European STEP Erasmus Project

Project Title

European STEP

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits)

Project Summary

The European STudent Engagement Project (STEP) was conducted from 2018 to 2021 by a consortium led by Animafac and composed of 7 organizations (2 associations and 5 universities): Animafac, Dublin City University (Office of Student Life) (Ireland), Volunteer Center of the University of Warsaw (Poland), European University Foundation (EUF) (Luxembourg / Belgium), Observatory for the Validation of Professional Skills of the University of Valladolid (Spain), CY Cergy Paris University (France), University of Vienna (Austria).

According to the 2016 European Quality of Life Survey, the rate of volunteering among young people, and more specifically students, was up compared to 2011 (+5% for students). However, in 2018, the consortium noted that student engagement, whatever its form (associative, political, trade union) was still too often unknown, poorly understood and therefore little valued, whether in France or in other European countries.

The general objective of the project was therefore to contribute to the recognition and valorization of student engagement in Europe, in particular as a factor in the development of transversal competences complementary to the academic path. The “recognition of student engagement” was understood in a broad sense in our project as all the policies/measures/measures allowing to value the commitment (whatever its nature: political, associative, union…) in higher education.

To meet this overall objective, the consortium carried out a number of activities.

First of all, 7 intellectual productions were created:
– A mapping of legislative and regulatory schemes for the recognition of student engagement in Europe (O1)
– A preliminary report on the mechanisms for recognizing engagement in European universities (O2)
– A qualitative study of the mechanisms of recognition of engagement by universities in Europe (O3)
– A guidebook of good practices in the field of recognition of commitment (O4)
– A digital passport Engagement & Competences (O5)
– A European STEP training kit (O6)
– A booklet of recommendations in favour of student engagement and its recognition in higher education (O7)

In addition, the following activities were implemented:
– 6 dissemination events in France, Spain, Ireland, Poland, Austria, which reached a total of 239 external participants.
– A training activity that gathered 28 participants.

Moreover, during these 3 years, the consortium has actively disseminated the results of the project internally and externally, at the local, national and European levels, to students, European higher education professionals (student life offices, pedagogical managers, rectors, etc.), researchers, the media, public authorities, and even the general public. Thanks to European STEP, we estimate that we have reached 150,000 people and more than 500 higher education institutions across Europe.

Through all of these activities, the European STEP project has achieved several outcomes and impacts:
– First, the project has improved the state of knowledge on the notion of student engagement and recognition of engagement in Europe. In doing so, it has allowed us to understand the nuances and differences of approach that exist between the different European countries on this issue, which is a contribution both to nourish the different national approaches, but also to build European policies. As we are approaching the 5th anniversary of the “Loi Egalité & Citoyenneté” enacted in 2017 in France, the project has a particular impact in that it allows us to feed the national reflection with examples from other European countries on the issue of the recognition of student engagement.
– Secondly, the project has made it possible to raise awareness, train and equip both students and professionals in higher education institutions to act in favour of better recognition of student engagement, and in particular of the competencies acquired through it.
– Finally, the project has enabled the valorization of good practices of student engagement recognition implemented by European higher education institutions.

Project Website

https://www.animafac.net/minisite/european-step/european-step-en/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 267087,6 Eur

Project Coordinator

ANIMA’FAC & Country: FR

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID
• CY Cergy Paris Université
• Dublin City University Student finance Committee ltd t/a Office of Student
• EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION-CAMPUS EUROPAE
• UNIVERSITAT WIEN
• UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI