E/I-motion: Unconventional Community Networks and Learning in support of Marginalised Youth Integration Erasmus Project

Project Title

E/I-motion: Unconventional Community Networks and Learning in support of Marginalised Youth Integration

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

E/I:MOTION – Unconventional Community Networks and Learning in Support for Marginalised Youth Integration

Young people are still among the most vulnerable groups in the European Union, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those from the most excluded groups, ex/offenders is one of them. Complementary efforts are needed to assure the necessary and relevant personal and community services for young people at risk of marginalisation and poverty.

The project we propose aims to develop, pilot and provide services, training and support to (i) the communities, in order to prepare the them and their actors to reintegrate ex/offenders and to (ii) young ex/offenders and their young peers in the community, so that they are emotionally fit and enabled for full reintegration.

As this project encompasses several critical themes: MARGINALISATION and EXCLUSION, OFFENDING and RECIDIVISM , EMOTIONAL BARRIERS and IMBALLANCES, SOCIALISATION PATTERNS and STEREOTYPING, THE WORLD OF WORK and EMPLOYMENT, VOLUNTEERING and SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, we needed a partnership with a consistent portfolio of competences, able to interweave these themes into an intervention that is beneficial for our target groups and that advances quality youth work.

We embrace an ONTOLOGY that sees individuals HOLISTICALLY, so we designed the learning route of the marginalised young people as concentric circles, with emotional development as core piece an the rest around it: life skills, transversal competences & employment competences. Also we see individuals as SITUATED, so we target all the layers of the marginalised youth’s environment: detention facilities, ‘outside’ communities, maistream schools, larger social and societal circles. We involve, train and work with actors and stakeholders active in all these layers.

The EPISTEMOLOGY we embrace is one recognising that lifechanging, significant and deep learning can happen in non-formal/informal settings (we do it on the stage with Forum Theatre, on the animal farm with horse therapy , in social cooperatives, through volunteering, in the community with peer support groups, with the help of in-community paraprofessionals, through community events).

We work with YOUNG EX/OFFENDERS who need emotional stability & self confidence in order to manage themselves & to assume the necessary effort towards social integration and participation on labour market. At the end of the transformative process we expect them to be more self confident, readier to relate to peers & support groups, with relevant competences and skills acquired, so that they can confidently participate in community and society. We also work with youth from communities, youth workers and in-community paraprofessionals, whom we provide guidance, training & resources, so that they can develop themselves as confident supporters of vulnerable youth integration.

The OBJECTIVES we pursue: OB 1 enable 70 young ex/offenders emotionally, with life skills and employability competences, OB 2 develop set of innovative educational resources to advance quality youth work and approach development of at risk groups systemically and unconventionally, OB 3 train 68 youth workers to use the Systemic Dialectical Aproach and Theatre of the Oppressed techiques, OB 4 enable 74 young people from communities so that they act as peer network for young ex/offenders towards social reinsertion, OB 5 offer basic training to 60 volunteers to act as in-community paraprofessionals, OB 6 support ‘twinning’ among young people and among youth workers, peer learning and networking so that the gap between community & young people at risk reduces.

We aim for excellency, for shaping a relevant and impactful learning experience for youth, to integrate sustainability factors in project so we CONFIGURED OF ACTIVITIES as: (i) developing of training and learning programs, resources, kits and documents (developing Outputs O1-O4), (ii) youth workers training (C1 and A4), (iii) training of para professionals as in-community facilitators and interfaces (A5), (iv) activities and events to open, enable and prepare the community, including legal proposal (A7, A8), (v) engaging young people in therapy, learning and integrative activities, including employability (A6, A9) and blended mobility (C2), finally, (vi) advancing european youth work and cooperation in partnership (transnational meetings M1-M5 and multiplication events E1-E4).

The MAIN RESULTS & PRODUCT we envisage: (R) 144 young people socialised and enabled for successful integration, 68 youth workers trained to use alternative pedagogies and to support integration of youth at risk, 60 in-community paraprofessionals ready to act in communties, 24 community and public events; (O) a Systemic Dialectical Approach TRAINING PROGRAMME, an Animal Aided Emotion focused Therapy GUIDEBOOK, an Anti Bullying SUIT and a Learning and Networking in the Community for Marginalised at Risk Youth Integration TOOLKIT development

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 193245,28 Eur

Project Coordinator

Asociatia de Terapie Familiala si de Cuplu Timisoara & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Eughenia Società Cooperativa Sociale
• ASOCIATIA HORSEMOTION
• G.G. EUROSUCCESS CONSULTING LIMITED
• Sinergia Società Cooperativa Sociale
• Asociación DAE