01-01-2020
31-12-2021
MINDtheGaps aims to contribute to the promotion of equal opportunities for young people in vulnerable situations, including those living in residential care institutions, to develop media literacy, digital inclusion and critical thinking and, therefore, conditions to live and participate in the information society and to access the labour market (social inclusion).
MINDtheGaps uses a participatory intervention based on programming training and multimedia open educational resources development to empower young people to develop media literacy, and critical thinking and to be able to share knowledge and collaboratively solve problems in partnership with young people from other European countries, in a non-formal context. This means that the project is in line with the New European Youth Policy (2019-2027) since it will develop new and innovative ways to achieve the priorities that are set out in national and EU policy: ENGAGE, CONNECT and EMPOWER young people through innovation, quality and recognition of youth work.
The general objective unfolds in the following objectives:
- To know the characteristics and the young people intersecting disadvantages of gender, race, religion, relation to education, learning disabilities, family status, geographical contexts and citizenship status;
- To develop tools for educational institutions, in general, to implement inclusive education approaches and promote common values through digital media;
- To promote effective use of existing tools to promote citizenship education;
- To deepen knowledge about inclusive educational innovative approaches regarding media literacy with young people living in residential care institutions;
- To promote young people and staff cross-border situations contact to experience European identity to prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism through the promotion of common values as a vector of social inclusion;
- To raise awareness about the risks and opportunities of the internet and social media;
- To develop practical recommendations with regard to the development of media literacy and critical thinking practices both in formal and informal education and training activities among young people in socially vulnerable situations;
- To disseminate the produced knowledge involving policy makers, State care institutions, schools, teacher’s associations, European networks, education administrative staff, etc.
The primary target group will involve 100 young people aged between 15-18 years old at risk of exclusion, including NEETs facing educational difficulties, learning difficulties, early school-leavers, low-qualified adults, young people with poor school performance, economic obstacles, and cultural differences. This target group was selected because they are facing the transition from teenage to early adult age; some of them have equated an eventual school drop-out, which will require them to look for a job, to avoid NEET situations.
The project's deliveries, namely an innovative practices handbook, online education resources, assessment/testing materials and distance learning platform, are intended to be used and adapted in other educational and training contexts, both formal and informal, ensuring project sustainability and long-term impact. The end-users are school communities/residential care institution staff (school as an institution: managers, administrative staff, education counsellors, parents, surrounding communities, students – from 12 to 16 years old – and teachers).
MINDtheGaps impact envisages contributing to developing innovative practices at both partners’ countries and EU level to guarantee “the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning to maintain and acquire skills that enable [everyone] to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market” (European Pillar of Social Rights, 2017). They are also in sync with the targets of the Europe 2020 Agenda, namely at the educational level, contributing to a decrease in early school leaving and diminishing the levels of people in or at risk of poverty/social exclusion and the number of NEETs.
CAFTe – Currículo, Avaliação, Formação e Tecnologias em Educação
http://digitaliteracy.eu/mindthegaps/
Erasmus+ Programme, European Comission (Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices; Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for youth)
Ref. 2019-2-PT02-KA205-006226
CIIE/FPCEUP, Portugal (Coord.)
APLOAD Lda, Portugal
Høgskolen i Innlandet, Norway
Sdrudzenie Znam I Moga (Know and Can Association), Bulgary
Orta Karadeniz Kalkinma Ajansi (OKA), Turquey