"With a view to nowadays overflow of information, getting the most important news has become a challenge for every citizen. At the same time, we all need to have an in depth understanding of a number of policy areas in order to make sensible democratic choices. In this regard, the ‘Open Journalism Challenge’ by Our Common Future invites citizens all over Europe to cooperate in the field of news consumption. Inspired by Thomas Huxley’s quote “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something”, this strategic partnership has elaborated a mechanism by which citizens can mutually inform each other on issues of social concern. Every participant chooses one topic he or she feels passionate for and tries to analyse the most important news on this issue. Participants continually upload media products they find most interesting in a database and once a month publish their own media product with the aim of summarizing the latest and most important findings on their topic. In this way, citizens can share the burden of staying informed, save time, and make sure the knowledge they gather is as relevant as possible. Everyone can continually consume those media products that are deemed most interesting by experts and also receives independent citizen media coverage on a number of social issues, while contributing their own knowledge in their field of expertise. While submitting their own media products, participants indicate a number of decision-makers with whom they would like to exchange on their topic. The organisers of the Open Journalism Challenge gather these requests and organise meetings between participants iand decision-makers. These meetings shall allow participants to check their findings while also contributing to future policy making in their chosen areas. The ""Open Journalism Challenge"" thus encourages citizens to report on issues of concern in their societies and provides them with guidelines on qualitative journalistic coverage. Participants will report through short videos, which will be shared online and can be found under specific key-words and topics. This pool of resources with reports on a variety of social issues can then be used in innovative, up-to-date, and immediate quality education as well as by the political decision-making structures. In view of the European elections 2019, the Open Journalism Challenge will put a particular focus on the issues which will determine the future of the European Union. Citizen will thus contribute to the strengthening of the European public sphere and help each other to be informed on the most pressing issues. This accurate, immediate, and independent media coverage can help to prevent further conflicts from arising or populist tendencies from growing. The leading partner Our Common Future Asbl. is an organisation with members all over Europe and focuses on strengthening the European Public Sphere and democratic procedures. The Faculty of Communication Sciences at Anadolu University in Eskisehir, Turkey, focused on the effectiveness of different digital media products. “Verein Kino5 - Plattform für unabhängige Filmschaffende” provided expertise in the area of collaborative video making which is an important tool for independent citizen media contributions. Partners explored ways to communicate the video reports of young people to all relevant decision-makers on the local, national, and European levels. A first international project meeting with Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič in June 2017 in Brussels allowed participants to receive valuable feedback on their research topics. While project partners consulted their communities in order to receive feedback on the planned Open Journalism Challenge, they met in Luxembourg from 6th to 11th December in order to compare first results, further develop the platform, engage in a public dialogue forum with local citizens in Luxembourg, and to plan ahead. The Public Dialogue Forum gave participants the chance to discuss the topic of democracy with people from a variety of social spheres living in the Greater Region. Given that all topics in the end depend on the structure of decision-making processes, democracy was chosen as the overarching topic for all Open Journalism Challenges. Future participants will be able to analyse mainstream media with a critical mind, and make their own contributions towards accurate and in-depth media coverage. Their contributions will help every citizen to gain true and up-to-date knowledge on the most pressing issues our societies are facing, so that they can take an informed choice during democratic elections."

The global objective of the project is to enable potential beneficiaries to gain a better knowledge and understanding of EU practices and to be prepared for accession through strengthening the contacts and mutual exchange of experience in veterinary sectors of civil society in the Member States and Turkey, encouragement of exchange of knowledge and best practices on planning and implementation of EU policies. Our project fulfills these requirements on farriery subject. Specific objective is to encourage horse related professionals and poor families working with horse and donkeys, enterprises with organizing farriery training activities, to improve working equine welfare. The Project coordinator AKU and other partners, Macedonian and Latvian Agricultural Universities are public bodies responsible in Veterinary training in the region. Planned activities are to form project team, to form a list of requirements, to determine educators, to provide physical equipments (farriery tools, computer etc.), to determine education activity program, to arrange visual materials such as brochures etc. in order to deliver the trainees and their families, to prepare leaflets brochures etc. in order to present the project, to determine trainees, to form education workshop, to do farriery trainings in Lethonia and Macedonia with local and foreign experts, to do traininig activity in Macedonia with participation Turkish veterinary related students for enhancing awarenes level of students on importance of foot trimming on animal health, to produce and deliver a short film, to do farriery apprenticeship to trainees, to arrange tours stud farms, to prepare outcome reports with the project outputs. Farriery training activities in Macedonia and Lethonia will be the cornerstone of the project because these trained skilled personnels will have basic animal welfare training capacity to local veterinarians and other relevant persons in their countries. Staff of partner associations are to be trained in Macedonia and Lethonia, and subsequently to establish a farriery training curriculum, with the support of the partners. The veterinary related persons participating at Vocational Trainings in partner universities are expected to deliver their required experiences and competences through the project duration via seminars, local, national, international, workshops. Furthermore, international farriery conference will be held in Turkey with the participation of local and foreign partners. It is aimed at training experts from the region and other regions and in collaboration on a long-term basis at national and European levels. An exhibition about the history of farriery in partner countries will be organized in order to raise an awareness on the disappearing profession 'farriery'. Also a competition under evaluation of experienced farriers will be run among the participants of training activities who will take place in farriery Trainings. Historical farriery museum will be established in the AKU. The museum will include former unused antique farriery tools/equipments which will be collected from older forges. The museum will exhibit the history of farriery in Turkey. The activity will raise the awareness of the disappearing profession and help to promote dissemination events. The project has been planned for completion in two years.

<< Background >>The dynamic development of modern technologies forces the need for constant adaptation of higher education to new challenges. The study programs proposed to students must correspond to the current needs of the labor market. The European Union is facing a shortage of specialists, particulary in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and in the field of information and communication technologies. There are too few women in these fields of study. For years, in partner countries and across Europe, there has been a strong trend to attract more people to study in areas where there is a need for skilled workers and, at the same time, there is a labor shortage. In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on transversal skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and key competences such as mathematical reasoning and digital competences, which will enable them to enter the profession successfully after graduation. A key approach to education is based on the concept of multidisciplinarity, removing traditional divisions into subjects and disciplines. This approach makes it easier to combine science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with other disciplines, and also involves learning by experience. For the development of higher education in Europe, it is necessary to build international, long-term alliances between higher education institutions in Europe, as well as to improve the competences and skills of research and teaching staff. Higher education in Europe is changing dynamically and internationalization is now an integral part of any university's strategy and one of the challenges of education in all partner countries. The development of a joint study program, exchange of good practices, and improvement of the partners' teaching competences are therefore the basis for cooperation in this project.Analysis of the needs of target groups. 1.Adjusting study curriculum to the needs of students, the labor market and a modern concept of higher education: the need identified ased on own research on the quality of education at partner universities, data from the analysis of graduates tracking and thanks to feedback from enterprises where students complete their apprenticeships or student internships.2.increase in teaching competences of academic teachers, including the use of e-learning and blended learning materials in STEM educationOne of the completed challenges of this project will be to define what constitutes a core knowledge base of materials and how this will be taught given the array of science and engineering departments involved in materials research and materials education today. As a results of intellectual work, a methodology for the implementation of the new master's degree program in the field of Materials Science and Engineering will be developed. The methodology will be based on good practices of partner universities and examples of the best academic centers in Europe.<< Objectives >>The project will allow for the development of innovative methodological and didactic solutions, and will increase the attractiveness of the material science study program. Developing a teaching system that will lead to the profile of a student who can independently diagnose and solve problems related to Materials Science and Engineering, as well as develop a universal methodology and good practices in didactics of materials science and guidelines for teaching staff / academic teachers.The partners learn about the expectations of potential employers on the European market, thus increasing the employment opportunities of their future graduates.Developed during the project work methods will be able to be used by other organizations active in the field of materials science.Implementation of the project will also have a positive impact on inspiring other organizations to build partnerships and will help the formation of further innovative educational tools.By implementing the project, we want to achieve following goals:The main objective is: Increasing the quality of higher education through the development of a new, interdisciplinary master's program in Materials Science and Engineering in an international consortium, responding to the needs of modern economy.Specific Objectives:- increasing the knowledge of at least 200 academic teachers about the directions of didactics development in the discipline of materials science;- increasing the teaching competences of 20 academic teachers - participants of short training programs;- adjusting the Master's degree program to the needs of the labor market by analyzing the needs of employers;- increasing innovation and internationalization of the institutions involved (4) through the exchange of good practices, joint development of the study program and teaching materials in the form of blended learning and promotion of open education;<< Implementation >>1. The market and science environment needs analysis: the aim of the activite will be to identify knowledge and skills desired by employers, students' expectations as to the methods and results of studying, analyse the needs and barriers of contemporary teaching in materials engineering as well as technology and identify possible solutions. Action includes: preparation of a report on students and market needs research. We assume the participation in the study of at least 50 companies operating in industries related to materials engineering and at least 80 students; organization of a seminar disseminating the implementation of the project, the aim of which will be to analyse barriers in teaching materials engineering and the needs of students. 80 academic teachers will take part in the seminar, 5 experts will be invited. In addition, the seminar will be conducted in a hybrid form so the support will be available to academic teachers from other European academic centers. Materials from the seminar and conclusions from the discussion will be printed in the form of a report.2. Development of an innovative study program: The dynamic development of new technologies, the strong influence of ecology, the globalization effect, connections and dissemination of information observed over the past years require the introduction of appropriate changes in the approach to materials science and engineering teaching. The closed circle between material, technology and application makes this discipline constantly developing. It requires the modernization of laboratory facilities as well as the methodical approach to teaching. Departure from disciplinary knowledge forces the development of new programs that follow global requirements or trends. The program will be based on experiences and good practices developed jointly as part of cooperation with European partners as well as results of IO1. The target group will be master's degree students and academic teachers. The curriculum content will help shape the profile of a graduate with professional competencies enabling him/her to take up effective work in the European industrial sector or prepare a candidate with scientific predispositions to undertake doctoral studies.3. Development of the methodology of the study program: as part of activite, 4 training programs - study visits - will be organized. Each partner will organize one study visit. Each event will be attended by 5 representatives of partner institutions. The purpose of short training programs will be:- participation in laboratory classes/lectures at the partner university- getting acquainted with the didactic methods of partner universities- participation in workshops on the blended learning module developed by the partner.In addition, a dissemination event will be organized - a conference to which experts in the field of material engineering will be invited. The aim of the event will be to share good practices and practical solutions in the teaching of materials science. Conference materials and conclusions from the discussion will be published in the form of a report, which is part of the teaching methodology developed under IO3<< Results >>Intellectual Outputs:IO1. The market and science environment needs analysisThe aim of the result will be to identify knowledge and skills desired by employers, students' expectations as to the methods and results of studying, analyse the needs and barriers of contemporary teaching in materials engineering and identify possible solutions.IO2. An innovative study programThe result of intellectual work will consist of 4 elements: 1. Learning outcomes based on IO1 results. 2. Four-semester master's degree program - each semester, 20 modules will be developed, 80 in total. From this, the student will be able to compose the path of modules appropriate to his/her targeted interest. Each partner is expected to develop 20 modules. 3. Syllabuses - describing the structure of each module, skills and gathered knowledge. 4. Teaching materials supporting education in the form of blended learning - as an example of good practice and supporting materials, 4 blended learning modules will be developed. IO3. The methodology of the study program The aim of IO3 is to support academic teachers in implementing a new master's degree program. The educational methodology will be developed on the basis of good practices developed within the consortium and the best examples of didactics of material engineering in European academic centers.In conclusion, the following results will be developed (as part of the IO and outside the IO): 1. 1 Master's degree program Materials Engineering 2. 1 report on the analysis of labor market needs 3. 2 reports from the seminar / conference identifying barriers in teaching materials engineering and good practices of the best academic centers in Europe 4. 4 blended learning modules (10 lessons each)5. 4 training programs - study visits 6. 3 multiplier events 7. 1 network of contacts between HEIs and businesses at european level 8. 1 project website 9.100 news items to be published on the website during the project.

This project idea arise from the migration flow which is still a hot point for all over the world depending on the poverty, wars or other disadvantageous status for people. In this project, social adaptation of immigrant students in secondary school was selected as a main research problem. As it is, this project was a research project and it was designed to search the school experiences of immigrant and non-immigrant students in the same school environment. With this focusing point, this project was aimed to contribute on the inclusive education with the booklet which was aimed to create as a result of this project. To realize this main aim interviews made in Turkey, Germany and Italy with immigrant and non-immigrant students and their teachers. Three schools from Turkey, one school from Italy and one school from Germany was participated to the interview section of the project. Students from Turkey consists of 11 children, six of whom were immigrant and five were non-immigrant students at three different schools. Three immigrants and three non-immigrant students, from a school partner of the project from Germany constitute 6 participants. Students from Italy were 11 children, five of whom were immigrant and six of whom were non-immigrant students at a secondary school. Thus, student interviews were carried out with total 28 students, half of whom were immigrant and half of whom were non-immigrant from three countries. Additionally teacher interviews was consisted of 11 teachers from Turkey, 12 teacher from Italy and 5 teacher from Germany. The context of the interviews and the questionnaires were clarified in the first transnational meeting in Turkey and until the second transnational meeting all partner institutions conducted those interviews in their countries. Then all interviews was transcribed by the partners in English and they were carried to the second transnational meeting by partners. In second transnational meeting in Italy, those transcribes were discussed and the participants were informed about inductive analysis method by partners from Anadolu University. Afterly, transcribes was analysed, themes and sub-themes were clarified and a swot analyses were applied. Finally swot project was completed with a closing meeting which was hosted by German partner. This closing meeting was planed to be held in Frankfurt but depending on the covid 19 virus pandemia it was made in zoom.As it is aimed at the project application time, a booklet was created depending on the results of the SWOT analyzing in this project. This booklet includes the results of our project research and effective school practices which were observed in project schools or stated in the interviews by students or teachers. This booklet can be useful for all teachers, researchers or policy makers those of whom wants to make contribution on inclusive education and immigrant students social adaptation process. Additionally the data collection toolkit was generated and all those materials is presented on eu project results platform. Moreover the presentations about project process and minutes of the meetings are shared on eu results platform.

