<< Objectives >>The project aims to promote the Erasmus + Program in the principles and opportunities it offers to organizations that target their activities to seniors and to the people who belong to these organizations.Through actions at local and transnational level and in a perspective of intergenerational dialogue, the project aims to contribute to the construction of a common European identity, involving organizations and people in a path of discovery of the Program.<< Implementation >>The project includes a series of activities, at local and transnational level, aimed at seniors, in collaboration with the organizations that represent them. The planned activities are: the organization of a series of meetings for the presentation of the Erasmus + program at the local level; a transnational laboratory; a second series of meetings for the return of the experience to the territory; sharing the experience online, through the creation of a training module.<< Results >>The results we want to achieve together are: the improvement of the capacities of organizations for seniors in promoting the opportunities that the program offers them, in collaboration with the youth organizations that represent the soul of the Erasmus + program; greater involvement of seniors, with a view to developing personal skills and enhancing them, in building a more inclusive European society and identity.

"This project aimed to respond to two key priorities: promoting a high-quality of youth work and strengthening education and training paths of youth workers. The selected priorities matched the project framework by the following points of view.The project designed, implemented and disseminated a ludic and educational kit (The NET NET kit) composed by a board game and supporting tools (a cartoon video, a video tutorial and a mini-guide) which focused on EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy (equal opportunities for all, discrimination, social exclusion, participation, political rights): this is a highly flexible and customizable kit, suitable for re-processing and subsequent integrations to be used by youth workers with a wide range of targets (youngsters, people with fewer opportunities, NEETs, drop out students, persons of recent immigration, refugees,adults, senior).The NET NET kit helped youth workers in their role as a multi-target provider of non-formal learning opportunities which empowered them and their social awareness, their citizenship, with the aim of sharing it with “multicolored” targets an amusing learning process and to explore, as in a learning fun travel, some of the crucial topics of Europe today: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy topics.The kit implementation was improved by the partnership with the support of a multicultural youth worker team composed by youth workers representing, at its best, European multiculturalism and diversity and selected in each partners country: Sweden,Turkey, Italy and Spain. Starting from these core objectives, the project profile widened its horizons looking at the world around with the aim to promote a learning by playing/making learning fun methodology and got positive results with people of all ages and backgrounds, in particular people with fewer opportunity. The project experienced an alliance between youth workers centers, schools, adult and senior centers, public bodies, private companies, etc. on the focused issues and finally experienced and promoted an innovative cross sectorial partnership (two youth centers, one private company, one research institute) and was able to reinforce the dialogue among highly different, but complementary entities. In addition the multicultural and multi sectoral partners profile allowed the project to involve actively a wide range of stakeholders. The NET NET kit was released as an OER: the do-it-yourself kit, containing suggestions, templates, instructions, and made users build by themselves a customized version of the game. This action is considered to be crucial in creating long term benefits and allowed the results of the project to be heavily promoted among youth workers and their stakeholders. The project activities took place over 24 months, in four countries, from north to south Europe: from Sweden to Turkey, passing through Italy and Spain. The partnership was built as a ""melting team"" made by complementary competences and expertises, background and missions in order to achieve a common goal. The project team was willing to contribute to the mainstreaming of the idea that diversity, expressed as EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy, creativity and culture and equal opportunities for all, is a win-win development factor. The participants in the project, during its whole cycle, was around 350 including also people with fewer opportunities and special needs. The participants were actively taking part in the testing phase, in a series of labs in youth centers (involving at least 100 youth workers) and in the multiplier events: a medium that valorized a widespread and multi-target network and the importance of the high quality of youth work. The multiplier events hosted about 200 people including youth workers, teachers, trainers, decision makers, and all the main project stakeholders (local and regional political decision makers, public bodies, NGOs, youth centers, adult and senior centers, people engaged in educational processes, Associations, refugee centers).The project was divided into phases, some of them transversal to the project whole cycle (project management, evaluation and dissemination): the NET NET milestones, the transnational meetings, one in each partner country: Sweden, Italy, Turkey and Spain; the intellectual output implementation and the connected 4 multiplier events, one in each partner country. The multiplier events valorized, in a widespread and multi-target network, the importance of the high quality of youth work."

