Neighbourness is a concept of living and learning together. This includes the essential human virtues, such as being friendly, empathetic, helpful, compassionate and respectful. In EU, due to freedom of movement and exchange programs, university classes are increasingly diverse. Dialogue challenges exist, due to cultural and national differences. Hence, effective collaboration and learning becomes a challenge. Neighborness is rarely either observed by the students or facilitated, by teachers, as a means of developing a conducive learning environment. Therefore, neighbourness is silent in any university classroom from the sciences to the arts fields. If this important element of us as beings is rarely mentioned and practiced at university level, then we are bound to have problems in families, communities and nations. This is because university graduates go on to become leaders in societies, industries and of nations, and yet many of them are deprived of this basic lesson of neighbourness and related dialogue skills. In WeLearn, we focus on diversity and seek to promote skills such as intercultural communication in both face-to-face and online environment. This dialogue is essential to build neighbourness in a diverse environment. We seek to promote neighbourness in diverse university communities. The notion of diversity in WeLearn incorporates gender, race, creed, and the other components associated within this contemporary social concern. Students, educators, facilitators and career advisors are key stakeholders as they define the learning environment and process. Our goal is to promote dialogue to foster neighbourness by developing a dialogue skills training tool kit and training different stakeholders. The urgency and need for this topic is reinforced by the increasingly diverse student population in Europe. Globalization also increases diversity of students from different parts of the world studying in Europe. There is a need to foster dialogue skills among university graduates who are an influential body of the society and nation as a whole. Thus, we develop tools to help teachers promote neighbouness through dialogue techniques. These techniques are also taught to studentsWeLearn objectives are based on Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership's call for innovative practices that promote cooperation, peer learning and exchanges at European level. WeLearn's three main objectives;1) Promoting dialogue within a diverse university learning environment. 2) Supporting the use of social technologies and methods e.g. storytelling3) Producing knowledge on aspects of pedagogical approaches and personality to promote an atmosphere of neighbournessWeLearn consortium consists of;1. Tampere University (TAU), the coordinating partner who has academic and research experience on the topic and has digital interaction research experience for online component of the project. 2. Film University Babelsberg (FBKW) focuses on cine-arts in the broadest sense, its teaching and research staff have broad experience in the development, creation and technically advanced production of 360° film, VR experiences and other interactive media, as well as audio dramas, classical and popular music, sound installations etc. 3. Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Milan (UCSC) - members from international business background and have expertise on the topic of diversity. UCSC has international experience in the promotion of civic and social competences for its students, offering an ideal context to research and experiment neighbourness and intercultural dialogue.4. Aalborg University (AAU) has an expertise in problem based learning approaches and experiences in the field of collaborative learning theories and group learning processes and how they contribute to integration.5. Suleyman Demirel University (SDU) education studies background required for the pedagogical aspects of the project.6. Riga Technical University (RTU) have mobile application development experience in project setting which is an integral part of the project. They also have sociology background ideal in WeLearn. WeLearn project starts by assessing the current situation on the topic at the partner universities. Partner universities use different pedagogies, such as, problem based learning and case based learning, thus offering opportunities to scrutinize neighbourness in learning in different context. In addition, the partner university subjects e.g. management, social sciences, education, software engineering are used in piloting of the project deliverables. Then dialogue training kits are developed for face-to-face and online environment. Piloting and cases using the training tools kits will be done and short movies and documentaries are produced from the experience. These multimedia materials will be used to develop mobile app to teach, test and promote neighbourness.

