by g ein personal holistic well-b spiritual. tes ges well-being, promo rson centred, encoura pe g youth work un ty ali yo is qu rk of wo ion r Ou gh the provis ou thr ss ne ive lus inc d equality, diversity an ment. fe and trusting environ and takes place in a sa through youth work on process is delivered ati uc ed al re and supports orm n-f no r Ou pport services, childca su ity un mm co d an programmes, youth for volunteers. al educational Ethos , systematic, non-form ed nn pla a is le op pe young people and Our work with young luntarily participating vo th wi rk wo we ich process through wh adults. them in Mission Co. Wexford, to support in s ult ad d an le op pe ntrol of their own To work with young urage them to take co co en to d an l, tia ten realising their full po lives. Core Principles and holding as The work of FDYS is: rights of young people the ing nis og rec d: tre 1. Young person-cen n. d voluntary participatio of young central their active an safety and well-being the g tin mo pro d an g rin 2. Committed to ensu people. velopmental. ness in all its 3. Educational and de equality and inclusive g tin mo pro d an g rin 4. Committed to ensu ople and adults. dealings with young pe rk and committed to ion of quality youth wo vis pro the to d ate dic 5. De nt. continuous improveme
A few girls from the youth cafe’s drop-in group were interested in the project and were given the task of recruiting a group of 10 young people aged between 14 to 17 years. Criteria to be part of this group was to be motivated, committed and open to trying new things. Over the next few months, the girls launched a wonderful recruitment drive. The group didn’t work out for some people, but the girls kept going until we were all happy that they had a committed group of 10, and so the WHOT?! (We Have Opinions Too) group was born. Over the next 6 months, we took part in a lot of team building and creative experiments and established our group identity.
My approach to youth work - Education for Global Citizenship For me, Global Citizenship Education begins with understanding connections: The connection between our experiences and how they inform our attitudes, our attitudes and how they inform our behaviour. How we behave impacts on the people and the environment we are connected to. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world allows us to be connected to more and more people every day through our use of media and what we consume. The key to Global Citizenship Education is about connecting the gap between knowing what should change and creating that change. Imagine if our world was a place where people made decisions based on how it would positively impact on those around us... imagine the transformation! I imagine a much kinder place, a society where people are excited by diversity instead of threatened by it, where our decisions were made based on equality and where actions were taken with kindness, acceptance and understanding. How can these imaginations become reality? I believe we can begin to achieve positive change in the world by incorporating practices of development education into our youth work - by recognising our young people as natural change makers, by encouraging learning with our hearts as well as with our brains and by activating values that will inspire positive change. Through these processes we learn to understand who we are, what we value and our role as global citizens. I think taking action for positive change would be a good step to take to create a better and fairer world. The methodologies used in Global Citizenship Education allow us to guide young people through a process where they will become empowered to make decisions that will have a positive impact in their own lives and the people they are connected to. It aims to create a space for young people to reflect on their role in both local and global communities and identify challenges that they are faced with. We use creative tools to empower the young people to express themselves in a positive way and to take positive steps to overcome these challenges. Inspiration Exchange was about providing the opportunity for the young people involved to explore these concepts. It started with building confidence, awareness and voicing opinions. It was about understanding different perspectives and critical thinking. It was about having new experiences that would allow the young people to think about how they can make a change in the their own lives, their communities and the world by being active, engaged and creative global citizens.
3. THE JOURNEY BEGIN S
April - July 2014
STEP 1: CONSULTATION
This was a busy time for us as we explored further what WHOT (We Have Opinions Too)?! stood for and what we wanted to achieve as a group. We made a series of posters to help us discover this. Consultation with the group started in view of developing an Erasmus + programme. Discussions began with the following questions: 1. 3.
WHOT?! bothers you? WHOT?! would be your dream club?
2. 4.
WHOT?! can we do about it? WHOT?! if …….?
These discussions generated a lot of ideas, visions and material for developing a proposal. In Summary, a strong recurring theme that emerged was that all of the members of the group had experienced negative stereotyping. Possible action to take could be to create events, art and performances that would promote the group in a positive way and allow them to express their opinions. It was about challenging negative stereotypes by using their creativity to contribute to local culture and community. A dream club would consist of: more art, making music, an exhibition, going on a trip, visiting other youth groups, a fashion show and eating pizza in Italy. From this I committed to making their dream club come true – I could see it all happening, except for the fashion show - I know my limits! We agreed to compromise :)
ural Paint a m ap a r Record
Fashion show Eat pizza
...IN
ip
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STEP 2: ERASMUS+ PROPOSAL The initial process can be daunting; there is a lot to get your head around. With a realistic timeline, online resources, some imagination and lots of perserverance it is totally doable. You need to become aquainted with the Erasmus + Programme Guide and look into things like ECAS, legal forms, deadlines etc. All the information you need is on the Léargas website (leargas.ie). And of course you need to find the RIGHT PARTNER – I think this is one of the key things in developing a successful project. There are different approaches to finding a partner - you may wish to attend a partner finding seminar, which are hosted all over Europe. There is also a database on the SALTO website (salto-youth.net) where you can find other organisations interested in developing a programme. Information about partner-finding seminars and training courses can also be found here.
Our partner was Malik Assocaition in Gavoi, Sardinia. I had already established a good working relationship with Malik from past mobility projects, but this was our first project involving young people. We decided to develop a Key Action 2 (KA2) Co-operation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices (Strategic Partnership): Transnational Youth Initiative project. This was a better option for us than the Youth Exchange Programme, it offered us better flexibility for what we wanted to do and achieve. Again, all the information you need about this can be found on the Léargas website. There are 3 deadlines to submit under in KA2; we submitted under the April 2014 deadline.
For pa rtn go to: er-finding Otlas: https:/ /www
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Some Considerations
à 1. Are you eligable to app à 2. Do you have a PIC ly? à 3. Do you have a par nu,mber? à 4 Which Key Action tner?
à à
5
will you apply under? 5. How are you consulting with your young people ? 6. What deadline will you apply under?
TiP!
It is really important that there is a balanced approach between partners.
Project Rationale: ‘INSPIRATION EXCHANGE’ Our project rationale is all about creating opportunities: for the young people involved, their organisations, their communities and the public they engage. It consists of developing a transnational programme that creates a space for the young people involved to explore their identity, issues that are important to them and their role as global citizens. The design of the programme allows both countries to share and exchange experiences and views, think about issues from different perspectives and develop empathy and understanding of other young people’s experience. We will create a series of artworks to that ref|ect the messages we would like to share. We will take these artworks to the streets in both partner countries to perform a ‘street action’. This will give us an opportunity to share our opinions and creativity with the public, activate our citizenship awareness and challenge the negative stereotypes that young people often experience. Using innovative and creative methods, we will create an interactive e-learning platform to exchange practice, methods, promote active citizenship with eachother and also to disseminate our results and outcomes with both partner organisations and the f|eld of youth work at a local, national and European level and other networks.
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On July 30th, 2014, we were issued a letter of acceptance - we had been awarded our grant!
WOOHOOOO!!!
PHASE !: EXPLORATORY PHASE
September - December 2014 This was the exploratory phase of the programme where we explored what is meant by the concept of global citizen. It was about developing critical thinking skills and new persepctives. We used this time to connect with our partners - we sent sent eachother quizzes to teach each other about our countries and culture, we made badges and postcards and posted them to Sardinia and we made a little movie about our group identity to share. Claudia and Valeria came to visit us for the APV (Advanced Planning Visit), they met our group so that they would be sure to match us with the right young people in terms of age, gender mix and background. We did a lot of logistical planning, I took them to the hostel where I was planning on hosting our residential to make sure they felt it would meet the needs of their young people. It was an important time to establish a good working relationship and to establish a clear sense of roles and responsibilities.
PHASE 2: Creative work January - May 2015 In January, we responded to the exploratory phase by creating pieces of public artwork that represented our ideas, values and perspectives. We were interested in creating street art, murals, performance, video and music pieces. We made a mural that was 8 ft by 20 ft long and installed it publicly in New Ross. The group in Sardinia also made a mural.