<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Tourism sector more than others and, within the sector, vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and seniors with aged-related health conditions are among the hardest hit: “they are often excluded from communications on public health and travel updates, decision-making and information on accessibility of basic services. Their health conditions and social isolation can expose them to serious risks” (UN World Tourism Organisation - UNWTO “Inclusive Recovery Guide”, 2020).The central role of management and staff skills in delivering accessibility is seen as one of the pillars for re-building tourism that is safe, healthy and with greater emphasis on customer service, both during and after COVID, as emphasised by the new guidance by UNWTO and the World Tourism and Travel Council (Inclusive and Accessible Guidelines to Aid Global Travel and Tourism Recovery, 2021). People with disabilities and seniors represent an immense market opportunity that is overlooked by the majority of tourism operators (EC Study, “Mapping the Supply and Performance Check of Accessible Tourism Services”, 2015). The tourism sector would benefit greatly by developing facilities and services for this market as a means of driving the recovery after the pandemic: tourism operators and destinations should harness this potential and make accessibility a reality.However, the percentage of tourism operators that can benefit from this potential is still low, due in large part to the lack of staff who are trained to cater for customers with specific access requirements. Courses in disability awareness, accessibility and inclusion are generally not offered in VET institutions as part of the training in tourism management, hospitality and catering. There is, therefore, a need for a major shift towards general training on accessible tourism, especially in this period in which all strategies for a recovery of the tourism sector should be implemented.Despite efforts in some countries and regions, permanent and recognised vocational training offers are very few and are mainly directed to continuing, professional VET while training on accessible tourism for students at VET and higher education levels is not part of mainstream curricula.The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for European vocational education and training systems to offer the tools and skills to provide high-quality digital education. In recent years the spread of new digital technologies has fostered the implementation of new teaching and learning approaches, using innovative digital tools including MOOCs, digital games, Artificial Intelligence and Immersive virtual experiences which are proving to be effective for a wide range of users, especially because they are flexible tools meeting the various learning needs and expectations of trainees. Nevertheless, in the current formal educational context these innovative approaches and tools are still under-represented and relatively untested.New forms of training based on digital technologies require new competences of the teaching staff, who are often little or not at all accustomed to using these tools. This creates additional challenges to the teachers who need to be creative, prepared for life-long learning and professional development in providing high-quality digital education.<< Objectives >>The project DIVETOUR aims at implementing and experimenting, within tourism VET institutions, innovative and inclusive educational approaches and digital tools for delivering new training contents on tourism and accessibility. More specifically, project main objectives are focused at:- reducing the training gap within tourism VET providers on accessible tourism topics, by embedding them in their training offer;- providing VET trainers and learners with new knowledge, skills and competences on possible strategies for the tourism sector recovery after the pandemic, with a focus on accessible tourism challenges and potential;- developing and experimenting new educational approaches and innovative digital training tools by integrating collaborative and game based learning into VET and using new media and digital technologie in a creative and collaborative way;- developing the above mentioned training tools in such a way that they are as inclusive and accessible as possible taking into account the needs and rights of VET learners with disabilities.<< Implementation >>The project DIVETOUR partners are going to:- Share within partnership theoretical and practical knowledge of possible strategies for the recovery of the tourism sector after COVID-19, with a specific focus on accessible tourism challenges and potentials- Develop a portal conceived as an Open Learning Community to be triggered by the implementation of a “connectivist” MOOC containing innovative training modules and immersive 360 videos, and to be integrated with the other project’s results (developed game-based learning, gamification, basic knowledge for the Game-based web App implementation, Chatbots)- Develop 2 learning modules to be integrated in the portal to be used for the MOOC- Develop 4 immersive “360 videos” to be integrated in the portal and to be used for the MOOC- Design, develop, implement and experiment Game-based web app on accessible tourism to ‘learn by playing’ the basics of accessible tourism, customer care and inclusion of people with disability in the tourism sector.- Design, develop, implement and experiment simple and effective Artificial Intelligence tool (chatbot) as both a training and working tool on tourism.