Values in Action – Methods Exchange Erasmus Project

Project Title

Values in Action – Methods Exchange

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: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

“Values in Action – Methods Exchange” aimed to promote innovative teaching methods which successfully activate youth and develop their key competences. 4 organizations took part in the project: Atalaya Foundation (Poland) – mainly focused around education and supporting youth and young adults (especially from foster care system) in their quest for designing and fulfilling their plans for self-development, Ljudska uniwerza Radovljica (Slovenia) – who carries out the programme Project Learning for Young Adults, intended for young dropouts, Látótér Foundation (Hungary) – who run a vocational school and carry out educational and cultural projects and events, and University of Porto (Portugal) – Faculty of Fine Arts, whose field of study operates and intervenes within multiple approaches to Landscape and Public Space, with strong social and relational concerns.

VIAME also aimed to promote social entrepreneurship among young people, by allowing them to implement their own projects among others in social enterprises, with a view to meeting challenges and solving problems in their communities. 51 projects have been done – these unique projects were a direct effect of international trainings on which youth was defining their values, searching for common ones and preparing the projects. These projects show how values are implemented in action with the aim to solve problems in local communities.

The main objectives of this project were:
1. Promoting methods used in improving personal development as a tool in helping youth gain competences needed both in the job market as well as in their everyday interactions with their community.
a. developing interpersonal skills, communication skills, self-confidence, team building skills;
b. encouraging transnational bonds between youth leaders.
2. Increasing the quality of working with youth through:
a. dissemination of innovative teaching methods;
b. strengthening and promoting collaboration between countries;
c. facilitating the growth of trainers as well as youth leaders.
3. Promoting social entrepreneurship among young people by allowing them to prepare and conduct their own projects focused on implementing values in action in their communities.
4. Promoting the database which bring together methods of innovative and activating teaching.

The project was based on 4 international trainings (each 6 days, ~16-20 people per training, 70 overall), during which a hosting country presented its innovative methodology by working with it on values:
Poland: British Drama – method of self-development that engages on 3 levels: physical, emotional and intellectual aims to develop a wide range of skills. Horse Assisted Education which aims to deepen individual development, self–awareness and emotional and social skills, and help to achieve the change with the presence of the horses.
Slovenia: PLYA program – In order to better adapt to demands of the disadvantaged youth they work with the program rooted in Transactional Analysis which has been proven to be highly effective.
Hungary: The Seven-Step Configuration Analysis is an interpretation system developed for the understanding of the psychology of pictorial and visual expressions and different forms of art.
Portugal: CCSA – enables youth to develop projects in site-specific, participative, community and educative, making connections, integrating and accompanying them throughout the process of work with the local public.

As results of the projects we created a set of methods description, containing detailed picture of the methods, along with sample exercises and additional resources, training scenarios and materials for each method to be reused by others;
Also, a merit publication is accessible in 5 languages, containing merit articles of how to work with methods in values, additional exercises, mobility experiences and youth leaders’ feedback.

Furthermore, youth participants conducted their “Values in action” social projects to over 1300 people, that addressed most current social problems in their communities. Lastly, 245 persons took part in the 5 conferences and dissemination workshops.
To disseminate project results we had over 164.000 page displays of the created methods database and over 56.000 reach in social media, informing about the project. 242 institutions were sent an email inviting them to visit the methods exchange database.

Main impact on participants:
– increasing knowledge and social competences in the field of innovative learning methods,
– strengthen social entrepreneurship, self-confidence, sense of initiative and responsibility,
– better understanding of other cultures, ways of working with youth
– increasing and improvement of language skills.

Long-term benefits included a new project done in cooperation of Atalaya and LUR for our youth with fewer opportunities. All organizations are using the methods in their work and new projects based on the VIAME experience are being created.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 106185 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fundacja Atalaya & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Civil Centrum Közhasznú Alapítvány
• Ljudska univerza Radovljica
• UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
• Látótér Alapítvány