Have a loo k see what y and think our m ou u is expressin ral g.
We also linked in with Young Social Innovators as part of this phase of the programme. YSI were piloting a Youth in the Community scheme and we became one of the 4 groups to be involved in the pilot. This greatly enhanced our work, it helped us focus and stick to our timeline. We got to meet other young groups and hear about issues they were interested in pursuing and what actions they were going to take. This was an unprecendeted inspiration exchange but a very valuable one.
on Find more info our blog: om/ www.tumblr.c es blog/whotissu
PHASE 3: Transnational Meeting 1 May-July 2015
Video: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=E4Ceudbpuac
This was a very busy time of planning and preparing for our first transnational meeting, which took place in Wexford in June 2015. This week was to really get to know our partners; there was lots of team building and figuring out successful methods of working together.â&#x20AC;&#x2039;Again, creativity played a very important role in connecting both groups. We spent the week in a big old hostel on Carne Beach in Wexford, where there was a strong element of intercultural exchange - a highlight being the demonstration of how to make a Tayto sandwich by Dano! The Sardinian group were obviously very impressed. They taught us their traditional dance and prepared a buffet of delicious local produce from Gavoi. â&#x20AC;&#x2039;We explored things like challenging prejudice and celebrating difference and diversity. We created portrait posters that expressed our values. We explored the beautiful location we were in and took some trips to other parts of Wexford. During that week, we figured out how we could work together as a group. This was challenging at times - the group members were coming from different backgrounds, different expectations, different perspectives and different traditions. We had to overcome some challenging experiences in realising these differences and understanding them. Although it was sometimes difficult, this was where the real learning took place. Both groups began to understand eachother better and friendships started to form. This was magic to observe. It meant that we were ready to really engage in planning our public action and working well together when we got to Sardinia.
July 2015
PHASE 4: Transnational Meetin g2
Off to Gavoi, Sardinia, another amazing experience! The trip to Gavoi was very exciting for us - it was some of the group’s first time on a plane! The weather was glorious when we arrived and the young people kept commenting on how different it felt being there. We went on a wind-y bus journey to Gavoi: a beautiful, quaint little town in the centre of the Island. It was very quiet there, with just a few cars on the narrow cobbledy streets. We spent most of this week outdoors; walking and exploring. There was a lot of learning in this for the Irish group - the schedule had us up and ready to go out walking at 7am! We went on 15 km walks in the heat, which was challenging, to say the least - you can only imagine the amount of moaning and exhaustion! There were a few dramatic scenes. However, this element of the week is what the group still talk about: how proud of themselves they are for doing it and how sometimes, when something is really hard work and you don’t want to do it, it is worth it in the end. Other highlights of this week were theatre workshops, an outdoor swimming pool and invitations to have dinner in the Gavoi young people’s homes with their families. The Sardinians taught us a lot about hospitality and expressed great pride in their families and traditions. At the end of the week, the group demonstrated their learning with a public showcase, which was attended by most of the Gavoi locals, including the Mayor! We were even featured in the local paper!
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqP-X6RBkf0 Check out more images on our Inspiration Exchange blogs! www.tumblr.com/blog/ inspirationexchangewexford www.tumblr.com/blog/ inspirationexchangegavoi
Phase 5: Sharing oF outcomes September - December 2015 The final phase of the programme included writing and recording our rap, final reflections, generating our Youth Pass certificates and developing this resource pack to capture our learning experience. This was followed by the launch of the resource, training of youth workers, a final showcase and a celebration in December.
