Knowledge, Enterprise and Young People – supporting youth transitions in the new economy Erasmus Project

Project Title

Knowledge, Enterprise and Young People – supporting youth transitions in the new economy

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; Access for disadvantaged; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

Background of the project
KEYSTONE’s addresses four main challenges which, together, threaten the ‘European project’ and EU2020 objectives and targets: the social and economic models that have served us for decades are no longer fit for purpose; a sustainable future cannot be achieved without the active engagement of the individuals who will be forming the core of our future society – European youth; current systems, structures and models are failing young people; social inclusion, education and training models are also not fit for purpose. Set against this background, KEYSTONE’s main aim is to develop, implement and evaluate an innovative approach to delivering interventions aimed at the socio-economic inclusion of marginalised young people, based on ‘Community Labs’. These Labs aim to explore how at risk young people can play a pivotal role in creating socio-ecological innovations for a sustainable model for change in the EU.

Project objectives
identify the key drivers and constraints to marginalised young people’s participation in social and economic life
design and deliver a Collaborative Support Programme in four Community Labs to support the empowerment of marginalised young people and their creativity in four EU cities that enable young people to become co-producers of social innovations
conduct one action research experiment in each Lab aimed at solving a community problem that affects marginalised young people
evaluate the programme and disseminate the results
assess and support the replicability and sustainability of the KEYSTONE approach at the wider EU level.

Participants
Primary target goup: 100 marginalised young people in four EU cities – Athens, Lisbon, London and Perugia
Secondary target group: youth services – at least 1 youth service organisation will host a Community Lab in each city
Indirect target group: 150 stakeholders covering youth organisations, policy-makers, education providers and researchers, reached through the project Multiplier Events

Activities carried out
Activity 1: Lifeworld Analysis – ethnographic study of ‘lived experience’ of marginalised young people in the Athens, Lisbon, London and Perugia
Activity 2: Development of The KEYSTONE Technical Platform, tools and Knowledge Space, including a ‘K.E.Y’ tool for content creation and sharing and an interactive game
Activity 3: Development of KEYSTONE Community Labs: 2 Labs were set up in London; 2 in Athens; 1 in Lisbon and 1 in Perugia.
Activity 4: Development of KEYSTONE Collaborative Support Programme. The programme combines face-to-face learning workshops with on-line training built around six core modules – Life’s challenges; Needs and Problems; Working with and in the community; Expressing your talent; Education and personal development; Employment opportunities. These are supported with ‘extra-curricular’ activities like photography and filming walkabouts, Kung Fu sessions, radio broadcasting and podcasting, canoeing, mask making, art gallery events, food sharing events, music events, community journalism, beach combing, waste recycling.
Activity 5: Support Programme Implementation and Socio-ecological experiments in 6 Community Labs. The skills acquired through the programme were applied in 7 action research experiments in which the participating young people co-designed and co-produced projects aimed at ‘fixing what’s broken in their communities’.
Activity 6: Evaluation. ‘Scientific realist’ methodology based on Theory of Change. Evaluation report summarises the project resuts and outcomes.
Activity 7: Dissemination & Replication. Dissemination and Sustainability Plan was developed in the early stage of the project and implemented throughout.
Activity 8: Project Management. Project management and monitoring tools designed and implemented

Results and Impact
Outputs:
All planned contract outputs were produced.:
IO1 – KEYSTONE Project Infrastructure and Support (including Lifeworld Analysis Report; K.E.Y. Tool and KEYSTONE Interactive Game)
IO2 – KEYSTONE Collaborative Support Programme
IO3 – Transferability Toolkit
KEYSTONE Evaluation Report

Achievements against key targets:
177 marginalised young people participate (target: 100). 120 sign up for the CSP programme; 77 complete the programme.
7 action research experiments implemented (Target: 4).
2646 visits to website over project duration (target: 5000).
2,000 organisations receive project leaflet/brochure (Target, 1,000).
133 stakeholders attend national multiplier events and final Round Table (target: 150)
76 stakeholder organisations involved in Community Labs (target: 30).

Outcomes
Marginalised youth empowered, re-engaged and their horizons and life chances expanded
Youth services more effective, relevant and joined up
Community social capital enhanced; reduction in tensions and conflict

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 286589 Eur

Project Coordinator

ARCOLA RESEARCH LLP & Country: UK

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDADE CATOLICA PORTUGUESA
• BORGORETE SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE
• UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA SA
• MINDINN MONOPROSOPI IKE