Youth Worker’s role within Europe’s cultural mosaic Erasmus Project

Project Title

Youth Worker’s role within Europe’s cultural mosaic

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: Inclusion – equity; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Strategy in the field of Youth, published in Dec. 17 by the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the EC, stated that the “EU was taking active measures to help some of the most vulnerable people in society hit by the economic crisis of 2008 and its aftermaths: Young people who have fewer opportunities compared to their peer”. It is also described in the same document that young people with fewer opportunities refers to young people who are at a disadvantage compared to their peers as they face one or more of the exclusion factors/obstacles preventing young people from taking part in employment, education, transnational mobility, democratic process or society. Among the 7 main problems or obstacles, they may face we find CULTURAL DIFFERENCES which may affect immigrants, refugees or descendants from these or refugee families, young people belonging to a national or ethnic minority or young people with cultural inclusion difficulties. It is here that the role of youth workers plays a fundamental role with their peers in tackling xenophobic, racist or discriminatory tensions, but for this, it is necessary to identify and promote key cultural competences and new methodologies and updated training activities that respond to cultural and social realities of Europe. The “YOUTH WORKERS’ ROLE WITHIN EUROPE’S CULTURAL MOSAIC” project is aimed to promote and develop key CULTURAL AWARENESS skills in young workers. The objectives of the project is to draw on the strong commitment and expertise of partners to pool knowledge, share those skills requested to youth who want to be youth workers and create new methods for engaging young people in learning more about cultures from across the globe. This will contribute to reduce racism, migrant rejection and foster Europe’s integration. It has been achieved by:- Producing IO1, a desk report by country on current cultural diversity training and plans in the field of youth work and elaboration of a competence grid for youth workers on cultural diversity and cross-cultural issue – Producing IO2, the creation of new training materials on cultural diversity for youth workers and young people who decide to be youth workers – Host three short-staff training events in Spain, Italy, and Denmark, including meetings with local experts to share working methodologies on cross-cultural issues and developing intercultural skills to young people to test during the blended mobilities – Host two blended mobilities in Italy and Spain to promote the values of tolerance, understanding, and appreciation to their peers and help them in developing intercultural skills by participating in different activities – Creating a social network to help dissemination – Define through the training events and blended mobility methodologies and activities for youth workers and publish these in an on-line guide and supporting videos.20 youth/youth workers were selected to participate in the blended mobility. They were young people who wanted to become youth workers and desired to help other young to boost their cultural awareness competences. Some of them were the young people with fewer opportunities and had faced different challenges in their lives due to:- Their social background and problems in terms of adapting to personal, family and social environment. – Difficulties in coping with their migrant status in their city because of previously experienced hostility from the society – Experiences of discrimination/hate crime based on their sexuality, gender, ethnicity and religious beliefs – Experiences of judgment or being stereotyped by people and in the media The final results of the project is an online Tool Guide presenting six activities that have been selected due to their high level of creative output, level of participatory workshop design and learning. Two videos are produced based on the activities carried out in the blended mobilities, to provide a visualization of the training materials.The project contributed to the social inclusion horizontal priority and youth empowerment through a set of activities. The activities support youth work inclusion strategies, encouraged a cross-sector approach to address exclusion in areas such as education, discrimination, employment, social inclusion as well as supporting the development of intercultural awareness. The created Tool Guide and videos promote the principle of tolerance and valuing others, undertake actions to break down barriers and plan the steps they can take to become a role model to enable others to value other cultures and perspectives.The partner organization has developed collaboration and widen their network by involving local stakeholders in the project. Through project websites and the Facebook pages, they have shared the project activities and results to inspire and exchange practices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 58460 Eur

Project Coordinator

Olympic Amager Kultur & Country: DK

Project Partners

• Bluebook s.r.l.
• Cooperazione Sud per l’Europa
• ASOCIACIÓN CULTURAL INTEGRA