HOW YOU GONNA LIVE YOUR LIFE? One night I woke up, decided that I’d fall back asleep I woke up the next morning realised that I had a dream How we came to show people what teenagers can be To talk about a world full of love, hope and equality So I stood up and spat a million rythmes at a time There’s people in the streets hungry, sick & dying We cant just ignore it, if we make one mistake it could very well be us CHORUS How you gonna live your life? I hope you’re gonna live it right Find a way to shine your light And make sure you shine it bright How you gonna live your life? Ohh I know you’ll do it right That’s all we’re hearing all the time How you gonna live your life? I want a life where human values can be free Where no matter what colour we can all agree That we can make life peaceful as it can possibly be Because we may just be teens but we have big dreams Dreams of a future of success and happiness Of understanding, kindess and empathy We can be the same and different at the same time Promoting difference is a big part of this rhyme CHORUS Positivity is one of the most important things in life It helps keep your head clear from all the stress and the strife Always be you have the courage to be strong To stand up and address the way the world has gone wrong To make something of yourself, turn your dreams into reality Your own fears are just one of the fights you are battling So get out of your own way and move on with your life May it be a great one, full of Courage, Love & Fight!!
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LĂŠargas Annual Showcase, Dublin Castle
Inspiration Exchange final showcase event, New Ross
4. Methodologies FOR EXPLORING GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP activity 1: walking debate
# PURPOSE & LEARNING OUTCOMES This activity aims to encourage reflection and debate on central issues. It stimulates critical thinking and enocurages the development and communication of individual opinions.
+ METHODOLOGY Everyone gathers in the centre of the room. One sign, ‘Agree’ is displayed at one end of the room, ‘Disagree’ is displayed at the other end of the room. ‘Unsure’ should be displayed in the centre of the room. The facilitator reads out each statement, allowing people to move to the area that suits their opinion best. As the arguments for and against are presented, people can choose to to change their position in the room.
$ PREPARATION Clear the tables and chairs to the side of the room. Define each end of the room as ‘Agree’ and ‘Disagree’, with an ‘Unsure’ area in the middle of the room. Print each statement on a large sheet of paper. It is sometimes easier for the participants to read the statements themselves than to listen to them being read out.
] SAMPLE STATEMENTS N There has never been a better time to be alive. N Young people are more interested in facebook than the refugee crisis. N Globalisation is a good thing. N Ireland is a good place to grow up. N I can make a change in the world. N All young people can be change makers.
. NOTE TO FACILITATOR Encourage debate by calling upon participants to justify their opinion; they must explain why they are standing where they are. You can use the information provided in response to the arguments to to give more fuel for debate. Participants are welcome to move from one statement to another as the debate develops.
activity 2: a-z of global is sues
# PURPOSE & LEARNING OUTCOMES To remind participants of the knowledge they already posess around global issues. To look at the broad range of issues that exist and to discuss what defines a true issue.
+ METHODOLOGY Split participants into groups of 3/4. Pin up a sheet with the alphabet listed, with a gap beside each letter. Give the groups 4 minutes to complete the list of issues. Afterwards, bring the groups back to a full circle and discuss what counts as an issue. Have a debate with the group whether they deserve a point for their answer or not. The group with the most points at the end win.
$ PREPARATION Have sheets prepared with A-Z listed in big, bold writing and stuck to the wall with blue tack. Spread the groups out as much as you can. Each group gets one marker, the idea is to pass the marker around so everyone gets a few chances at writing up a word.
. NOTE TO FACILITATOR Usually when I facilitate this, words come up that are linked to issues and we have important disucssions about effectively naming an issue - for example, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is often written for the letter G, so we discuss what word actually identifies the issue - H : Homophobia! It is interesting to develop this activity further, to discuss what are local and what are global issues. This was one of the activities introduced to us by YSI as part of the Youth in the Community Programme the WHOT?! group participated in.
activity 3: Freeze Frames
# PURPOSE & LEARNING OUTCOMES Freeze frames require scenes, concepts and words to be bought to life by using inventive body shapes or poses.
+ METHODOLOGY Split participants into groups of 4. Have some concepts written on a piece of paper and give one to each group. You can begin with a warm-up and give the participants statements like ‘A day at the beach’. Develop this further by introducing more concepts that are linked to citizenship issues, such as ‘A world of inclusion’. Give the group a few minutes to come up with their freeze frame. Each group then presents their frame to the remaining audience, who may guess what the group is trying to express.
$ PREPARATION Have statements prepared beforehand.