"<< Background >>The health and economic crisis, caused by the COVID19 pandemic, has plunged the entire planet into an unprecedented situation. Young Europeans are perhaps being the least seriously affected by the disease, however, they experience to a greater extent its consequences: higher level of unemployment, substantial changes in the methods on how they receive education, alteration of their socialization and leisure habits, impact on their mental health, only to name a few of them. A study from ILO (2020, Covid-19 and the world of work) define those young people as the “lockdown generation” and points to the multi-dimensional challenge of the pandemic “…through the resultant disruption to education and training, amplified vulnerabilities among young workers, and the longer and more arduous transition into decent work.” While the expectations and job opportunities of young people before COVID-19 were already difficult, especially for those in vulnerable situations, a year after the pandemic we can affirm that they have only gotten worse. According to the ILO study “Youth and Covid-19: Impact on Jobs, Education, Rights and Mental Health” the transition from the world of studies to employment is getting even more complicated, with a lack of vacancies, a higher risk of losing jobs in a climate of massive layoffs, and the collapse of businesses and start-ups. The same report confirms that the outlook for career prospects is dominated by uncertainty and fear, although there are also some indicators that young people approach the situation as an opportunity, i.e., over 50% of young people interviewed in this research have sought out new learning opportunities despite the crisis, or about a 20% increase in volunteering actions. Along with these positive data, we find another relevant factor: the digitization of life at all levels also offers new opportunities for civic participation and for the development of key competencies and skills that, for example, through volunteering, can favor a smooth transition of young people towards the world of work. Within this context Digital Tourism becomes an ally as it offers a sectoral framework in which youth organizations and young people can find a field of action. Tourism, which accounts for 6% of total EU exports and 10% of its GDP, has been instrumental in the economic recovery of many countries in Europe, contributing to job creation and economic growth, and becoming a key niche for young entrepreneurs. Indeed, tourism is a key pillar of the EU strategy for employment and inclusive growth of young Europeans.The UN study on ""Covid-10 and the transformation of tourism"" describes how the tourism sector has accelerated digitization and highlighted the consequences of the digital divide for certain segments of society. “Self-employment training and digital literacy are necessary for those working in the tourism sector, especially women and youth, to increase their ability to use digital tools and online resources to streamline their operations and offer flexibility, while preparing for the future of work.” Our project focuses on the potential of digital transformation to give a response to:- The need of youth workers and organizations to count on specific tools and methods that support them promoting the transition of the younger generations to the labour market.- The need of young people to acquire key competences as necessary for the digital age work, especially digital competences, creativity, problem-solving, initiative, communication, resilience, flexibility, and innovation)- The need to overcome the barriers faced by young people to access learning opportunities and innovative social participation, contributing to promote equality, responding to community needs.<< Objectives >>The project builds on the potential of digitization in the tourism sector to offer youth organizations and young people a set of resources that allows them to launch innovative volunteer initiatives with vulnerable people.On one hand, we want to provide youth workers with a Digital Tourism Toolkit, as a set of practical resources that will help them better understand digital tourism and cultural heritage, and to know how to create digital experiences, including volunteering, and social entrepreneurship mindset. They will use these resources in their daily work with young people, to empower them with competences for the creation of tourism digital experiences, initially through volunteering initiatives addressing vulnerable collectives (people with functional diversity, low qualifications from each age, elder people…). Through the use of this toolkit, youth organizations will acquire resources that contribute to improving their digital skills, and promoting active citizenship among young people, through volunteering, also reinforcing their sense of initiative and greater community action.On the other hand, young people will participate in the DT Experience that, through a gamified approach, will put themselves in the shoes of a digital touristic operator, and overcome different challenges that will contribute to develop their competences as: as researchers (by looking for interesting cultural or touristic topics), as storytellers, as digital content creators (using audiovisual tools), as marketing people (to make their offer more appealing than the others), as socially responsible people (considering the possible barriers that vulnerable collectives face and find out how to overcome them). This experience reinforces key competencies and basic capacities, essential in facilitating the transition of this group to adult life, especially by supporting their integration into the labor market. Specific objectives are:O1. To offer youth organizations resources that increase their capacities and foster a critical understanding of the opportunities brought by new technologies in the field of youth work, contributing to initiating the process of digital transformation within their institutions.O2. To contribute to the E+ strategy of inclusion and diversity, by creating volunteering experiences that, led by the young people, address vulnerable collectives to provide them opportunities to participate in digital tourism experiences.O3. To facilitate the transition of young people to the labour market, providing them with key digital competences that will allow them to function adequately in the new jobs marked by digitization.O4. To promote in young people the acquisition of key competences (analysis, creativity, problem solving, communication, innovation ...) that are the basis and help consolidate an entrepreneurial mindset.O5. To consolidate a more inclusive tourism model that allows diversification of the offer to vulnerable groups (either for reasons of functional diversity, economic limitations, or lack of language skills) that can inspire social entrepreneurship initiatives.<< Implementation >>The project has been designed so that the activities to be implemented adequately include the 5 main phases within a classic work scheme: planning, preparation, implementation, dissemination, and evaluation.The planning phase has been carried out prior to the presentation of this project proposal. It has included research, needs analysis and the joint design of its objectives and expected results.The preparation phase includes all the activities necessary for the correct implementation of the project, and has to do with the implementation of the action protocols, the formalization of internal and external agreements, the establishment of collaboration and communication instruments, the agreement about the exact dates for the meetings of coordination and follow-up, and the launching of the actions oriented to guarantee the sustainability of the results in the medium and long term.The implementation phase has been designed to lead to the development of the two planned outcomes: the PR1 – Digital Tourism Toolkit and the PR2 – The Digital Tourism Experience[IAA1] .The evaluation stage includes a set of activities aiming at supporting partners monitoring that the planned objectives are achieved, resources properly spent, and activities successfully implemented. This is a transversal stage, covering all the project lifetime.Finally, another key and transversal stage for the proper implementation has to do with the dissemination and exploitation of the project and its results.<< Results >>The Project will accomplish the planned objectives through the development of 2 intellectual outputs and the organisation of multiplier events in all participating countries.PR1. Digital Tourism Toolkit. This outputis mainly addressed to youth workers and youth trainers. It will include specific resources (case studies, handouts for activities, training pills…) that the trainers will use to better understand digital tourism and cultural heritage, and to know how create digital experiences, inclusive volunteering, and social entrepreneurship mindset. They will use these resources in their daily work with young people, to empower them with competences for the creation of tourism digital experiences, initially through volunteering initiatives addressing vulnerable collectives (people with functional diversity, low qualifications from each age, elder people…). PR2. The Digital Tourism Experience. Second educational resource, this output offers a more direct and impactful experience for the end-users (the youth), and is a gamified resource that, through a kind of role-playing activity, will challenge young people to overcome different activities (challenges) dealing with the digital tourism world. Other tangibles results that will come from the project and will contribute to the quality of these Project Results will be: - The reports on project results validation and testing activities.- The Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (IPRA) where the rights of use and the intellectual property of the results of the project will be defined. In line with the objectives of the ERASMUS+ programme of promoting the development of Open Education Resources (OER), the IOs will be available online, and will include a Creative Commons licence to protect them from alterations, commercialization, or non-agreed modifications by third parties.- The Dissemination tools: based on the Dissemination Strategy that concretes the channels, materials, tools and activities with a specific calendar to disseminate the project in each country, the project platform, leaflet and presentations, social network accounts.- The monitoring tools and documents: the Quality Management Plan, which will include quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess the proper implementation of the project and to ensure the quality of its results, as well as the tools to evaluate these indicators (questionnaires, interviews with the partners)- The Financial and Administrative Reports; the Evaluation Reports and the Dissemination activities Reports (3 of each during the project lifetime).- The management documents: specially the Risk Assessment Plan, Communication Plan, Budget Dossier, that will gather all the relevant information about the roles, rights and obligations of both parties; details of the partner budget (including financial and administrative reporting rules, calendar, and payments scheme); operational rules; communication, problem solving and risks management mechanisms and other special conditions related to the breach of the contract."

As it has been the case in the European Union (EU) during the last few years, large migration waves of people in need of international protection have arrived from countries and territories that suffer from war disasters, dictatorships, etc. in pursuit of a new home. In order for those people to live, work and prosper along with the receiving communities, they need to be integrated into the host countries’ environment – and this has been the greatest challenge for almost all EU countries. The most effective way to accomplish integration and social inclusion has proven to be by learning to communicate with the local population and get acquainted with their cultural particularities and their lifestyle.In this regard, the main objective of “BIG STEP: Learning through Gamification – Integration of the vulnerable groups” has been to develop an innovative educational 2-D serious video game, which helps refugees, immigrants and other vulnerable groups to integrate through learning core elements of their host country’s language, while also familiarising with local cultural aspects. To do so, we have used the Gamification methodology, which is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring) to other areas of activity, such as teaching, in order to encourage engagement, interaction, learning flow and evaluation of participants.The participating organizations were brought together in the base of common objectives and formed a cohesive partnership in which each partner complements each other in terms of expertise, skills and knowledge, as well as in terms of operational and functional background. In addition, all 6 partners have extensive knowledge of their local needs and were able to make a unique contribution to all project activities. More specifically, UCLL, a Higher Education Institution (HEI) from Flanders, has been the lead partner as it possesses the gamification knowhow, having built similar game-engines for other contexts with success. Neapolis University Pafos is another HEI from Cyprus with valuable scientific and technical research background as well. University Rehabilitation Institute from Slovenia has a major experience in supporting and working with disadvantaged groups. OECON Group from Greece brought its quality assurance experience from previous EU projects’ implementation. Komunikujeme from Czech Republic added value to the communication and dissemination activities. Last but not least, the Institute of Psychosocial Development from Greece brought its expertise in counseling and supporting disadvantaged individuals.To achieve the planned objectives, the project was divided into 3 main activities (Intellectual Outputs) that are shortly described as follows:1.Research and Preparation – each partner conducted primary research through questionnaires in order to gather information regarding our target groups’ needs, literacy skills and ICT competences. Also, each partner conducted a nationwide desk research to formulate cultural particularities reports that included all necessary country information that a foreigner should be aware of in order to live and integrate in the respective country.2.Design and Development – the information from the questionnaires and reports of the previous activity was used for the development of the game’s chapters, with variations based on the target groups’ needs and on each country’s particularities.3.Testing and Implementation – after the first versions of the game were developed, the project’s experts tested them in the reception, protection and support structures of each partner’s region, in order to receive feedback and improve the game.In this direction, the main practical results attained have been the following:-5 National Reports, 123 Questionnaires and 1 Overall Final Report summarizing all the findings and information gathered during research;-1 functioning online Game, freely available and translated-modified in all partners’ languages and country particularities, without an expiration date;-1 Instruction Manual for utilizing the Game, translated in English, Arabic and in all partners’ languages;-130 Questionnaires received after the testing of the Game from our target groups.The project’s impact and longer-term benefits can be summarized as follows:-Introduction of an innovative educational method that combines learning while having fun;-Integration of users to the host countries through enhancement of their literacy skills, ICT competences and cultural awareness;-More active participation, more positive attitude and increased employment opportunities for the target groups and experts involved;-Exchange of good practices between organizations internal and external to the project, and establishment of synergies;-Interaction between research, business and policy (the triple helix).

