Youth are the main characters in the future of the European Union, since they have the responsibility to propose, imagine, and build our society in years to come, but their dynamism and enthusiasm often contrasts their lack of experience. One of the ways in which these young people can change society is by helping to promote the inclusion of one of the groups that need it the most: the elderly and seniors.Today’s society has an image of the elderly that is far from appealing or enviable, which generates a social discrimination towards old age that leads to a culture where people do not want to age.Discrimination by age causes society to exclude the elderly, and they themselves seem in many cases willing to socially “exile” themselves, not appreciating the importance that their knowledge can have on the learning and growth of young people. How many young people live in their homes with their grandparents? How many of them live under the same roof without truly “living together”? Many young people do not know what their grandparents and grandmothers can teach them, and just consider them another furniture item of the house, not understanding everything that they can provide.Helping to reactivate the elderly, finding ways for their social inclusion, and promoting their active aging is a way for young people to learn from their seniors through an exchange of experiences and an intergenerational dialogue. This is a process that will help their grandparents, also strengthening the family unit, and help young people to develop their skills.This objective is in line with the values of the EU, which has begun to fight discrimination based on age and disability. Aware of the great importance of older people, the European Commission has undertaken legislative initiatives to promote intergenerational dialogue and active aging. Thus, the EU adopted in year 2000 the Directive 2000/78 /EC, and in 2012 a proposal for a directive prohibiting discrimination based on age.Both with the H2020 program and in Erasmus Plus, active aging is made a priority for EUROPE.But these legislative measures cannot, on their own, put an end to discrimination based on age or change our culture. This is why it is necessary to develop a new culture, and the best place to do this is in individual homes through the direct involvement of young people. Since February 2017, the project “SEE-JUDGE-ACT” has worked to make young people become active agents that promote social re-integration and the inclusion of their own grandparents, starting from their home environment, while learning and benefiting from intergenerational dialogue and the life experiences of their elders. During 23 months, an intersectorial partnership has implemented an innovative methodology at the European level called SEE-JUDGE-ACT to train youth as promoters of inclusion and active aging for their grandparents in their home environment, while fostering intergenerational dialogue as a training tool for young people that reinforces household.During this time, we managed to generate a close and sustainable European network capable of proper networking, improving the practices of partner entities by internationalizing their projects, and giving them a greater European impact. To carry it out, we held 4 transnational meetings (in Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Bulgaria) in which we managed to develop all the planned intangible results, and also many national activities (involving experts, youth, seniors, and occupational therapists) in which we developed all the tangible results, especially the “virtual ToolBox” that contains diverse materials with great impact on youth, within a web portal of European impact connected with social networks.Thus, this project has achieved all its proposed objectives, creating impactful results for its partners and collaborators (which will improve their European impact and working capabilities), for young people themselves (providing them with outreach tools for their training as therapists starting from non-formal and informal methodology, such as a forum for the exchange of good practices that strengthens intergenerational dialogue, and resources for online training), and also for the elderly, who will strengthen their ties with their grandchildren and develop an active aging.So, we believe that we have taken a first step, to be followed by many more, thanks to the creation of a sustainable network that addresses two of the major European challenges: a better training for young people through non-formal and informal, and an active aging for the elderly.

Young people leaving institutional or alternative care face many challenges in the process of adapting themselves to independant living. An important majority of them do not enter higher education, while an important number of the young people leaving foster or residential care are neither in employment, nor in education or training (NEETs), which strongly compromises their chances to successfully transition into adulthood. In the context of the above described challenges, the current proposal aims to contribute to the already ongoing effort to find solutions through: 1. Providing guidance and support to young people by creating a “one-stop-shop” where they will be able to access information, guidance, support and services provided by relevant organizations and institutions. 2. Support young people through the process of transition to independence by creating a network of volunteer mentors to help them build their personal plan and assist them in their communication with institutions and organizations. 3. Establishing long term cooperation among the partners with the objective to assist the insertion of care leavers in European Youth Mobility, Volunteering, and Apprenticeship programmes. The opportunities the EU provides for Youth and Education represent an enormous opportunity for vulnerable young people for inclusion, participation, gaining professional experience and important professional and individual competences.The project will directly involve about 60 young people aged 18-26 through the activities as well as around 500 indirect participants. The main activities of the project are: 1. The Life Skills for Care Leavers support e- platform and mobile app where care leavers will be able to access information and guidance on the services at their disposal, provided by relevant institutions and organizations, as well as support and coaching online through the app, by phone or person to person. 2. The Life Skills for Care Leavers training course for Mentors in order to ensure that the youngsters will benefit from high quality mentorship and coaching competences. 3. The Life Skills for Care Leavers training course for Young People in order to complete and facilitate the work of the mentors and provide young people with a set of important skills for their transition to adulthood. 4. A Tool Kit for organizations and staff in European Cooperation and mobility for disadvantaged young people containing guidance in the introduction of quality, safety, and responsibility standards for sending and receiving young people in this situation. 5. A six months long pilot Mentoring programme will be organized in each country as part of the project6. Two international training events, one for mentors and one for care leavers, will be also implemented.The project will assist young people leaving care to receive continuous support during their transition to adulthood; acquire specific social, financial and organizational skills and competences which will allow them to successfully transition to adulthood and reduce significantly their risk of social isolation; strengthen their sense of initiative, and motivation to continue with education and/or employment and improve their educational and vocational outcomes.

The project addresses one of the main challenges European Society faces today – the rapidly ageing population, and the growing need of finding solutions to the challenges the demographic changes bring about to our society – namely promoting healthy and active ageing. At the same time, the boom of information and communication technology has brought profound transformations to the structure and functioning of our society, affecting occupation and professional activity, quality of life, health, social interactions and environment.Older people remain vulnerable to digital exclusion, which, in its turn can seriously undermine their capacity to maintain their independence, benefit from opportunities and services and exercise fully their rights. In this context, the European Union faces a double challenge: Promote active ageing and inclusion of seniors into society and economy, as well as Addressing the digital divide between generations, which presents itself as an important obstacle to the former. In this background, the current project addresses the need to find efficient and cost-effective strategies to tackle age–related discrimination, isolation and marginalisation, thus promoting social inclusion and the establishment of best practices for participation of senior citizens in the economic and social life of the community. It’s main objective is to improve the quality of life of senior citizens, create opportunities for volunteering and employment, and facilitate their access to health, social and community services.The most important results to be achieved by the project are the following: - The Valorizing Senior Citizens support e- platform and mobile app - The Valorizing Senior Citizens training course for seniors - The Valorizing Senior Citizens toolkit for Families - The Valorizing Senior Citizens Active Ageing Toolkit- Two training events, one for seniors and one for organisations staff members will be organised during the project, as well as a six-months long pilot training for the main target groups, in order to fully engage them in the planned activities. The main target groups of the project are senior citizens and their family members and relatives, and the project will involve around 500 direct participants and 2000 indirect participants through the project activities and the dissemination and exploitation activities. The project is expected to improve the quality of life of senior citizens, create opportunities for them to participate actively in social life and economy, and facilitate their access to health, social and community services.