] SAMPLE STATEMENTS N A day at the beach N Shopping in New York City N Young people’s positivity
activity 4: Movement & Connectivity (facilitated in Gavoi by Gisella)
5. CREATIVE TOOLS
# PURPOSE & LEARNING OUTCOMES To explore self-identity, to consider what values are important, to express oneself in a visually effective manner.
+ METHODOLOGY
values posters
Provide participants with materials listed below. Ask them to trace their image onto acetate with permanent marker. Participants should decorate a sheet of a4 paper however they choose with the resources provided. They should include values chosen from the list provided. When the collage is ready, stick it behind the acetate with Pritt Stick. Exhibit and discuss the art created.
$ PREPARATION Have the following materials readily available for all: black&white print out of participants’ faces (preferably Photoshopped in ‘threshold’/stencil style) Pritt Stick a3/a4 sheets of acetate a3/a4 paper (same size as acetate) scissors collage materials (magazines etc.) printed lists of values permanent markers
. NOTE TO FACILITATOR We focused on values here, but this exercise can be adjusted to suit whatever you wish your group to explore - for example, themes of self-identity or active citizenship. It is useful to provide particpants with a list of relevant words for consideration and to cut out to add to their poster.
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Mural images: www.tum blr.com/blog/whot
issues
stop-motion animation
TiP!
iPads and other tablets are fun and accessible tools to engage young people in creativity and self-expression. There are many apps that facilitate this our favourites are Smoovie amd iMovie for iPad
The Smoovie App makes it easy for young people to create stop-motion animations. This allows young people to explore their ideas and express themselves in a new and unusual way. Smoovies are easily shared to youtube when completed. Find the app at www.smoovie.com/for-ipad/
See our anim ations at: www.youtube.c om/ watch?v=-m 5n4tvhh2A watch?v=fK nnBY4iCRs watch?v=yJ k1FPHwOq8 watch?v=lkM rZq9CBrU
music TiP!
TiP!
Music and art workshops will add huge value to your project. Music is loved by most young people and, like art, it has unlimited power - to explore topics, uncover inner emotions and creativity and transverse language barriers. Involving experienced creative facilitators will greatly enhance any project involving young people.
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organisations involved
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Sean Cooke Manager FDYS
Pilar Loring Worker Senior Youth FDYS
The project “Inspiration Exchange” had a big impact on organizational skills of Malik Association. Methodologies used in Ireland were applied by Malik in the implementation of a youth exchange (Erasmus+ KA1) which took place in Gavoi in November (“Glocal Change Through Art and Culture – GLOCART”). The project has also helped to develop and increase Malik Youth Workers’ skills in problem solving and conflict management as well as their experience and expertise in event planning and implementation of projects involving young people with socio-economic barriers at local, national and European levels. Furthermore, Malik had the opportunities to reflect on possible future actions. Participants developed their sense of belongingness to the European Union and their active citizenship. The project helped in promoting cultural diversity and other universal values, as social inclusion, healthy lifestyle, environment protection and participation of young people in decision-making processes. Five of the ten participants of the project “Inspiration exchange”, in November took part in the project “Glocart”. The project had also a huge impact on Participants’ families and the whole local Community, which was involved in each phase of the project and was enriched both at a cultural and at human levels. In terms of global citizenship, the project allowed a greater appreciation, respect and tolerance for other people and encouraged young (participants) and “less young” (families, organizers and community) people to get involved in local actions aimed to solve global issues and, above all, include people with fewer opportunities.
Associazone Culturale Malik
sardinian reflections d way It was a goo h. glis to learn En ensip is Global citiz the useful for of integration . res other cultu
Giuliano g en expriencin ev t, c je ro p g d in interestin been to Irelan It was a very ot n d a h I s a ugh, e project it halfway thro ed in Gavoi, th c n ie er p ex I hat ould June. From w l level and I w ra u lt u c a at . I think that in ga a e enriched me c n ie eat this exper citizens definitely rep read of global sp e th recent due to is something : ia ies and med new technolog tracvel and We are able to iences. live new exper
A ndrea
us to know another The project helped t with people culture and connec so helped us to different to us, It al with other Gavoi s on ti la re od go op devel with the rest of n io at gr te In . ts an inhabit s feel not only the world makes u Gavoi citizens but global citizens.
