MentorME: PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH FEWER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR HES STUDENTS Erasmus Project

Project Title

MentorME: PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH FEWER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR HES STUDENTS

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Integration of refugees; Inclusion – equity; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

MENTORme is a 28 months’ project designed to support the testing of innovative practices for enhancing HEIs civic engagement. Based on the renewed EU agenda for HE in 2017, which highlights the need of ‘’HE to be inclusive and not just institutions with ivory towers”, the project MENTORme aims to strengthen HEIs interaction with ‘society’ through the development of an online tool for establishing of MENTORING relationships.
The partnership is composed of 7 partners from 5 countries: GR, CY, SP, GE, PL.
The project aims to:
•master Student’s transversal skills and competences;
•for students to become civically engaged through effective guidance and motivation practices;
•develop tools for promotion of civic engagement policies within universities’ ecosystem;
•raise cultural awareness and promote diversity acceptance among HEIs students
•For students to be aware of basic concepts relating to individuals, specific groups, inequality, culture and economic diversity, discrimination, society and culture.

The objectives described above will be achieved through:
•CAPACITY BUILDING BACKPACK including a COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK, a training material and a MENTORING GUIDE for mentors (students), mentees (People in need) and HEIs academic staff(supervisors)
•A CAMPAIGN for outreaching PWFO and raising public awareness on civic engagement actions;
•A dynamic and interactive PORTAL which will serve among others the development of an interactive MENTORme TOOL for posting NEEDS (asking for help) and OFFERS (provision of services).
•An A-Z MENTORme TOOLKIT for organizing the SOCIETIES in HE institutes.

The project is expected to have a direct impact on:
•HEIs students
And indirect impact on:
•HEIs Academics
•PWFO

The target groups will gain multiple benefits from their participation in the developed programme. In particular, STUDENTS will:
•Acquire transversal skills and especially social and civic competences in order to achieve employment, personal fulfilment, social inclusion and active citizenship in today’s fast-changing world
•Gain practical experience during their studies (especially for students who study social and education sciences)
•Acquisition of voluntary experience
•Better understanding the importance of community work;
•More civic engaged beyond the academic community
•Enhanced personal and professional development
•Soften the transition from university to working life
•Understand society’s multi-dimensions in terms of ethnicity, language, economic and educational background
•Enable youth to improve their ability to adapt to changes in the labour market and society.
•Better understand the meaning of contributing for social inclusion;
•Develop a sense of responsibility towards society;
•Be able to develop and update their skills throughout their lives to be able to adapt to change

IMPACT ON HEIs Academics:
•Extending and developing academics skills particularly in the effective teaching of transversal competences to HEIs students.;
•Being able to promote student’s civic engagement through effective guidance and motivation practices organized within the University’s actions;
•educators’ competences –
•Acquisition of a ready to use TOOLKIT for implementing MENTORme SOCIETIES;

IMPACT ON PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS:
•Better prepared for serving the community and raise the awareness of the significance of linking HEIs with the community;
•Development of groups within the partner associations to build up and manage projects related to promoting CE in their countries and transferring their gained expertise;
•Enhanced skills of project management
•Enriched cooperation and networking between CSO, NGOs, HEIs, COMMUNITY, PWFO;
•Strengthening of the organization’s position in their own communities as viable partners and ambassadors for developing civic engagement actions within HEIs liaising with local authorities and other entities for developing new partnerships in the field;

The project seeks to equipped HE staff with innovative teaching material for training HE students to become civically engaged, support HEs students in acquiring transversal skills and competences to meet the demands of the labour market and promote the development of social practices within the University’s actions for promotion of civic engagement;
MENTORme project is innovative as its scope responds to the renewed agenda of EC for an inclusive HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM which highlights the need of building inclusive and connected higher education systems. More specific “Higher Education must play its part in facing up to Europe’s social and democratic challenges” by becoming inclusive, civic-minded learning communities connected to their communities.’’

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 269420 Eur

Project Coordinator

SPOLECZNA AKADEMIA NAUK & Country: PL

Project Partners

• A & A Emphasys Interactive Solutions Ltd
• AKKREDITIERUNGS,CERTIFIZIERUNGS – UND QUALITATS- SICHERUNGS- INSTITUT(AQUIN) EV
• ACTIVE CITIZENS OF MEDITERRANEAN
• UCLAN CYPRUS LIMITED
• Strefa Inspiracji i Rozwoju
• UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID