A warm Touch to The Cold Heart

Start: 03-09-2018 - End: 02-09-2019 Project Reference: 2018-1-TR01-KA101-052532 EU Grant: 43266 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: School education staff mobility

Project Summary

Our project was prepared under Erasmus+ KA1 School Education. Consortium members are Atatürk Anatolian High School, Amasya Anatolian High School and 12 June Anatolian High School.

In our country refugee/immigrant number is explained as 3 million 551vthousand 78 people on 15 February 2017. Only about 800 thousand refugees from Syria are at school age and about %45 of them can go to school.

According to province migration authority data there are 2 thousand 987 registered foreign guests in Amasya and 2 thousand 264 of them are covered by international protection.

The total number of refugee/immigrant students studying in our schools is 623 according to Provincial Education of Ministry. There are 55 students at Kindergarten, 275 at Primary School, 172 at Secondary School and 121 at High School.

Except for Temporary Training Centres, public schools’ not having an appropriate separate training program, registration and equivalence problems, other students’ and especially parents’ reluctance about refugee/immigrant students’ school registration and teachers’ not having enough skill to deal with troubles are basic problems.

With this project, we aim to help refugee/immigrant students (in our schools) integration into both education environment and social life to help teachers and managers have more emphatic view to refugee/immigrant students’ lives. So we aim to communicate with students properly and find solutions about their social and psychological problems. Also providing high academic success, regular school attendance, a wish for staying happy place, increase in their success and social capacity and more healthy plans for future are our aims.

While determining staff from schools, firstly guide teachers then teachers and managers teaching refugee/immigrant students were selected. It was paid special attention to select teachers having most communication with refugee/immigrant students.

A responsible teacher tries to support his/her students by having more information about students’ lives, feeling and ideas. By means of this project, our teachers will have a chance to win a more emphatic view towards refugee/immigrant students’ lives. So they will be able to help them and make them participate in education life with full capacity.

With these trainings refugee/immigrant students’ school absences will decrease, academic success will increase, they will increase their knowledge and skills required in the future by having a better education today and consequently their and their families’ life quality will increase. Staff involved in the project will see different cultures and with cultural interactions, interaction between communities will increase.

Thanks to language training in this project, refugee/immigrant students’ education and social life integration courses and seminars; our teachers will be more cultured and chief architects for building a peaceful society.

All preparations necessary for European Mobility Activities (before and after), airfares, insurance, airport transfers, other transportation and passports will be organized by travel coordinator.

With completion of our project, refugee/immigrant students’ academic performance will increase by connecting proper communication, their school absenteeism will decrease, more realistic solutions will be found to their social and psychological problems, education and social life integration will take place faster, both they and their families will be happier and more successful.

Teachers involved in the project will make cooperation with teachers from other schools. Also with seminars after mobility activities, 150 teachers from all schools in the province will benefit from information, skill and experience. After mobility activities, effective communication seminar will be given to 200 teachers from all schools in the province and participation in this seminar will be provided. Thanks to this seminar, these teachers’ communication with refugee/immigrant students and other students will increase.

The total number of participants in our project is 18. They will have course and examinations about refugee/immigrant students’ integration into education system and social life as groups up 6 in Greece, Italy and Netherlands for 7 days in each country as part of mobility activities.

Coordinator:

• Amasya Il Milli Egitim Mudurlugu - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• Compass Education - NETHERLANDS
• EUROPE FOR ALL - ITALY

BLUE - Blended Learning usability experience

Start: 01-10-2016 - End: 30-09-2018 Project Reference: 2016-1-DE02-KA104-003220 EU Grant: 163265 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: Adult education staff mobility

Project Summary

The adult education centers in Bavaria are confronted with new challenges concerning the continuing digitalization in the educational sector. The development and diffusion of e-learning tools and technology has deeply changed the opportunities for adult education. Therefore, the Bavarian Association of Adult Education (bvv) initiates an Erasmus+ mobility project called “BLUE - Blended Learning usability experience”. We do not see e-learning as a replacement for traditional instructor-led training but as a complement to it, forming part of a blended-learning strategy for the adult education centers in Bavaria. We want to enhance the executive staff, the specialists and the teachers to continuously broaden their horizons, improve their qualifications and facilitate the exchange of know-how amongst the practice groups. Furthermore we would like to provide learners with opportunities for practical knowledge in very experienced institutions as far as Blended Learning is concerned. This includes rapid further development in pedagogy with regard to the use of information and communication technologies and their consistent implementation in teaching. Without a sustainable teaching concept, the technology is almost useless.Corresponding to the migration movements in Europe, the target groups of our members are constantly changing. We try to develop frameworks to support easy and cost-effective access to a wider range of educational opportunities for adults that include elements of blended learning approaches. During the two year-term of the EU-financed project, we plan to send about 99 participants from our associated members, the adult education centres in Bavaria, to different educational institutions among Europe, which offer courses for adults that deal with blended learning issues and are really experienced in the use of it. The bvv will be responsible for the project development, punctuality and proper billing. With our project work we would like to promote the intercultural exchange of ideas and knowledge, an exchange all sides could certainly benefit from. We plan to work with partners from Greece, Estonia, Denmark, United Kingdom and Cyprus.

Website:

Coordinator:

• Bayerischer Volkshochschulverband e.V. - GERMANY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• A' TECHNICAL SCHOOL OF LIMASSOL - CYPRUS
• Valga County Vocational Training Centre - ESTONIA

The Quality Mark in Youth Work

Start: 01-10-2016 - End: 31-05-2017
Project Reference: 2016-2-EL02-KA105-002591
EU Grant: 24983 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals
Action Type: Youth mobility

Project Summary

"The Quality Mark in Youth Work" is a mobility project that will take place in Trikala, Greece, from 6th to 13th December 2016 and It will bring together 31 participants from EU countries and one non EU, in particular from: Malta, Slovenia, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Greece, Romania, Poland and Turkey. It aims at combining new aspects in managing youth organisations by using coaching techniques as a methodology. The project wants to support youth workers and offer them theoretical and practical tools to work with and use when training young people. Therefore, the main objectives of the project are following: - sharing experiences that help to improve organisation management;- identify all fundamentals that influence organisation management , project managemet i, decision making process; - hand over competences to the participants and stimulate a new way of thinking regarding management of youth organisation and realise quality projects in the field of young people ;- establish a partnership with all partner involved ;- create a booklet regarding organisation management in youth organisation ; - support quality and innovative projects that match needs of young people; - promote projects that foster partecipation and active citizenship of young people ;- boost intercultural dialogue;-empower new generation of facilitators and youth workers. The methodology and type of activities will be mainly related to non formal education, coaching, self-expression, simulation games, peer to peer, learning by doing and experimental learning. The important part is that participants are creating the outcome by themselves through their participation and involvement. The result we aim to achieve is to put developed practice and work-forms into book which will be published and spread through project partners and other networks. Once the training is over, participants will implement activities in their own communities and share the information acquired during the course. The ultimate goal of the project is to challenge the traditional ways to manage youth organisation while combining various approaches and bring together different stakeholders. In this way, we strongly believe that we can propose innovative work-forms for facilitators and fellow trainers which can be used in organisation management.