This project aimed to teach swimming to the physical disabled students who are between 16-25 years old.Every partner was to find 3 men+3 women disabled individuals with a classification between S5-S10.We wanted to help the disabled gain new skills,minimize their alienation,decrease the prejudgment against them and increase the communication within the society.All activities done were to help raise their confidence in themselves as well as become a role model for their similar peers.Yet one of the biggest gains of this project was to form a new vision to the disabled by letting them gain new skills and let them feel part of the society.Indeed;the participants themselves claimed that they have become more popular in between their peers,they’re much happier and have more confident in themselves.To teach swimming,to make it part of their life and make some of them become professional swimmers are the key elements of this project.TPM’s were planned to see the applications in partner countries and compare them with each other.Within these meetings;the pools,the programs they follow,how they practice,what instruments they use,motivation techniques,details of their annual training program were examined.5 TPM’s took place in every partner country,just as it was planned.It started with the K-o-M held in Isparta.An Opening Ceremony was hosted where Beytullah Eroğlu,the Turkish Paralympic swimmer also joined.The other TPM’s were hosted by RightChallenge,AHE and UCAM respectively.After the 4th TPM the Pandemic started and the World went into lockdown.During the pandemic we had 2 online meetings in January and July 2021.The Closing Ceremony was hosted by Asociatia Esperando.Because of the pandemic only the Turkish and Romanian partners were able to join the meeting face-to-face,the others joined it online.During the TPM’s all partners made a presentation on the progress of the Project,their swimmers,their trainings and the events they have hosted.The pools were visited,trainings were examined,the instruments used were shared,training programs were discussed,the obstacles they face were exchanged with the partners.Throughout these TPM’s we have observed that our training level and our trainers’ techniques are as good as theirs.The main differences were the physical conditions of the pools,the economic conditions of the disabled swimmers and the discipline they had.Another concrete output of the project was the lack of facilities where disabled and non-disabled individuals can do sports together.All the partners contributed to the dissemination of the project by hanging posters,publishing news on the local newspapers,local radios and web sites.We designed and printed dissemination materials (posters, t-shirts,swimming caps,etc.) and distributed them to the partners.In November 2019 we organized a National Disabled Swimming Competition in Isparta where approximately 150 disabled swimmers competed for the selection of the National Team.The competition was live on TRT Sport channel.A web site/Facebook/Instagram pages were also opened.As of December we have approximately 700 followers in these accounts.Every partner organized seminars/conferences in their hometowns.The coordinator & GSIM hosted 2 conferences in Isparta.One of them was in March 2019 where Adem Kuyumcu gave a conference on the accessibility and the communication of the disabled individuals in the social life.The other one which we called “The Tale of 2 Champions”,was one of the biggest events Isparta hosted.Beytullah Eroğlu & Sumeyye Boyacı gave a conference to more than 500 disabled and nondisabled individuals.The partners also hosted conferences/seminars for their swimmers,their parents,local people on motivation,nutrition,physical training. In March 2020,because of the pandemic all the pools were closed in the partner countries.Thus we had to give a break on the trainings.During this time the partners reached their swimmers and tried to continue their trainings at home.When the pools opened trainings started again.However;because of the pandemic the parents were afraid to send their children to the pool,thus not every swimmer could return to their normal training programme.The pandemic decreased their performance and motivation.Unfortunately,not all of the swimmers are continuing their training as it was planned in the beginning.We are still trying to reach the performance level before pandemic.In ensure sustainability the trainers of GSIM will continue training the disabled individuals as before now with more experience and knowledge.Also a Disabled Swimming Club will be formed under the Disabled Application and Research Center of SDU,right after the Center starts working fully.The results of the project will be shared through an e-book written in Turkish,English and the native languages of the partners.After the translation of it is done it will be loaded to the web site,mailed to relevant institutions and loaded to various databases and libraries.