EDUcate YOUth – Nonformal bridges to formal education Erasmus Project

Project Title

EDUcate YOUth – Nonformal bridges to formal education

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The common problem, horizontally identified in the partner communities in Romania, Italy and Turkey is the lack of skills related to critical thinking and correct information for young people, both in youth and educational sectors. The ofteen distorted online information and the lack of young people’s ability to apply critical thinking in day-to-day life influence their approach towards society, leads to stereotypes and hatespeech. There is no real synergy between youth and education sectors for using non-formal education in a structured format, based on methodology (media literacy and structured information), in order to support critical thinking skills among youngsters, especially for those with fewer opportunities. Critical thinking forms key competencies for career and life, while the formalized cooperation between youth and educational sectors in the consortium countries is inadequate.

Through the project we aim to openly address this issue, in a model of youth-education sectors collaboration, starting from the specific needs identified by each partner among the direct target group (youngsters aged 14-20 years). Through the activities carried out, the project will generate opportunities to develop critical thinking and correct information competences for a target group of over 1,500 people (300 young people direct target group, 1000 young people who will use the e-learning platform, 200 people participating in the 3 events multiplication, 40 youth workers and teachers). Moreover, around 3.000 people and stakeholders will take part in the dissemination activities.

The objectives of EDUcate YOUth are:
O1. Development and consolidation of key competencies regarding critical thinking and correct information among 300 young people aged 14-20 from Romania, Italy and Turkey, by applying innovative learning methods based on a non-formal methodology model and a digital e-learning platform;
O2. Generate a pilot cross-sectoral cooperation model between youth organizations and educational institutions (partners in the project), multiplied on a large scale in a main-stream system, for implementation of non-formal learning innovative methods in the areas of critical thinking and correct information;
O3. Grant access for 200 young people with fewer opportunities aged 14-20, from isolated rural local communities of partners in Romania, Italy and Turkey, to non-formal learning resources, and the development of key competences that stimulate critical thinking and correct information;
O4. Cross-sectoral increase of the organizational expertise for the 4 project partners (youth and education fields), by developing non-formal methodologies that create synergies between the 2 sectors.

To achieve the objectives, the project includes the following activities and results:
1) Development of a non-formal methodology for working with young people, used to develop critical structured thinking and correct information
2) Development of a digital e-learning platform to facilitate the access of any young person, regardless of location, to the methods of correct information and avoidance of misinformation
3) Organizing 2 staff training courses (40 youth workers and teachers) for generating specific professional skills needed in working with young people on critical thinking
4) Organizing 3 events to multiply the results in Romania, Italy and Turkey

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 170960 Eur

Project Coordinator

Asociatia “Tineret pentru Dezvoltare Durabila” & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Liceul Constantin Brancoveanu
• Beyond Borders ETS
• Belen Kaymakamligi