What Design Thinking can do for integration of migrants and refugees Erasmus Project

Project Title

What Design Thinking can do for integration of migrants and refugees

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: The „What design thinking can do for migrants and refugees” project was carried out by organizations from Poland, Lithuania, and Spain. The partnership is composed of two young non-governmental organizations and a university that acts an expert institution. The project is held between 1 December 2018 and 31 December 2019.
OBJECTIVES: The project aimed at equipping youth workers with practical tips and tools for using Design Thinking to integrate migrants and refugees.
PARTICIPANTS: Direct participants: youth workers from partner organizations (8 persons), Indirect participants: youth (25 persons), adults (5 persons), youth workers from other organizations (24 persons), migrants (8 persons), academic teachers (8 persons), other institutions dealing with migrant issues, local authorities, educational institutions, local communities (138 persons)
ACTIVITIES/METHODOLOGY: (1) staff training on Design Thinking, (2) equipping 2 DT mini-labs, (3) activities addressed to youth in order to develop DT solutions as regards integration of migrants and refugees in local communities, (4) testing prototypes with migrants, (5) developing handbook „What Design Thinking can do for migrants and refugees”, (6) four dissemination events, (7) two transnational partner meetings, (8) project management – project administration, managing finance, monitoring activities, promotion, evaluation, dissemination.
RESULTS: 8 Crash-course in Design Thinking certificates, 54 persons involved in elaborating scenarios, 8 migrants involved in testing, 138 participants of dissemination activities, 6 scenarios, 1 handbook (600 copies in 4 languages), 2 DT labs. Other results: acquiring knowledge and skills in using DT methods by youth workers, enhancing creativity and communication skills of youth taking part in local activities, positive changes declared by migrants as regards integration issues, developing institutional capacity and international scope of partner institutions;
IMPACT: developing cooperation with NGOs, local authorities and other organizations taking part in dissemination activities, developing capacity, and international visibility of partner organizations, developing and implementing the „third mission” of UVigo through its cooperation with non-governmental organizations, developing a network of organizations dealing with migrant and refugees issues, disseminating innovative teaching methods, possible impact on creating immigration policies in partner countries, impact on reaching the objectives of European policies (e.g. Strategy 2020) as well as aims and priorities of Erasmus+ program.
LONGER TERM RESULTS: The developed handbook “What Design Thinking can do for integration of migrants and refugees” is the first that applies DT to activities related to migrants. The handbook can be used by both management and entrepreneurship teachers, as an example of practical implementation of DT method, and by persons and institutions dealing with migrants who search for new methods for their activity. The book is open licensed. Youth workers are supposed to use the knowledge and skills acquired during training to run various educational and other statutory activities or to introduce changes in organization management.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 58701,82 Eur

Project Coordinator

“Graceland” & Country: PL

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO
• Eduplius