Ambassadors of Diversity and non-Discrimination @ new Methods in non-formal Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Ambassadors of Diversity and non-Discrimination @ new Methods in
non-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: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

BACKGROUND. The 3rd EU Youth Goal (2018) states that 1/3 of young people in Europe are at risk of social exclusion. People with disabilities are included in this category and are often victim of indirect discrimination. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes that disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others, furthermore it says that persons with disabilities continue to face barriers in their participation as equal members of the society.
The Eu resolution on the EU youth strategy 2019-2027 add that “disadvantaged youth are usually less active citizens” and that EU can’t waste these talents and can’t afford disengagement among its youth.
In accordance with this background, ADD@ME aims at empowering young people with a Visual impairment (youngsters with Vi) to become KEY PLAYERS IN PROCESSES concerning THEIR OWN SOCIAL INCLUSION at EU level.
The following PROJECT OBJECTIVES represent a concrete way to tackle the above mentioned challenges:
– Foster the social inclusion and the active participation of Vi youngsters through the development of new, innovative youth work practices (the ADD@ME model) to be used by youth with Vi themselves
– Empower and enhance self-confidence, spirit of initiative and self-estime of young people with Vi through the development of a tailormade Blended Training Programme and a set of digital adapted tools
– Combat prejudices and misinformation through the design of new and innovative non-formal learning methods to be used by Vi youngsters in awareness-raising events for their local community
– Encourage young people with Vi to undertake actions of active citizenship and commitment in the society, through the implementation of Awareness Raising events (the ADD@ME Awareness Raising workshops) in order to make their community aware of diversity and disability issues
– Strengthen transnational cooperation among civil society organizations dealing with visual impairment.
To reach these aims the consortium will involve 90 young people with Vi at EU level. On the basis of an interactive process of development and mutual feedback the partnership will elaborate the ADD@ME products: a Blended Training Programme and a collection of digital tools to empower youngsters with Vi and to make them more active in the society through the implementation of Awareness Raising Workshops in favour of their local community.
The development phase will be followed by a comprehensive testing through a Joint Staff Training Event, Local Trainings and a Blended Mobility for Youth.
According to this METHODOLOGICAL ACTION PLAN the main EXPECTED RESULTS are:
IO1-ADD@ME Blended Training Programme for Visually Impaired Youngsters: a training handbook with innovative and adapted non-formal learning methods and e-modules with the aim to empower and boost Vi youngsters’ self-confidence to become active citizens and participate actively in the society (60 p. + 7 e-modules in audio format; EN,ES,FR,GR,IT,PL,RO).
IO2-ADD@ME Mobile Toolkit for Visually Impaired youngsters: a digital tool which contains non-formal learning methods Vi youngsters can use to implement ADD@ME Awareness Raising Workshops. The WebApp will have accessibility and usability features, in EN,ES,FR,GR,IT,PL,RO.
IO3-ADD@ME Online Trivial Game for Vi Ambassadors: an educational online game aimed at increasing local communities knowledge on disability, that can be used as further tool by youngsters with Vi to lead ADD@ME Awareness Raising Workshops. The game will be a WebApp with accessibility and usability features, in EN,ES,FR,GR,IT,PL,RO.
These IOs will be connected with Multiplier Events in each partner country and with a Final Conference in Florence/IT to reach a wide range of target groups and stakeholders.
ADD@ME will develop further outputs necessary to achieve its objectives: Dissemination and Communication Strategy, Quality Management Handbook and reports.
ADD@ME will have an EXTENDED IMPACT on:
1) Direct participants:
– Visually impaired youngsters who will benefit from a readymade model which can empower and increase their self-confidence in order to participate actively in the society
– Youth workers who will acquire new methods to empower and support social inclusion of Vi youngsters.
2) Partner organizations will benefit from the ADD@ME products as they will integrate them in their daily work, replicating them to reach even more youngsters.
3) Other organizations for Vi from all over EU will use the developed tools to empower VI youngsters and to make them actively participate in the society. Thus ensuring a sustainable network of EU organizations in the field.
4) Eu communities will also benefit indirectly from project activities and from the sustainable results as they will be more aware of disability.

Project Website

https://www.ambassadorsofdiversity.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 220928 Eur

Project Coordinator

Unione Italiana Ciechi ed Ipovedenti Sezione Provinciale di Firenze & Country: IT

Project Partners

• OFENSIVA TINERILOR ASOCIATIA
• Polski Zwiazek Niewidomych
• Fundación Docete Omnes
• VISUALLY IMPAIRED EDUCATION AND WORK SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL AISBL
• PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIAS