. Outline of the proposed methodology and approach for the implementation of the ippf safe from sexual and gender-based violence (sfsgbv) programme ** International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network AISBL

Coordination, with Ana Luísa Gomes, of the effectiveness of a programme involving training for teachers from schools in the north of the country, who will apply a toolkit on the prevention of gender and sexual violence in the school context.
Team evaluating the effect of the intervention: Sofia Castanheira Pais (PI), Ana Luísa Gomes (CoPI), Isabel Menezes, Jorge Gato, Pedro Nobre, Norberto Ribeiro, Joana Carvalho, Pedro Ferreira.

Project SCIREARLY: Policies and Practices Based on Scientific Research for Reducing Underachievement and EarlySchool Leaving in Europe

Reducing basic skills failure and early school leaving (ESL) rates is at the centre of strategic and policy priorities for the European Commission. This has become even more critical in a post-pandemic era where students from lower socio-economic status, refugees, migrants, Roma, etc. are not achieving the skills to thrive in life. SCIREARLY is determined to identify, systematise and replicate successful policies and practices based on scientific research that has proven to reduce the underdevelopment of basic skills, including digital skills, while promoting psycho-emotional aspects and well-being. This know-how will contribute to reducing ESL in Europe, enabling upward social mobility for the most vulnerable groups. To this end, SCIREARLY will (1) examine the determinants, including the influence of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) on learning outcomes (2) measure and verify the impact of these determinants on vulnerable groups, identify successful pathways to overcome it (3) map and replicate the most successful practices in tackling low achievement in basic skills (4) develop a framework and tool for diagnosing and improving the quality of ECEC to boost quality learning outcomes for primary and secondary school pupils (5) analyse and propose policy measures to address this issue. As a result, SCIREARLY will provide evidence-based results to recreate and enhance optimal learning environments, reducing underachievement from a preventive perspective, especially for vulnerable groups; this will be done from an interdisciplinary approach and mixed-methods design, including multi-level, quasi-experimental and life-course perspectives. The project is based on a participatory and dialogical approach that promotes the co-creation of scientific knowledge and solutions between educators, students, families, scientists and policy-makers, ensuring the social impact of the project.

Project CARE4SUD Vocational Training in illicit drug addiction: Equipping Health Care Practitioners with Addiction Treatment competences and techniques

This project, funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ Programme (KA 220 VET - Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training), will run from 1 November 2022 to 21 February 2025.
The overall aim of the project is to ensure more excellent professionalism of the healthcare workforce in the field of illicit drug addiction at the national and European levels. In particular, the project aims to fulfil the following specific objectives:

* Contribute to improving counselling skills in illicit drug addiction related to screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment and respond to the current, emerging and growing needs of the vocational training sector by addressing the shortage of drug addiction specialists;
* Provide opportunities for continuous professional development in the health industry and create the conditions to increase human capital capacity and the employability of health professionals;
* Enhance cooperation between educational institutions and the health industry to formulate critical recommendations on the evolution of the addiction skill set and related employment opportunities.

Project Play4life: Jovens ativistas pelo desporto

Associated with an international social phenomenon that takes on a fundamental dimension in the lives of citizens, particularly young people, sport has been neglected in research and public policies as an educational space, a socialising community and a social subsystem capable of contributing to the construction of inclusive societies. This study aims to understand how participation in sporting contexts is associated with the development of young athletes as citizens committed to building more inclusive societies. The aim is to: a) explore the potential of sport to promote socio-educational outcomes linked to the development of civic/political competences and democratic citizenship; b) encourage athletes to participate in the development of actions in/with the community, increasing their sense of belonging and levels of participation in individual and collective actions. The programme "YOUNG ATHLETES AS SPORT ACTIVISTS" is to be built and implemented, based on a participatory research methodology with athletes aged between 12 and 16 from two sports clubs in the Porto metropolitan area. It is hoped that the results will highlight the socio-educational significance of sports contexts as environments for promoting citizenship in young athletes, as well as determining how the dynamics of sports contexts promote democratic and participatory experiences in young athletes.