A nna
It was a good experience th at helped me con nect with a different cult ure. This experien ce has changed me. We have mad e new connections, not only the usual ones.
Pietro
It was a great experience. We discovered a different culture and we managed to create links with several people. We are all global citizens and have many opportuities - such as job opportunties and others - but it is important not to lose our traditions and values.
Domenico This project was very in teresting from my po int of view. I think it promoted in teractions not only between Iris h and Sard ininan young peop le, but also between the Sardinan and Irish amongst themselves .
Valeria
uch so m fects e m ef ed earn rned the ll to play l s a a a h e l s e t c u e for . Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;v nd m proje This in general portant e world a ew h im e to t see n t is t lif abou justice. I ifference titude to n there e at whe ead cial in of so and mak e a positiv part was t also had u t . e a par as given m favourit it done b the craic t h g y o l M t g in . v a ot elf. I ew light e always as ha t myself of ll mys e n w w a o o do s in e as a lot nd g thing omthing t experienc mories a hat took one. I e t g s d was n amazin ds, new m of things got it ed. e w a t n d ie lo iev n and ew fr e done a the e at I ach n t e a d t h I ma fidence. W idence bu oud of w n r of co and conf od and p o t g r o t l f ef s fe alway
reflections from Ire
i< <Ker
The project has impacted me by developing my communication and teamwork skills. We met other youth groups! We made a rap and used our art to inspire people! I have alot more confidence in myself now than when we started this group! I have learned things about cultures, language and social issues from a to z! I would like to live in a more peaceful world!
Jenny (:
The project was a great experience. I learned so many new things - how to understand things more that happen around us, react and get involved more, about places, people, cultures and especially about myself I have grown a lot of confidence in myself that I never had and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy to say I can stand up and speak out it really was a amazing experience and a great crack really will miss it!
Klaudia x
e ght m ct tau eople je o r p p ith The nds w s and it ke frie ie to ma her countr rence and fe ot if d m o o ake n r f ere is easier to m s e h t e m a n e u t c v h e a g be tau is be could . this ntry that it with them eir cou as h t in s t d d s e n t ju ie s r e e f er ar re int they I still you a lture and . s r ou ial u and c rested in y em on soc inte th th ave made w e t unic ow nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t h comm nd I would otten to kn d g a ne r r ia o a d e le m m he t. I with t projec even frinds ithout this at I didnt by h w h t c u y m e r m t h t a coun learned so iencing t u o ab d. I xper existe dinia and e self. know my sar r o o t f g e goin cultur their ldas
Ev a
This project meant a lot to me as there is nothing else in this town for me to do. I learned a lot from it and had a lot of fun throughout it. We got to go on trips to the Carne beach and Sardinia. I am really grateful to Nora and Aisling who made everything happen for us. I made loads of new friends and brilliant memories too. Chloe
eland
in this project rt pa ng ki ta om Fr ltures, about other cu d ne ar le ve ha c. I discrimination et d an ip sh en tiz global ci the art we did. life. I also enjoyed new outlook on a e m n ve gi s Italy. The project ha the project was of rt pa ite ur My favo memories there I made lifelong forget. that I will neve
Aine x
It was the only group in Ross that you learned about different cultures and things that effec t us everyday that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice. We got to know everyone elses opinions on things that effect us daily . It made us more aware of challenging negative sterotypes and seeing things in a new light. We did lots of art as a way of putting positive messages into our group and our community. We matured a lot from the group and now we are all best friends. Thanks for the good craic for the last two years.
Laura :)
art in aking p ned From t ve lear a ct I h je h work o t r u p o y this ps and u o r perience g outh zing ex a m a itive what y n d a ore pos t. I ha I am m . met s e t I is abou a tific lues. ing cer new va g ries. t in u n r o c a achieve e and l iffrent t d r a m t o t, r u r abo age f king a e same ling, ma l h e t v ent e r a l r e p t f peo ut et dif ed abo t to me t o I g . I learn I d n and Irela music to across e m ik o making l r f would groups hat I youth ecide t d reer e a m c same helped e h t e v ha future. in the
Rian
Rian
The project has impacted me because, I understand cultures more than i did before, I have learned new skills in the project such as critical thinking skills, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more tolerant to other cultures than I was before this project began, and I have become closer with my friends, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become more like a family, less like a project.
Dano
e tted m i f e n e has b ns and e m a u tio ogram look at sit different no r p e t Th a w s I no ings from ght me tha a ly e h hug ent t it has tau ice can be, r e f f i d d o ive an all your v an t c e p s m r s ec e p r how heard. W nce! e t t a e m b re it can ake a diffe <3 m Kelly
8. dos, don’ts & Considerations Travel and Logistics N Young people may need a lot of support in getting passports etc.; consider the time, cost and planning that goes into this. N July was peak season and flights were at their most expensive when we travelled, but this is probably the best time for school-going students to travel, so book flights well in advance to avoid them becoming too expensive. N Don’t forget the extra costs of checking-in luggage; it seemed the Sardinians were able to travel with just carry-on but the Irish were not. We compromised in the end and checked in one bag between two. N Local Travel can be very expensive, so consider that when budgeting.
Learning and Partnership N A Trnsnational Youth Initiative must be youth-led through all phases of the programme. N The project coach should play a key role in supporting the young people to participate, overcome challenges and reach their full potential. N Having someone skilled at documenting and social media will really enhance your project. N I learned from the Sardinians how their approach was far more community-based than ours - the entire town played a role in hosting us. The co-ordinators were very well-known in the area and knew of our project. This meant that we were very safe and secure in the town - I trusted the whole town to look after us, which was very reassuring. N You need lots and lots of support to be a good host. From parents, your organization, from your community and from local people.
Relationship Building N Establishing a good relationship with parents was really important, as I knew I had their support and back-up if I needed it. N Finding the right partner is important - good communication and a good relationship is essential during challenging times in the project N Know the young people’s dietary requirements, medications etc.; discuss this with parents. N Use partners’ key strengths to give your programme balance, e.g., the Sardinian group of young people had so much pride in where they came from, they were very connected to the history and the traditions of the area and wanted to share that with us. The learning experience there was more focused on traditions and culture, whereas the residential in Wexford was more focused on education and methodology. In hindsight, this gave balance to the programme, though at times I found it challenging. N We must remeber that different countries and cultures have different approaches, methodologies and pedagogical perspectives in youth work. This is part of the intercultural learning experience.
Considerations for Final Reporting There are lots of considerations, but these ones were key for us. N Keep time sheets of co-ordinator’s time and any other roles for the duration of the project. N Draw up contracts for all concerning roles, be it professional or voluntary. N Proof of attendance of all involved in transnational meetings is important: ie., in the form of a declaration signed by the receiving organisation specifying the name of the participant, the purpose of the activity occurring abroad and its start and end dates.
9. resources
Irish Erasmus+ funding organisation
National Youth Council of
www.leargas.ie
Ireland Resources
Young Social Innovators website
www.ec.europa.eu/program mes/ erasmus-plus/index_en.htm
European database for acc ess to training opportunit ies, projects and resources funded by Erasmus+
youth-workers sce ur so re i/ yc /n .ie h ut .yo w w
w
Erasmus+ website
www.youngsocialinnovators.ie
www.salto-youth.net
Irish Dev-Ed
www.developm
website
enteducation.ie
Ireland
Sardinia
Evaldas Knezevicius Jenny Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hanlon Aine Dunphy Chloe Nolan Laura Richardson Rian Moss Klaudia Lachowska Dano Nolan Keri Murray Kelly Delahunty
Anna Giadia Sanna Andrea Mastio Michele Soru Domenico Sedda Melania Monni Michela Lunesu Pietro Mattu Michele Mattu Ismaela Di Liberto Davide Cidu
Nora Furlong, Project Co-ordinator Aisling Furness, Youth Coach Helen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Keeffe, Documentation
Claudia Sedda, Sardinian Co-ordinator Vakeria Sanna, Youth Leader Anna Piras Sale, Youth Leader