- Test created project Results- Evaluate the Results within the partnership- Translate all internally produced material for the Online platform, the game-based web app, the chatbots, the flyer, posters, newsletters and all promotional material from English (the official language of the project) into Lithuanian, Spanish, Italian and Slovenian- Promote the project Results for adoption by VET providers- Share and promote the project results as a whole- Detect strategies for the mainstreaming- Detect strategies for the continuing of the project after its closure<< Results >>The following are the main project results and outcomes that are expected during the project and on its completion:Project Result Id1. Online platform “Open Learning Community”, including:- Design, implementation, and delivery of a “connectivist” MOOC on “New Challenges for Tourism sector after COVID-19” which will be hosted by the Open Learning Community as the core training resource for the tourism sector. The MOOC, targeted to VET beneficiaries, both students and operators in the tourism sector, will include two main training modules: a first one on the appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 crisis in the travel and tourism sector, without compromising accessibility and to accelerate recovery; a second one focused on accessible tourism development as one of the main levers for the recovery of the tourism sector- A digital library of learning materials, including externally available materials (from tourism institutions and from EU-funded accessible tourism projects like TAD, APP TOUR YOU, two Erasmus Plus best practices);- Self-paced and self-directed learning for different target groups (students, professionals)- Digital learning materials, including Good practices (in various fields), delivered via “How to” video Guides, Chat-bots, Gamified learning and immersive “360” video tutorials developed by the partnership. Etc.Project Result Id2. Game-based Web app on accessible tourism - digital innovative and engaging educational tool on accessible tourism to ‘learn by playing’ the basics of accessible tourism, customer care and inclusion of people with disability in the tourism sector. It will be a story-driven game that leads learners to improve their knowledge and skills, based on 4 Missions, corresponding to a learning module and split in several Goals, as intermediate achievements. Game will be built to involve user in a Story based problem which they are required to solve. The application will be integrated in the Open Learning Platform as one of the innovative features available.Project Result Id3. Artificial Intelligence tool (Accessible Tourism chatbot) - simple and effective Chatbots, embedded in the open Learning Comunity portal, which will be developed to give structured information on accessible tourism questions. The Chatbots will also be designed as a practical tool for tourism staff and entrepreneurs who want to enhance the quality of information and communication with customers on inclusive and accessibility issues. In DIVETOUR project, chatbots will also have a didactic function, since learners will be involved in their production and, with trainers’ support, will have to integrate the knowledge of the chatbots, imagining scenarios and possible information needed by customers with specific access requirements, and see if the bot can answer or it needs to be programmed further. So learners will be proactively involved in “training the chatbots”, thus recapping and integrating their acquired knowledge on accessible tourism.

The starting assumption of this project was that knowledge of each other’s society, culture, habits, among others, is crucial for a successful integration. The aim of integration calls for efforts by the newcomers to understand and accept the basic values of the receiving society as well as for efforts by the hosting countries to understand and accept the basic values of the new migrants and refugees. The aim of this project is to develop, by the medium of youth work, social and civic competences among the youth, local and newcomers, to European countries. In addition it aims to respond to the youth priority of promoting high quality of youth work as it has designed, implemented, tested and disseminated an effective education tool able to support youth workers in developing their daily activities and their channels of communication. Finally, the project aims to respond to the youth priority of promoting empowerment and active citizenship of young people, in particular new migrants and refugees, as it supports young new migrants in their inclusion path. Starting from these core priorities and objectives, the project profile widens its horizon looking at the world around with the aim to promote effective educational tools able to get positive results with people of different backgrounds; to experience an alliance between youth workers centres, educational providers, NGO including immigration and refugee centres and public bodies on the focused issuesThe partnership is a multi sector and innovative agreement among 3 diverse organizations: one ONG dealing with immigration issues (Kvinnor Soma Sverige) from Sweden, a social communication agency (Bluebook srl) from Italy and an association whose core mission is integration and European cooperation in the youth field (Integra) from Spain. Partners worked, along with stakeholders and migration and youth related organizations, in the elaboration, design, evaluation, testing, and implementation of the materials