Website: www.facebook.com/groups/977137749052535/

Coordinator:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE

Partners:

• CONSILIUM DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING LTD - UNITED KINGDOM
• Biderbost, Boscán & Rochin - SPAIN
• ISTANBUL VALILIGI - TURKEY
• ZAVOD ROKA, Zavod za projektni management, Cernelavci - SLOVENIA
• EU labour rights - NETHERLANDS
• CLUSTERUL DE ENERGII SUSTENABILE DIN ROMANIA ROSENC/ROMANIAN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY CLUSTER ROSENC ASOCIATIE - ROMANIA
• PRISMS - MALTA
• STOWARZYSZENIE MOJE MARZENIA SPELNIAJA SIE - POLAND

Τrainers' skills development addressed to vulnerable and socially excluded groups

Start: 01-07-2016 - End: 30-06-2017 Project Reference: 2016-1-EL01-KA102-022782 EU Grant: 22710 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: VET learner and staff mobility

Project Summary

Developmental Centre of Thessaly is a certified provider of VET training by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP), provide and support structured learning activities that are addressed to VET and adults and aim to enrich knowledge, to develop and improve skills and competencies, to the development of individual's personality and the sense of active civic, and to reduce the cultural and social inequalities. Particular emphasis is given to the importance of education of members of vulnerable social groups.The term "vulnerable groups" is closely connected to the concept of social exclusion, since people who are members of these groups are considered as vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion. Education and training in general contribute not only to the prevention of social exclusion by providing main education and the necessary initial professional training that is required for the smooth transition of members of vulnerable groups in the labor market, but also to tackling unemployment and to the social integration of members of vulnerable social groups.Our organization, perceiving the importance of additional training and education of members of vulnerable social groups and the complex and challenging role of the instructor, decided to submit a plan under the ERASMUS+ program and the Action KA1 VET education staff mobility. The objective of the proposed project is to train 10 VET educators, staff of the organization, in modern methodologies and practices in education of members of vulnerable social groups.Since in our country specialized seminars that are related to the training of VET educators in the field of education of members of vulnerable social groups are not conducted, the proposed project will complement the training of teachers and will provide them with the necessary tools for the integration of modern teaching methods in the educational process that should be followed in the field of socially vulnerable groups’ education.Through the proposed project, our organization will acquire a labor force of VET educators with high quality and internationally recognized (through ECVET acquisition) training in the field of education of members of vulnerable social groups. In this way all the necessary conditions related to the support of socially vulnerable groups and tackling social exclusion will be created.The proposed project mainly concerns the implementation of a specialized and structured training seminar (2 weeks, 50 hours) concerning modern methodologies and practices in education of members of vulnerable social groups. The seminar is consisted of both theoretical and observation period (job observation) in institutions that deal with vulnerable social groups and VET training. The participants will have the opportunity to observe the practical application of the knowledge and skills they acquired during their theoretical training.

Coordinator:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE

Partners:

• CENTRO STUDI CITTA DI FOLIGNO ASSOCIAZIONE - ROMANIA

Equality in practice and work

Start: 03-07-2016 - End: 02-11-2017 Project Reference: 2016-1-RO01-KA102-024162 EU Grant: 58571 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: VET learner and staff mobility

Project Summary

Starting from the identified need of "M. Kogalniceanu" Theoretical Highschool Snagov (LMK) to offer its students opportunities to develop professional skills in the European context, in the period between 3rd July and 2nd November 2017 it was implemented the project "Equality in practice and work" which offered three mobility flows, during two weeks, in three European countries, for 31 pupils enrolled at LMK, the qualification of Technician in Tourism.

The main purpose of the project was to create the necessary conditions for the development of professional competences at the level of the European labor market requirements for students enrolled in LMK qualification Technician in Tourism.The following objectives have been achieved: the development of linguistic, cultural, social and entrepreneurial skills for the 31 pupils who formed the target group, increasing employment opportunities on the European labor market among graduates student; Improving the practice of internships; gain experience on the implementation of Erasmus + projects by the project team; increasing the international dimension of LMK by developing educational partnerships at European level; increasing the motivation of students to choose the tourist profile. To achieve the objectives and to create the optimal conditions for the internships during the mobility flows we have collaborated with 16 partner organizations.

