Empowerment of persons under risk of exclusion through development of storytelling professional training in under-equipped EU countries Erasmus Project

Project Title

Empowerment of persons under risk of exclusion through development of storytelling professional training in under-equipped EU countries

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

The background and needs of the project is based on EU-28 data and information on approximately 24% of population being at risk of poverty or social exclusion, disabled people, Roma, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, long-term unemployed, NEETs etc (2014 data. Europe has been facing significant challenges in dealing with its multiculturalism, diversity and social inequity. Northern and Northwester EU countries face inequality challenges better than other EU countries. The reason lies in applying innovative approaches when working with communities, e.g storytelling. The background and needs analysis together with previously successful implementation of other E+ projects and most of all a lack of formal educational modules in the area of storytelling in Europe, lack of professional VET curricula in this field have been recognised as needs for cooperation. This project is therefore based on the real needs of the changing society including the need to empower a growing population of disadvantaged groups across EU, need for implementing new, but well-proven approaches to face current multiculturalism, social inequity and fast changing society, equipping professional workers in psycho-social, employment, education and other support oriented professions with new knowledge and skills to be able to face the more and more challenging diversity and needs, need to employ professional storytelling across EU, need to develop an extended C-VET training and to integrate it in the national C-VET systems.
Specific goals and main results achieved within the project:
– 1 Compendium of storytelling trainings and certifications initiatives in storytelling “The state of the Art on Storytelling in EU”
– 1 C-VET Curriculum “Working with stories” aligned with the EQF (ECVET, EQAVET for recognition of learning outcomes and skills) for professional workers to acquire professional storytelling, thus bringing storytelling closer to a wide range of professionals working with people under risk of exclusion due to disability, ethnic, cultural background, social and economic barriers or other disadvantage; available in 6 languages, tested within a min of 125 final disadvantaged users in 5 “less equipped countries”
– 1 Universal Methodology for professionals, aimed at providing a set of universal guidelines for using storytelling approach regardless of professional background together with supporting video material in 6 languages
– 1 Interactive Platform-OER with interactive on-line modules, videos, games and learning contents
– 1 learning/teaching/training activity.
-1 Business and provision plan describing steps towards embedding storytelling profession into formal national systems in each of the 5 “less-equipped” available in 6 languages
– 1 Final conference for multiplication of project results, promotion of professional storytelling and StoryTeller brand among national and international stakeholders.
The overall long-term effect of this project – “setting foundation for a long term development of Professional storytelling in the “less-equipped” European countries” was reached within tangible results developed and feedback collected through intensive promotion and dissemination campaign.
The project gathered 7 partner organisations: Austria (1), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), Slovenia (2), Spain1, United Kingdom – Norther Ireland (1): Coordinating organisation OZARA d.o.o. – service and disability company (SME) with a mission in the training, employment, vocational rehabilitation and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. Partner organisations included were: Berufliches Bildungs- und Rehabilitationszentrum BBRZ Ö (Austria) – association providing services in the fields of prevention, intensive rehabilitation and health-related organisational counselling and working with adults/youth with health or functional impairments and/or mental health problems; EOLAS S.L. provides advice, consulting and support to optimise all processes related to the design, preparation and management of projects and experience in working with exclusion groups; UNIPOSMS – Università Popolare Nuova Scuola Medica Salernitana, a voluntary association of almost 50 people specialised in different areas (medicine, psychology, biology, engineering); The Storybag, a mall consultancy company designing, organising and facilitating in-company and open workshops and trainings for diverse national and international clients; Ceres Europe(NI) Ltd. ngo/association/social enterprise with “professional storytellers” for disadvantaged groups and experience in working with community & voluntary groups; Imagine d.o.o. a company engaged in developing business software.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 332260 Eur

Project Coordinator

OZARA STORITVENO IN INVALIDSKO PODJETJE DOO & Country: SI

Project Partners

• FRUHMANN PETER
• UNIPOSMS – Università Popolare Nuova Scuola Medica Salernitana
• Berufliches Bildungs- und Rehabilitationszentrum Österreich – BBRZ Ö
• EOLAS S.L.
• Ceres Group Europe (NI) Limited
• Imagine d.o.o.