New Eyes & Toys Erasmus Project

Project Title

New Eyes & Toys

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 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Sometimes children do not appreciate their toys because, being used to see them everyday, they get easily fed up. But, once a new child wants to take their toys, they become jealous and the love for their toys reappears.
Likewise it often happens that people do not appreciate the place where they live and things they have until when another person come and let them understand the real value of their things.
Following this approach the project “New eyes & toys” aimed to let young people find again the love for the place where they live, fostering them to do everything to improve it and be active.
The project involved 30 young people between 20 and 24 so called NEET (Not in Education or Employment or Training) and 6 group leaders (2 for each Country).
The project idea derived from an analysis which was carried out in Klis by the Municipality together with an informal group of young people created in order to establish a Youth Council. The analysis showed that a majority of young people who do not work or study, and are not enrolled in any training course, are generally reluctant to engage themselves within the local community. Young people between 20 and 24 years old were showed to be the group most affected by unemployment and inactivity.
Furthermore they lack essential knowledge on Europe, what it represents and its promotion towards encouraging social inclusion and cultural diversity. Perhaps due to the crisis or lack of opportunities, information and stimulation, many Klis youths manifest a certain apathy towards what is not part of their everyday life.
Following a comparison with the problems encountered by young people in the Municipality of Gavoi (Italy) and Municipalities of Baixo Tâmega (Portugal) we were surprised that they faced similar difficulties. Considering all data, we identified 3 common problems which we aimed to address with the strategic partnership project:
1) youth unemployment (especially due to lack of entrepreneurship and early school leaving);
2) lack of involvement of young people in local decision-making process.;
3) passive citizenship of young people who do not study, do not work and are not enrolled in any training course or initiative.
Methodologies used in the project were non formal, innovative, interactive and based on “learning by doing”.

Through a series of non formal activities (blended mobilities, forum of discussions, workshops, play roles, focus groups, movie making, etc.) project implementation resulted into reaching the following specific objectives:

*Increasing entrepreneurship skills of unemployed young citizens in Klis, Gavoi and Baixo Tâmega
*Reducing the distance between young people and decision makers in Klis, Gavoi and Baixo Tâmega through the creation of a youth council that would help to solve problems of local youth;
*Reducing the number of inactive young citizens (NEETs) in Klis, Gavoi and Baixo Tâmega.
Main outputs will be:
*Completing a guide for youth workers, where trainers, facilitators and people working with young people will find new tools and methodologies to use and replicate;
*Completing a web page for young entrepreneurs, which is different from the web page of the project, collects useful information about procedures to follow in order to open a new activity in Croatia, Portugal and Italy, and includes a space for the interaction of young entrepreneurs and exchange of experiences, ideas and good practices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 98023,86 Eur

Project Coordinator

OPCINA KLIS & Country: HR

Project Partners

• Associazione Culturale Malik
• CONSELHO EMPRESARIAL DO TAMEGO E SOUSA – CETS ASSOCIACAO