START

Sustainable Tools for engaging young people with the ARTS

31-03-2021

Duration: 01-03-2021 – 2023-03-01

Project Number: 2020-1-FR02-KA227-YOU-018651

START project aims to develop innovative digital tools and methods for increasing the capacity, knowledge and skills of youth workers, teachers, educators, and training professionals, to acquire the appropriate professional and quality level to support young people, especially with fewer opportunities and/or disabilities for promoting social change through initiatives based on the Arts. The main objective is to provide comprehensive training material and sustainable tools to youth workers, based on modern, artistic and creative methods, as well as competences, in order to engage young people with the Arts, as a way to foster their active participation in EU societies, increase their interest about global issues and recent social crises and enhance their social motivation to develop actions with social impact. The project will engage youth workers who wish to better understand and participate in actions for social change, but also the START project’s scope will be widened as even more people could be benefited from the project outcomes and developed material.

The project has been designed based on the partners’ experience in matters related to youth workers, trainers, teachers, and organizations active in the field of non-formal education and lifelong learning. The project will bring together five partners from five different countries, France, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, and Lithuania, wishing to promote the importance of creating social change and embracing social inclusion in EU societies through engaging young citizens with the Arts and other creative media.

The partners believe that qualitative youth work that meets young people’s needs must link digital considerations with creativity, thus quality learning material and creative tools will be developed. Since the needs are common between EU countries, the transnational character of the project will produce valid tools that could be transferable and applied in other EU contexts with minor modifications and added benefits.

This will be done via the following outcomes: -START Empowerment digital Curriculum (IO1) -Digital START tours for Social Change (IO2) -#STARTathon Methodology (IO3)

START project is expected to have an overall impact on the youth workers, trainers, or educators working in the field of active participation, social dialogue, and social inclusion promoting social cohesion, respect, and collaboration among several stakeholders in EU societies. In particular, the most important impact on the direct target group will be their enhanced competencies. The project focuses to develop responsible, active, and inclusive societies by enriching youth worker’s capabilities and knowledge in the subject, as well as inspiring and motivating them to use Arts and creative methods and media in order to make social actions that foster social cohesion and participation. The proposed project promotes the implementation of interactive digital tools to increase knowledge, skills, and capacity of youth workers and other stakeholders on a better understanding of contacting training that enhances social awareness and active participation of youth citizens about recent global issues. The biggest impact of the project is to recognize the importance of using modern methods that adapt to the demands of society’s needs and socio-economic challenges.

This project will also include three transnational project meetings that will contribute to the preparation, implementation, and evaluation phase of the project as well as five Multiplier Events. Also, a pilot workshop for youth workers will be held in order to transmit the knowledge, motivation, and inspiration among youth workers, enforcing them to assess their professional level about their personal knowledge and skills on implementing actions through artistic and creative media. Moreover, a short-term joint partners’ staff training event will be held in Lithuania with the participation of professionals trainers, tutors, and/or educators in order to train individuals on the developed educational material and tools for engaging young people with the Arts. Furthermore, a local #STARTathon activity will be developed, with the aim to engage youth workers/leaders to create Art projects for social change, following the provided #STARTathon Methodology.

START will provide equal opportunities for everyone to participate, in educational tools, interactive practices, and networking opportunities. All the information and material gathered through this project as well as the developed innovative tools will be digitalized and uploaded on the START website. The partnership will capitalize and build on each other’s and expertise, as well as experience from best practices in their national context, for future circulation and transfer of know-how. Last but not least START the project’s results and outcomes will have both international and local impact as well as clear and tangible benefits and more opportunities for all stakeholders.