The goal of Academy + is to develop a complex Merged Social Art Practices Methodology for the training of youth workers working with underprivileged youth. The idea of the project is coming from a time-tested partnership of four organisations (a theatre company, a socially engaged international artistic hub, a social art association and a university), their members directly dealing with and/or setting up projects for underprivileged youth. Our partnership is due to a former European project, EXCEPT and its successor, Academy for Actors of Social Change, an Erasmus+ KA1 Mobility of Youth Workers project repeating and evolving from year to year for four years now. The partners’ shared intents and needs resulted in the current project, aiming to develop a merged methodology based upon the experience and common experimenting of the latter, pointing to a distinct direction. The final result of ACADEMY+, consisting of a process aiming to further develop the project partners' already used social art practices they are applying in their daily work with underprivileged youth and to experiment together by complementing each others knowledge. This knowledge exchange has for its goal to develop a Merged Methodology and to create a written toolkit for trainers and youth workers to be disseminated and used not only in partner organisations' daily work, but also far beyond. Therefore the tangible outcome of ACADEMY+ will be an online Social Art Practices Manual to be used by project partners to facilitate their collaboration in the yearly Academies, but also in their daily work and beyond. This open-access manual will also enable trainers of youth workers and youth workers themselves (these categories often overlapping) to develop themselves and expand their own professional toolsets. Indirectly, but not less significantly the project will also benefit those underprivileged youngsters whom are the target of the latter. The SAP Manual – as we foresee it – will consist of five parts: four of them will give an insight of the methodologies used by the partner organisations – Drama and Theatre In Education brought in by the main applicant, Sensory and Image Theatre coming from the Spanish group, NarrActive Creation brougth be the French partner and Forum Theatre Techniques delivered by the Turkish team – and give advise on how and why to use them with underprivileged youth. The fifth part will be the one explaining the Merged SAP Methodology, the one that will be worked out by the project staff in sight of composing a complex method containing the elements of the separate techniques that can support and complement each other, therefore take youth work on another level. The SAP Manual will be an innovation not only in our partnership, but also in youth work in general, and not only in reason of the new, merged methodology, but also since not all the techniques used by the project partners are known and practised in all partner countries. Thus, with the creation and collection of material we are aiming to contribute to the training of youth workers – and therefore to the growth of underprivileged young people – in all partner countries and beyond. As for our collective, the most effective way is learning by doing, which is the principle we based our Academy for Actors of Social Change programme. Though we have to realize that in order to ensure a wider access to the methodologies as well as a sustainability for the programme and for youth workers’ training in general, we have to provide an extensive description of what we are doing. Therefore all textual parts of the SAP Manual will be complemented by images, videos, sound files and/or drawings – things we eventually deem useful to the comprehension and application of the method in question. The recognition of the fact that we all have different ways of learning and that the era of digital technology has formed us in a way that we need information that is varied, colorful and vivid enough to grasp our attention. By this format we intend to trick our perceptions and bring learning from manuals closer to the methods of Non-Formal Learning, whose principles we all strongly believe in. This way, by adding to the textual level any media that proves to be necessary and useful for the understanding of the methods, we expect that we will be more effective in helping the future users of the SAP Manual to apply its content in their own daily practice. Thus Academy+ and the creation and dissemination of the Social Art Practices Manual would benefit not only the staff members, partners and associates of the participating organisations, but also those who will come to know the manual in the future either via our dissemination events or the online platforms where it will be available. Herewith we are aiming to contribute to the promotion and recognition of youth work as well as to the efficiency of youth workers’ training and to youth work as a whole.