In the UK, the partner organization was Tellus Education Group, a training provider that provided practical training sessions to its partners. In Greece the partner ANAPTYXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - AKETH has identified and intermediated the collaboration with 8 organizations suitable for internships: To Tsikali; CAFIE FILION; HOTEL NTINAS; PANELLINION HOTEL; OUZERI O VASILIS; Koutsikos Panagiotis; RESTAURANT LADOFANARO; Tsirogiannis E. Kouklas K. and SIA OE. In Lithuania Europos Socialinis Verslumo Ugdymo The Ir Inovatyviu Studiju Institute was an intermediary partner and helped to add 5 new partners: Druskininkai Tourist and Business Information Center; VSI PROFESIJU SPEKTRAS GODA; AB Egles Sanatorija; Grand SPA Lietuva; UAB Drukininku Sveikatinimo Ir Poilsio Centras AQUA.

The target group was made up of 31 VET trainees, pupils enrolled at LMK SNAGOV in the X, XI, XII grade and XIII evening classes, technological branch, services profile, tourism field, the qualification of technician in tourism. The selection of students was made by a special committee approved in the board of directors. For each mobility flow, a separate selection stage was carried out. The participation to selection was free and the selection of the participants was done respecting the principle of equal opportunities and the principle of non-discrimination.

At the stage preceding the mobility flows, there were organized activities to manage the work team, to popularize the project, to select the participants, to draw up the LA Learning Agreements, to prepare the participants for mobility; negotiating and concluding contracts with all service providers in the project.

The activities during the mobility flows were: performing the internship 6 hours a day for 10 days according to LA; initial, intermediate and final assessment; monitoring throughout the internship; cultural activities; accommodation and organizing activities. The mobility flows were: Flow 1, United Kingdom, Plymouth, 20-31 March 2017, 7 students 12 grade Tourism and there was a monitoring visit; Flow 2 in Greece, Trikala, 8-19 May 2017, 16 students (8 -10th grade, 6 - 11th grade and 2- 13 Evening Classes Tourism), 2 accompanying teachers and a monitoring visit; Flow 3 Lithuania, Druskininkai, 8-19 May 2017, 8 students (6- 10th grade and 2 -11th grade Tourism), an accompanying teacher.

When returning from mobility, the individual final reports were completed by each participant, the learning outcomes were equated, dissemination activities, integration of results in current activity, impact assessment were carried out. Dissemination has taken place throughout the project period.

Outcomes and Impact: The 31 participating students have developed their linguistic, cultural, social and professional skills; have gained relevant and useful career experiences; completed the Europass CV with practical experience at European level; have received Europass Mobility certificates; have increased the chances of employment in the field of tourism on the European labor market among pupils; increased the quality of practical internships at LMK level; the managerial team's ability to manage partnerships at European level has been developed; increased the European dimension of the high school through collaboration with 16 partners from 3 European countries; has increased the attractiveness of vocational and technical education.

Coordinator:

• Liceul Teoretic Mihail Kogalniceanu - ROMANIA

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• EUROPOS SOCIALINIS VERSLUMO UGDYMO IR INOVATYVIU STUDIJU INSTITUTAS - LITHUANIA
• IBD Solutions Limited - UNITED KINGDOM
• TELLUS EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED - UNITED KINGDOM
• AB "Egles" Sanatorija - LITHUANIA
• Grand SPA Lietuva -LITHUANIA
• To TSIKALI_/ Papanikolaou I. - GREECE
• UAB Druskininku sveikatinimo ir poilsio centras AQUA - LITHUANIA
• Druskininkai tourism and business information centre - LITHUANIA
• CAFE FILION / Tegos Ath. - Hatzikyriakou M. G.P. - GREECE
• HOTEL NTINAS - SIANAVELIS D. XASIWTIS D. - GREECE
• PANELLINION HOTEL - E. & M. GEORGIOU - GREECE
• OUZERI O VASILIS / Aggoumis V. - GREECE
• Tsirogiannis E. Kouklas K. & SIA OE - GREECE
• Koutsikos Panagiotis - GREECE
• LADOFANARO RESTAURANT - GREECE
• VSI "Profesiju spektras" - LITHUANIA

