"The current Erasmus+ programme, running from 2014 to 2020, will provide opportunities for 3.7% ofyoung people (YP) in the EU to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad. But what willhappen to these 3.3 millions of YP once they get back to their own communities and realities? Whenwe set our feet back into our daily lives after a learning mobility, we often end up asking ourselves:""Have I changed, or them?"" And sometimes the most difficult thing, then, is to stay hungry, to keepthis energy alive, this desire to say “yes” to the unknown, to diversity, to new opportunities andchallenges… and to share the knowledge we gained with our peers and communities, determiningwhat we can do with everything we have learnt. However, there is today a lack of social support andeffective and coordinated follow up strategies that could help them to give sense, a posteriori, to themobilities and that could ensure that this engagement can take place at the local level, above allwhen this concerns YP with fewer opportunities. What we witness is a lack of connection betweenmobilities and local impact and the consequent waste of human capital and potentials … like anunfinished rite of passage. This is also partially due to the many challenges and difficulties connectedto the recognition of competences acquired during mobilities. That's why ""Level UP!"" wants to ensurethat Erasmus+ mobilities have a strong impact at the local level, as this is a strong gap in theErasmus Plus program that also recently emerged from the midterm shadow report published by theEuropean Youth Forum (Feb 2018). As youth workers and youth org constantly dealing withinternational mobilities, we see the incredible potential of strengthening and ensuring the localengagement of YP involved in mobilities: their learnings, their new skills and expertise, their openedminds, innovative ideas and committed souls can have an empowering and powerful effect on thecommunities they live in, as well as on their peers and co-citizens. Thus, the aim of the project is to toprovide them with the tools and the opportunities to channel their engagement and their motivationinto the local realities, offering space and time for effective follow up and building up a continuum ofexperiences that will allow YP to give back to the communities. And we will do so by creating specificdigital tools that will help us to ""LEVEL UP!"" the follow up of learning mobilities! The specificobjectives of the project are: - To support the capacity building of youth workers and youth org toimplement effective follow up strategies and to ensure local impact of international mobilities - Tofoster engagement, volunteering and stronger participation of YP involved in international mobilitiesin their own communities and local realities - To enable YP involved in international mobilities toconnect, to get in touch among themselves and with policymakers, public administrations, youth org,civic society org, interest groups, etc. in order to increase youth engagement at the local level as aresult of international mobilities - To contribute to the recognition of competences and skills acquiredby YP through international mobilities, both in formal, non formal and informal settings - To contributeto the creation of a community of European YP who’ve been part of mobilities abroad and are eagerto “give back” to their own local communities The project will last 25 months, from Sept 2018 till Sept2020, and will target: - around 1400 YP (aged 14 to 30 - 1/3 are estimated to be disadvantaged) - upto 24 youth workers - 4 youth org (ABS/Bulgaria, YEU International/Belgium, DYPALL/Portugal andUSB/Greece) - around 120 associated partners The project includes: - TC1 ""Capacity building of youth workers and youth org"": how to ensure local impact and engagement of YP taking part inEuropean and international mobilities - TC2 ""Capacity building of youth workers and youth org"":learning how to use the “Level Up” app to engage YP who take part in international mobilities at thelocal level - 12 multiplier events (8 focus groups within the research and testing phases + 4dissemination events) - local testing activities in all countries and communities The outputs foreseenare the following: - A thorough research and analysis of existing follow up practices in the youth fieldand in the field of learning mobilities, including gaps and needs to be addressed both at the local andat the european level -A platform/app ""Linkedin-style"" matching YP competencies with possibilities toengage at the local level (“Shake your competencies” + Creating an “online community” + “Opencalls” to initiate local actions and foster civic engagement, etc) - A publication that will encompassthe results of the research phase (collection of good practices for follow up of learning mobilities) andthe step by step guide to the app/platform (including tips and tricks to use the tools, etc.)."