Associado a um fenómeno social internacional que assume uma dimensão fundamental na vida dos cidadãos, nomeadamente na população jovem, o desporto tem sido negligenciado na investigação e nas políticas públicas como espaço educativo, comunidade de socialização e subsistema social capaz de contribuir para a construção de sociedades inclusivas. Este estudo pretende compreender de que forma a participação em contextos desportivos está associada ao desenvolvimento dos jovens atletas como cidadãos empenhados na construção de sociedades mais inclusivas. Procura-se: a) explorar o potencial do desporto para promover resultados socioeducativos ligados ao desenvolvimento de competências cívicas/políticas e cidadania democrática; b) instigar a participação de atletas no desenvolvimento de ações na/com a comunidade aumentando o sentido de pertença e os níveis de participação em ações individuais e coletivas. Prevê-se a construção e implementação do programa "JOVENS ATLETAS COMO ATIVISTAS NO DESPORTO", assente numa metodologia de investigação participatória com atletas entre os 12 e os 16 anos, de dois clubes desportivos da área metropolitana do Porto. Espera-se que os resultados realcem o significado socioeducativo dos contextos desportivos como ambientes de promoção da cidadania de jovens atletas, assim como, determinar como é que a dinâmica dos contextos desportivos promove experiências democráticas e participativas nos/as jovens atletas.

SCIREARLY: Policies and Practices Based on Scientific Research for Reducing Underachievement and Early School Leaving in Europe

Reducing underachievement in basic skills and Early School Leaving (ESL) rates is at the core of the strategic and political priorities for the European Commission. This has become even more critical in a post-pandemic era where students coming from lower socioeconomic status, refugees, migrants, Roma, etc. are not reaching the competencies to thrive in life.

SCIREARLY is determined to identify, systematize and replicate successful policies and practices based on scientific research that has proven to reduce underachievement in basic skills, including digital skills, while fostering psycho-emotional aspects and well-being. This know-how will contribute to reducing ESL in Europe, enabling upward social mobility for the most vulnerable groups. To this aim, SCIREARLY will (1) examine the determinants, including the influence of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) in learning outcomes (2) measure and verify the impact of these determinants on vulnerable groups, identifying successful pathways to overcome it (3) map and replicate most successful practices in addressing low achievement in basic skills (4) develop a framework and an instrument for diagnosis and enhancing the quality of ECEC to leverage quality learning outcomes for primary and secondary pupils (5) analyse and propose transferable and scalable political measures that have proven to reduce ESL.

As a result, SCIREARLY will provide evidence-based findings to recreate and scale up optimal learning environments reducing underachievement from a preventive perspective, especially for vulnerable groups; this will be done from an interdisciplinary approach and mixed-methods design including multilevel, quasi-experimental, and life course perspectives. The project relies on a participatory and dialogic approach that promotes the co-creation of scientific knowledge and solutions among educators, students, families, scientists and policy-makers, ensuring the societal impact of the project.

Higher education teachers' views on the evolution of the teaching-learning process: continuities and transformations

An unfunded project coordinated by a colleague from the Polytechnic Institute's School of Education and involving the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto, with the aim of discovering the perspectives of senior teachers on the continuities and changes that have taken place over the last two decades in the teaching-learning process and in the main social actors involved (teachers and students), understanding what is specific about each reality, but also what is common between them.

Projeto sem financiamento coordenado por uma colega da Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico e que envolve a Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto e a Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, visando conhecer as perspetivas de docentes séniores sobre as continuidades e as mudanças que têm acontecido nas últimas duas décadas no processo de ensino-aprendizagem e nos principais atores sociais envolvidos (professores e estudantes), percebendo o que de há de específico em cada realidade, mas também o que de comum conflui entre elas.

Project Cante pela sua Saúde (Singh 4health)

A project funded by the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation and DGARTES, and under the technical coordination of Anabela Pires, consists of developing a singing programme with 130 senior citizens from the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Vila Nova de Gaia. The CIIE-FPCEUP scientific team, coordinated by Sofia Castanheira Pais and Irene Cortesão, is taking part to study the effects of the intervention programme on the well-being and health of the participants.

Projeto financiado pela Fundação Belmiro de Azevedo e DGARTES, e sob a coordenação técnica de Anabela Pires, consiste no desenvolvimento de um programa de canto com 130 seniores da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Vila Nova de Gaia. Conta com a participação da equipa científica do CIIE-FPCEUP, coordenada por Sofia Castanheira Pais e Irene Cortesão, para o estudo dos efeitos do programa de intervenção no bem-estar e na saúde dos participantes.

