Open badges to validate youth work Erasmus Project

Project Title

Open badges to validate youth work

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits); ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

The need for an Open Badges project to recognise and validate youth workers’ competences arose from the direct experience of partners and the analysis of policy documents produced by the European Commission. The European Commission supports the recognition and validation of youth work. The European Youth Strategy (2009) points out the need ‘to equip youth workers with professional skills and promote their validation through the appropriate European instruments (Europass, EQF, ECVET)’. The 2010 Brussels Resolution on youth work invites the Commission to develop ‘instruments for the documentation of competences of youth workers and youth leaders which would help to recognise and evaluate the quality of youth work in Europe.’

Youth organisations can use the BADU Open Badges to validate competencies or achievements of youth workers (for example learning or mastering specific tasks, developing work-related basic and transversal skills, mentoring peers to support their learning, etc). Youth workers, youth educators and volunteers, who work in the youth sector can use the BADU Open Badges to validate social competencies, which are usually not certified by formal or higher education. Open Badges can be collected by different sources and can be stored into a virtual portfolio that can be downloaded and printed in pdf format. The BADU Open Badges are based on the principles of gamification- the application of game-design elements and game principles in educational and work contexts to improve user engagement, flow and learning.

A BADU open badge is a file of the shape of an icon issued to prove skills and/or achievements of youth workers, youth educators and volunteers active in youth work and non-formal learning. The file of a BADU Open Badge contains metadata such as the name of the issuer, learning targets, performance requirements, evidence verifying the credential and expiry date. Youth organisations and youth centres can use the BADU open badges to recognise formal, non-formal and informal learning or achievements (for example learning or mastering specific job tasks, developing work related basic and transversal skills, mentoring peers to support their learning, etc). Youth educators, youth workers and volunteers can use the BADU open badges to show easily their own competencies, as open badges can be shared on social media and online platforms.

The BADU project consortium comprises 4 youth organisations from Germany – Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V. that is the coordinator, Italy – EduMoby, Latvia – Zemgale NGO Centre and Spain – GoEurope. The project consortium has developed a Guidebook which explains briefly and concisely to youth organisations how to issue and award Open Badges that are divided into 2 categories: youth mobility and non-formal learning; and showcases to youth workers, youth educators and volunteers, how to claim their BADU Open Badges. It also highlights the advantages of using the BADU Open Badges and explains how the Open Badges can validate youth workers, youth educators and volunteers’ competencies.

55 BADU Open Badges and Metabadges have been created by the project consortium that refer to youth mobility and non-formal learning. At the beginning the project consortium developed 100 Open Badges in total but after receiving feedback from youth workers and youth organisations as well as from an expert in youth work from TU Dresden, the project consortium decided to reduce the number of the Open Badges so that they correspond to the needs of the target groups. This change was discussed with the NA of Germany that approved this decision.

A Catalogue of Good Practices has been developed by the project consortium which includes experiences and good practices of youth workers, youth educators and volunteers inside and outside the project partner consortium where they describe how they benefited from the use of the BADU Open Badges and how the BADU Open Badges motivated them to further develop themselves. The Catalogue of Good Practices includes additionally information about the status and situation of youth work in the countries of the project partners as well as schemes and diagrams of all 55 BADU Metabadges & Open Badges.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 148213 Eur

Project Coordinator

JUGEND- UND KULTURPROJEKT E.V. & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Zemgales nevalstisko organizaciju atbalsta centrs
• Kairos Europe Limited
• ASOCIACION INTERCULTURAL EUROPEA GO EUROPE
• EduMoby – Educational Mobility for Youth