i-Prepare: creation of an on-line EVS pre-departure preparation tool Erasmus Project
General information for the i-Prepare: creation of an on-line EVS pre-departure preparation tool Erasmus Project
Project Title
i-Prepare: creation of an on-line EVS pre-departure preparation tool
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: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; ICT – new technologies – digital competences
Project Summary
The international volunteering schemes of the EU (ESC and the former EVS/E+) involve the transnational mobility of thousands of young people/year. Our project targeted these volunteers and their supporting organisations (SO-s) offering them an on-line pre-departure preparation tool, increasing this way quality in international volunteering projects. The iPrepare tool (www.iprepare.eu) created in the framework of the project is now freely accessible for all volunteers and SO-s worldwide. It is an interactive web surface offering volunteers the possibility to engage in an on-line learning process and offering SO-s a wide range of materials to support volunteers’ learning prior to departure.
Aims of the project :
– to support the pre-departure preparation of EVS/ESC volunteers, increasing the level of preparation (quality and quantity), making sure that all volunteers get all the necessary information and a chance to reflect on the most important issues related to EVS/ESC prior to their departure;
– to help EVS/ESC SO-s in their preparation activities, offering them a tool to organise the preparation of volunteers, making their work more effective and cost-efficient;
Objective:
– to develop and create an on-line EVS/ESC pre-departure preparation tool, which integrates and supports (but not substitutes for) the face to face preparation done by SO-s.
The project objective has been fully met.
Context and background:
Working as EVS trainers and meeting with many volunteers coming from various realities, we (the initiators of the project) had realised that there were immense differences between the quality and quantity of preparation activities offered by the different SO-s. SO-s lacked adequate resources to carry out a thorough preparation. We had done an on-line survey and consulted with different stakeholders among which the staff of the NA-s, and got reinforced in our view that the issue of pre-departure preparation was worth being addressed to increase quality in international volunteering projects.
Project team:
the project team was composed of 3 organisations, Egyesek from Hungary, Xena from Italy and Cia Cekija from Czechia.
Project activities:
the project was organised around creating one intellectual output: the iPrepare on-line pre-departure preparation tool for volunteers.
The following activities were done:
– preparation
– research
– creation of the tool
– forming the tool (graphic design, programming)
– testing
– finalising (adaptation to test results, proofreading, translations)
– dissemination activities and multiplier events (launching events in the 3 countries)
– final evaluation and closure
We realised 4 transnational project meetings, among which one was an open team meeting where we invited not only the project team but also members of the target group (young volunteers and staff of supporting organisations). Regular monitoring of the project and general project coordination was done by the Hungarian partner.
Results:
The main result is the iPrepare tool (www.iprepare.eu) available in English, Hungarian, Italian and Czech for all volunteers and SO-s on-line.
The research report (data gained during the research phase about EVS pre-departure preparation practices and needs) is also a valuable (by)product of the project (see: https://www.iprepare.eu/upload/research_report_final.pdf).
Impact and long term benefits:
Volunteers will be better prepared. The average number of hours spent with preparation will increase, and the differences in the level of preparation activities received by volunteers at different SO-s will diminish. Departing with a higher level of consciousness, volunteers will benefit more from their projects. The increase in the level of preparedness of the volunteers will also facilitate the hosting organisations’ work.
Supported by the on-line tool, SO-s will be able to prepare volunteers in a more efficient way. Preparation work will be more cost-effective and they will no longer be left alone with this important task. They will get access to a thorough list of topics to be covered during preparation, to concrete on-line exercises to suggest to volunteers and to hints for follow up.
Constructed in a way that it can function automatically, the tool will remain available on-line also after the end of the project.
Presently we are in contact with the team realising the future ESC General Online Training. They know and appreciate iPrepare and have certainly been inspired by our tool – at the moment we are exploring ways of collaboration. We would like to make sure that our tool doesn’t lose its importance after the introduction of the General Online Training but can be integrated in it or become complementary to it in some way.
EU Grant (Eur)
Funding of the project from EU: 67327,32 Eur
Project Coordinator
EGYESEK IFJUSAGI EGYESULET & Country: HU
Project Partners
- Cia Cekija
- XENA CENTRO SCAMBI E DINAMICHE INTERCULTURALI