Healthy Waters - Identification, Elimination, Social Awareness and Education of Water Chemical and Biological Micropollutants with Health and Environmental Implicationsv

The mission area "Healthy Oceans, Seas and Coastal and Inland Waters" is entitled "Healthy Waters - Identification, Elimination, Social Awareness and Education of Water Chemical and Biological Micropollutants with Health and Environmental Implications", and is coordinated by FEUP's LSRE-LCM. The consortium brings together two other R&D units based at FEUP (LEPABE Laboratory for Process, Environmental, Biotechnology and Energy Engineering and CEFT Centre for Transport Phenomena Studies) and CIIE/FPCEUP. Healthy Waters aims to contribute to improving water quality in northern Portugal through a strategy that combines laboratory work with intervention and environmental education in the community.

Na área de missão "Oceanos, mares e águas costeiras e interiores saudáveis", tem por título "Healthy Waters - Identification, Elimination, Social Awareness and Education of Water Chemical and Biological Micropollutants with Health and Environmental Implications", e é coordenado pelo LSRE-LCM da FEUP. O consórcio congrega duas outras unidades de I&D com sede na FEUP (LEPABE ¿ Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia e CEFT ¿ Centro de Estudos de Fenómenos de Transporte) e o CIIE/FPCEUP. O Healthy Waters visa contribuir para a melhoria da qualidade da água no Norte de Portugal através de uma estratégia que combina o trabalho laboratorial com a intervenção e a educação ambiental junto da comunidade.

DISK - Digital Immigrants Survival Kit

The DigComp 2.0 framework contains the statistic, that in average 46 % of European citizens lack in digital competences (DC). Every possible effort must be made to reduce this number of less educated people. This project focuses on typical DC necessary for people to remain well-integrated members in a digitalized society.

The DISK project aims to develop missing digital competences of adults (Adult Education AE with a special focus in so-called ”digital immigrants” which are people disadvantaged in society due to their lack of digital competences DC and therefore count to miner educated people in DC) and to enable them to take an active role in the digital society.
The objectives are to create, implement and evaluate 15 modules teaching various specific topics related to everyday life covering DCs as a “Digital Immigrants Survival Kit” (DISK), to use flipped learning 3.0 as the training approach, to create an innovative self-evaluation tool based on competency-based self-evaluation mandalas, to create a transferability and implementation guide, to transfer the results and outcomes in a flexible way in other European countries and finally to publish the modules of the DISK Toolkit as Open Educational Resources (OER).

ENGAGE STUDENTS – Promoting social responsibility of students by embedding service learning within HEIs curricula

The general objective of ENGAGE STUDENTS is to empower the social dimension of higher education by increasing its relevance for society through embedding service-learning as a common pedagogical approach within education and research practice.

ENGAGE STUDENTS is an outreach project, in which universities from 6 countries reach out to the community (local associations, NGOs, etc.). For this purpose, the project works with a) teachers, b) students in higher education and c) community actors. Students can engage in community outreach if teachers - who teach in the regular curriculum - provide instructions and guidance how to do so. Teachers often lack methodologies to do this (service learning, project-based learning methodologies etc.).

Students gain practical working skills, are confronted with real-world challenges, and achieve results relevant for the labour market.

On the side of the community, they will benefit from evidence-based approaches with higher education institutions increasing the demand of research and teaching in adult education in community stakeholders. Community stakeholders are motivated to connect to higher education institutions, and thus adult education and higher education will meet here.

Moreover, the project will contribute to students' personal and professional development and the promotion of critical and engaged citizenship. Through service learning, the students will learn to exercise ethical, social and environmental responsibility and become responsible citizens making a positive difference to society in addressing the major local, regional and global challenges.

At institutional level, the project will enhance the infrastructure and methodology for service-learning and civic engagement and will foster the collaborations and support strategic service-learning and civic engagement partnerships.

Serious Games in Higher Education: Impacts, Experiences and Potential

HE4u2 – Integrating Cultural Diversity in Higher Education

SYMMETRY – Nutritional and Social Equity Promotion Project

During the past decades several national, European and international organizations have been recognizing obesity, as well as other health concerns related to improper eating habits and life styles, as a priority areas for intervention in Public Health promotion initiatives.