Employability and Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and IT Industry

Start: 01-10-2014 - End: 30-09-2016
Project Reference: 2014-1-RO01-KA102-000557
EU Grant: 91578 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals
Action Type: VET learner and staff mobility

Project Summary

A successful labour market integration and more mobility of young people are key to unleashing all young people’s potential and achieving the objective of the 75% employment target for the population (20-64 years) sets by the Europe 2020 strategy.Being located in the rural area which has a touristic potential but also a lack of competitive knowledge in IT, Professional Foundation initiated an activity of mobility in the Hospitality Industry and IT domain. The project aims at increasing the employability and entrepreneurship of 28 VET students (some might be under 18 years old, so they need an accompaning teacher on each flow) and VET newly-graduates who have more difficulties in finding a job, through an experience abroad that enriched them with new working skills, together with a cultural heritage that they gained through living and working in a foreign country. The training for each participant was related to their profile and needs.This was determined at different stages: participants were individually interviewed at the promoting organisation, and there were more encounters in order to understand thoroughly the participant’s needs and expectations. Participants were contacted by the receiving organisations before their departure, in order to discuss about the training schedule. Following that the participants and the receiving organisation agreed on the work placement.

Specific Objectives (professional ones)

1.Provide specialisations to pursue a career in the sectors of Hospitality and IT industry;

2.Foster the acquisition of multidisciplinary and transversal methods, tools and skills that could be applied to entrepreneurship in Hospitality and IT industry;

3.Offer participants the possibility of acquiring new professional skills and specific knowledge aimed at the creation and running of micro-enterprises and to be competitive in the European labour market.

4.Ensure a better recognition of competencies gained abroad through formal, non-formal and informal education by applying the ECVET system.

The training content was as follows:

E+HIT followed three stages : Preparation, Implementation of mobility activities and Follow-up.(3 ECVET credits & Europass Certificates)

Week 1: Departure of the participants, met and greeted at the hotel Ntinas, the receiving organisation, welcoming of the participants, induction, and intensive language course (The language course continued , but only in the evenings or week ends, as the participants were occupied with their work placements).

Induction in the host organisation. Meeting the tutor and staff of the organisation. Overview of the organisation and all its departments; Reading all the relevant documents, included those related to health and safety regulations; general assistance; office support. The trainee was assigned basic tasks in order to get familiar with the activities carried out in the organisation.

Weeks 2-3: The trainee was fully integrated in the organisation. He/she gained confidence and some autonomy, s/he was assigned tasks that he/she was able to carry out independently, obviously under the supervision of their own tutor. Depending on the size of the organisation, he/she was assigned to one specific department, depending on his/her skills and training needs.

Week 4: The trainee was involved in more and more challenging tasks and their level of autonomy increased.

The trainee finished any remaining projects or Prepare a Work-In-Progress document for all unfinished and continuing projects for takeover purposes. The trainee also prepared a feedback document on his/her experience to give to the intermediary organisation for monitoring purposes. The host organisation prepared a reference letter for the trainee, while the receiving organisation prepared all the necessary documents . At the end of the 4th week the trainees left their accommodation and they left by coach back to Romania.The Mutual Trust agreement called Memorandum of Understanding signed before the commencing of the placement, recognised each other as competent authority to provide evaluation of Units of Learning Outcomes and stated the quality standards for the evaluation, assumed the recognition by the sending institution of the evaluation done in the host country by assessing : the Learning Agreement, the Personal Transcript and the Learning Units. Finally, knowledge, skills and competences acquired during the stay abroad were recognized in the home country by officially attesting achieved knowledge, skills and competence and, if appropriate, by awarding the respective amount of ECVET points to the mobile learner (3 points). The employers offered someone the chance to gain practical experience in the field, and trained them in a multicultural environment, thus gaining practical experience in an intercultural communication. Nowadays this is a matter of great importance, given the multiculturality of many cities.