or intellectual outputs of the project. The project worked on two Intellectual Outputs: 1-A series of 15 comic strips focused on the topics: Cultural codes, habits, intercultural communication, stereotypes and prejudices, and discrimination. In dealing with these topics there’s a special attention to the following elements: Identity, Humanisation of the characters, A bidirectional approach to the process. The medium of the comic strips has been chosen because comics are known to be one of the most powerful and effective communication tools, above all in the youth field.2-An annexed guide. The guide accompanies youth workers, step by step, through the process of using the comic strips to communicate, educate and sensitize the young target in the mentioned topics. Through it, youth workers will be able, without outside help, to re-process the comics and exploit them with a wide range of different target profiles (in general young people with fewer opportunities) in different contexts and starting from different topics.Diverse dissemination activities showed firsthand the results of the project in the shape of the comic strips and the guide: dissemination labs to reach a total of 100 youth workers and 3 multiplier events (one in each partner country) with a total of 60 participants from migrant organizations, local decision makers and young migrants and locals. Dissemination through schools network was also implemented and further workshops in the school system are the next step for the materials to be used. They are also available as pedagogical resources in Salto and Epale platforms, in the project website, websites and social networks of all partners. All the participants in the project have been benefit from the activities developed during the 20 months of the project, and it is expected that the impact will be extensive in time and upcoming projects and events as it open to and would be applied in further projects linking the comic as an artistic expression with other arts and tools as theatre, video or music.

"Alarmed by the differences between men and women in status, roles and positions in our society, our aim with this project is to promote gender equality within the educational community. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to the improvement of social justice in tomorrow’s Europe. In our schools, pupils are often strongly prejudiced about how girls and boys should behave and what their future should be. As a result, when men become adults, they are more likely to get powerful jobs while women often accept precarious and lower-paid positions.This vicious cycle is reproduced from one generation to the next. It is very present in isolated and disadvantaged populations. These observations have led us to reflect on, and wish to counter, gender stereotypes. There will never be real equality between men and women unless we deconstruct the bases of gender relations, i.e. the historical division of social roles between men and women. These roles are based on philosophical, religious, political, biological or social ""justifications"" that vary throughout history and from country to country. By giving girls and women their proper place, we will help to change attitudes and promote gender change in order to build societies with more justice and equality. The development of our societies will not be achieved by holding back half of the population. Equality in the Law must become equality de facto because, as Victor Hugo said, ""Humanity has a synonym: equality"".To act on this, we have chosen to build this project through a partnership between four schools (in Romania, Finland, Greece and France) and three NGOs (in Spain, Italy and France). The choice of European partners makes it possible to address our topics in countries from all four corners of Europe (North / South - East / West). Half of the partners are in rural areas, the other half in urban areas. This diversity adds value to the project, while considering the issues within a varied local context. Through a global, collaborative and coherent approach, we will create a book of mischievous tales that free of stereotypes, a game on gender equality, an e-learning website, a communication kit and a roadmap, as well as a digital platform for sharing educational tools and the results of the project. With these tools, we aim to mitigate the effects of gender prejudice and stereotypes, and show that a fair society is possible. Free from stereotypes, students will develop their individuality and their true skills. By highlighting gender-related behaviours and attitudes, we also plan to tackle academic difficulties, especially with boys. Whenever they comply with their traditional gender assignment of domination, confrontation and rebellion, their academic achievements are often compromised. To achieve our goals:- We will share our knowledge, our experiences and our reflections on gender relations and ICT to broaden our educational approaches and requalify our teaching methods and tools;- We will involve local partners from participating countries throughout the project;- We will co-build educational tools to improve the understanding of processes that promote access to gender equality. Thus, with some thirty teachers and three associative partners, we intend to combine our skills and experiences in order to offer powerful and reliable tools that will promote the success of all students. For two years, these tools will be created, tested, used and communicated through our website and via local events informing people about the project."