Besides their impact on mortality and morbility, another demonstrated longer term consequence of the emergence of obesity is its implication at the social and economic levels (Robertson, Malberg & Brunner, 2008). At the same time, several studies have shown that the prevalence of obesity is higher in populations who are more vulnerable social and economically (Carmo et al., 2008). This evidence has supported the debate and discussion around the issues of social inequality and the access to a healthy diet, being currently recognized that any proposed intervention strategy must address this issue (White, Adams & Heywood, 2009).

In this regard, Simetria aims to:

Enabling professionals (approximately 300) – social workers, health professionals and other professionals acting in socially and economically vulnerable contexts – through training to implement and monitor educational actions and programs directed at poor and low income families, people in situation of unemployment, beneficiaries of basic income grants, older people, among other vulnerable populations. The training dimension is central to the project and it is recognized as an effective way of consolidating knowledge and developing creative strategies that can support the resolution of day-to-day problems faced by dis-empowered groups;
Improving the institutional and professional practices (4 reference organizations) in areas such as food security and equality in access to an healthy diet through the systematic and close work of a multidisciplinary consulting team working directly with the professionals in these organizations working directly with vulnerable populations. This work will aim at creating processes of recognizing and transforming their practices with the goal of actively reducing the social and nutritional inequalities faced by these populations. This is an innovative dimension of the project and it will follow an integrated model of consultancy as described by Parent and Bégin (2010).

Participatory citizenship education in transitional societies

This project was funded by ERDF – European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (Operational Programme for Competitiveness) and by National Funds through the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology).
Preliminary note: The original idea for this project was made by Prof. Dr. Reinhold Hedke from the University of Bielefeld to a group of researchers from various European countries. The project was then outlined in a group where we are actively involved. Our decision to propose this as a national project will be mirrored by other colleagues in their respective countries. It is important to note, however, that the goals here proposed do not depend on the international context. \nIn the last 30 years formerly authoritharian countries across Europe have witnessed a transition to democracy (Portugal and Spain, as the so-called former soviet-block countries), with a deep transformation of their political institutions, including both the institution of constitutional democracies and the integration in the European Union. This political transition was accompanied by a strong emphasis on the role of education in the promotion of (democratic and European) citizenship, particularly since the mid-nineties: citizenship education (CE) became the motto for educational reforms across Europe (Menezes, 1999, 2003a), and was the object of many international studies on young people’s political knowledge, competencies, attitudes and engagement (Amadeo et al., 2002; Torney-Purta et al., 2001). However, is spite of this intense effort to foster policies and strategies of CE, little is know about current practices in schools. Moreover, in countries that have experienced such intense political transformation, it is of relevance to ask the following questions: To what extent schools are nowadays committed to fostering a democratic culture that integrates a critical historical consciousness of the totalitarian past? How are images of this past depicted in curricula, textbooks, teacher training, and classroom practices? Is the past overly discussed or concealed, criticized or whitewashed? The last decades have been witnessing a renewed interest in citizenship both in terms of theory and research (e.g., Beiner, 1995), particularly related to the intensification of signs of political disengagement and apathy within young people and adults, both in emerging and 'historical' democracies e.g., Amadeo et al., 2002). It is therefore not surprising that there is a widespread emphasis on the role education should play to counteract these tendencies. Almost all citizens attend school and schools have historically played a central role in the promotion of the 'ideal' citizen, in particularly during the institution of the Nation State as the school was a vehicle for the 'creation' of national identities (Habermas, 1992). It is therefore understandable why both European national states and the European Union have stressed the role of schools as instruments for the promotion of democracies. In Portugal, many studies have described and discussed the educational policies in this field (Brederode Santos, Menezes, 1999), but analysis of implementation of these policies are scarce and limited to case-studies (e.g., Roriz, 2007) that tend to ignore the analysis of school-based policies and practices and classroom strategies Our team has a long experience in conducting research in this domain, using a variety of research designs and methodologies, including both international studies (e.g., Arnotet al., 2000; Menezes et al, 2003; Menezes, 2003b), and school-based case-studies (e.g., Menezes, 1998; Stoer & Araújo, 2000). Therefore, we are in a privileged position to address a project that combines international comparisons and national school-based analysis.

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