Website: http://www.professionalcentre.ro

Coordinator:

• Fundatia Professional - ROMANIA

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE

Building Intelligent Interactive Tutors: Adult trainee-centered strategies for life long e-learning

Start: 01-09-2014 - End: 31-08-2016
Project Reference: 2014-1-EL01-KA104-001256
EU Grant: 22248 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals
Action Type: Adult education staff mobility

Project Summary

The swift growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) and their indisputable intrusion in every kind of production process, work, communication and culture have involved radical changes in all sectors of human activity (Castells, M. 1998, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Vol. 1: The Rise of the Network Society). This changes and their social dimension constitute important priority issues of the agenda of political, economic and educational institutions in the most countries of the world (OECD, 2003.Beyond rhetoric: adult learning policies and practices, Paris).

The constantly changing social-economic environment prompts the person to readapt and constantly improve their skills, knowledge, and dexterities (YPEPTH, 2006. New Information and Communication Technologies in Adult Education) in order to correspond not only in their personal needs but also the rapidly changing needs of the labour market. Adults, in order to satisfy their learning and educational needs that are formed and created by these changes, seek alternatives and opportunities both in informal learning and non-formal education. The integration of modern ICT, especially e-learning, in programs of adult education is, in many cases, the solution and recourse in this search while, at the same time, it constitutes the basic priority of educational policies in most of the developed countries of the world.

The process of electronic learning (e-learning) is not only complicated but also exigent for both the participants/trainees and the teachers/instructors/tutors. The instructor’s contribution in the process of e-learning is catalytic during the process and also for the results. These are some of the reasons that concern the reduction of the leaks of the programs, the elimination of participants’ isolation feeling, and their encouragement (Denis V., et all 2004. Roles and Competencies of the e-tutor.)

In this particular proposed plan, 25 adults instructors of the Developmental Centre of Thessaly will take part. These instructors constitute the corpus of the adults instructors of our organization and they come from different scientific fields (economists, foreign language teachers, professors of ICT etc) so as to reinforce as many educational fields of training as possible implemented by the Developmental Centre Thessaly. As it has already been mentioned, the use of modern technology in the educational process (especially in e-learning) creates high requirements for the instructors as well, who ought to follow a constant reeducational process in order to be highly qualified.

According to this frame and logic our organization (Developmental Centre of Thessaly) has submitted an application for the approval of a plan that aspires to cover the needs of adults tutors participants concerning:

• a) their professional competences and skills
• b) their educational skills
• c) their communication skills
• d)their technological skills.

The activities and the methodology that will be used for the implementation of the plan concern mainly the attendance of a specialized and well-structured professional training seminar (ten weekdays) about the incorporation of e-learning in adult education aiming at the adults instructors/tutors training in modern practices and developments of the branch. The seminar will consist of both theoretical and practical training so that the trained tutors will have the opportunity to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge through not only the creation and management of virtual electronic courses (units) but also the development of short educational material suitable for e-learning process.

Following the principles of ECVET, partnership gives the trainees the opportunity to acquire certified and standard knowledge, dexterities and skills which is one of the main goals of the plan. The fact that the professional training seminar attended by the trainees will take place under the approval, recognition and certification of the Region of Umbria in Italy, shows its importance for the participants’ professional development.

The project will help our organization meet its targets relating to contemporary adult education, online learning, distance learning and open educational resources (Open Educational Resources-OER).

The AKETH will fully exploit the potential of e-learning and in combination with high level trained e-tutors for adults, that will arise from the project, will try to established itself as a major provider of online education for adults.

Website: http://up.aketh.gr/courses/AKETH100/

Coordinator:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - Greece

Partners:

• European Grants International Academy Srls Unipersonale - ITALY