“Special not different” was a youth exchange involving international organizations and participants from the Programme countries (Romania, Spain) and a partner country neighboring the EU – Republic of Moldova.
Participating organizations were Asociatia Crestin – Umanitara Slujirea Vietii, in Romania, along with his partners AO Caroma North (Moldova) and BUILDING BRIDGES ASOCIACION (Spain).
The participants were 24 young people from rural and urban areas, some with fewer opportunities, aged between 15- 30 years.
Venue: Iasi County Romania
The methods of non-formal education used were interactive and participative, permanently involving the young participants: knowledge games, workshops, teamwork, interactive presentations, music, dancing and traditional food, documentary visits, learning by experiencing, teambuilding, facilitated group discussion.
The purpose of this multilateral exchange was to give participants the opportunity to experience, share and learn together about entrepreneurship and the values of the European Union.
Specific objectives
O1 – To develop and encourage solidarity and tolerance among young people, in particular in order to strengthen social cohesion in the EU.
O2 – To provide young people with actual information and space for ideas exchange related to rural entrepreneurship;
O3 – To raise participants awareness of the real opportunities offered by rural areas;
O4 – To encourage participants to develop entrepreneurial ideas by involving young people with fewer opportunities;
The youth exchange activities were conducted over 7 days (including travel days) in the period 23 July to 29 July 2016 and were implemented through non-formal education methods.
SPECIAL NOT DIFFERENT
The activities of the project aimed to: increase the involvement of young people in the communities they come from, share creative knowledge and experiences, discover some concrete ideas of rural entrepreneurship, achieve skills in business plans development, improve language skills and thus increase the opportunities to participate in other european projects.
The main activities were:
1. Getting to know the participants
2. Intercultural evenings
3. Workshop: European Union – the shared values of freedom, tolerance and respect for human rights.
4. Meeting with representatives of local authorities / youth meeting with a senator
5. Rural entrepreneurship at youths’ hand
6. Business opportunities in rural environment
7. Discovery and experimentation of different types of businesses specific to rural environment
8. Business Plan
9. Project results dissemination (the project’s facebook page, achieving 24 dissemination sessions on the follow-up period)
After the implementation of the project, the participants achieved the following outcomes: development of the level of knowledge and creativity in rural entrepreneurship area, awareness of the real potential that rural environment offers and developing attitudes of tolerance, understanding and acceptance of differences in an international context, intercultural exchange, sharing of national values but especially the exchange of ideas and experience between participants.
Quantifying, we mention that at the end of the project we had the following results:
– 6 business plans made by the participants during the activities;
– 1 project facebook page with details of the purpose, objectives and results and pictures taken during the activities – https://www.facebook.com/specialnotdifferent/
– over 500 views on the project’s facebook page;
– 24 shares of the project’s facebook page;
– Informing of over 10 000 people in Romania, Moldova and Spain – the countries of the participants – regarding the results of the project and visibility achievement of the Erasmus+ Program (through the facebook page);
24 information sessions of marginalized youth from the origin communities of the participants at the mobility in Romania, Moldova, Italy, Spain (colleges, schools, universities, colleagues) about the project and the results recorded, and the opportunitie of Erasmus+ Program
– 500 office calendars for 2017 year through which it will be achieved the dissemination of the project’s results and visibility of Erasmus+ Program;
– One long-term partnership between the participating organizations.
The project provided space for participants to develop their own projects and initiatives and strengthen cooperation between partners, so, through Erasmus+ Program, new activities be further developed. The participants received Youthpass, the European Certificate for young people, certifying the skills acquired in Special not different.
For further information you can reach us at the e-mail address slujirea_vietii@yahoo.com, contact person Daniela Cadar, project coordinator.
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