C.I.C Project
“Community Integration and Cohesion – opening hearts and minds”
This is a two year project funded through LEONARDO Transfer of Innovation strand of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme.
The C.I.C project (Community Integration and Cohesion) project focuses on developing methods to promote integration and cohesion amongst adult learners, particularly those from innercity areas and /or disadvantaged/ marginalised communities. The C.I.C project aims to build positive relationships between different groups and communities. The project utilises an innovative DVD produced by Merseyside Expanding Horizons The DVD presented the stories of real people who had experienced some form of exclusion in their lives e.g a refugee, a deaf person, an ex-offender etc. – in total, nine case studies are portrayed. Our aim in producing that DVD was to use it in the development of a course/seminar/workshop which would enable learners to “experience” the lives, fear and hopes of individuals from different communities in our society. The DVD was also downloaded as individual podcasts on the MEH website –
http://www.expandinghorizons.co.uk/podcast/podcasts.asp
The aim of the C.I.C project is to produce a product that will promote social integration and cohesion amongst adult learners and influence behaviours.
The project aims to adapt an innovative DVD produced by Expanding Horizons, for use in other target countries. This will be done by examining the relevance of the case studies, translating those most relevant, adding additional case studies and producing course material/workbook to accompany the DVD.
The objectives of the project are:-
- To learn about and share experiences of tackling community integration and cohesion amongst partners
- To develop curriculum and learning materials which will include the innovative DVD featuring cases studies from a variety of diverse groups and individuals e.g. a person who has experienced a mental illness, an asylum seeker, a deaf person, a young person from a BME community etc.
- To ensure that the curriculum, learning materials and DVD are adapted by each partner to reflect the situation in their country. The DVD will use case studies from all the partner countries.
- To develop and test the curriculum, learning materials and DVD, in close co-operation with the target group, in an iterative development process.
The end product will be: a DVD plus teacher/trainers manual and workbooks produced for each country participating in the project. All materials will be localised to reflect the situation in the participating countries and will published in the national languages of the partners, as well as in English.
The immediate target group are adults within vocational education and training delivered by colleges and voluntary sector organisations. We are particularly aiming at adult learners from inner city and/or disadvantaged marginalised communities who by utilising the CIC course will be encouraged to build positive relationships between different groups and communities.
Tangible outcomes will include the ability for:-
- individuals to develop an understanding of needs and abilities of different social groups
- individuals to be able to transfer that understanding into their work and communities
Main activities:
- Learn about and share experiences of tackling community integration and cohesion amongst partners
- Review of the DVD in participating countries
- Production of a plan to adapt the DVD and develop the course materials for use in the target countries – different contexts, training systems, culture languages, additional case studies etc
- Development of the CIC product including quality assurance/potential to validate
- Testing/piloting in target countries and with different user groups
- Production of the DVD plus teacher/trainers manual and workbooks produced for each country participating in the project
- Evaluation
- Dissemination of results
The other partners in this project are: Valter Fissambler Associates (VFA) - Greece - Training Consultants, IREA (Romania) Research Institute, CID – Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo (Spain) – Not For Profit – research and training, Socialinių inovacijų fondas (SIF) – Lithuania, EURO-training (Bulgaria) – Not For Profit – research and training.
For further information please contact Nicola Daley, Programme Manager, Merseyside Expanding Horizons on tel: 0151 330 0552 or e-mail: nicoladaley@expandinghorizons.co.uk.
DiDe
“Developments in Diversity - Europe”
This is a two year project funded through LEONNARDO Transfer Of Innovation Strand of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme.
The main aim of this project is to increase the ability of those in vocational education and training to manage diversity.
We will do this by transferring specific innovative diversity content and results, gained mainly from the Grundtvig DiGe_E project (Diversity and Gender Experts for Europe), and adapt it to new sectors and target groups.
Our objectives are:
- to provide training in diversity issues by transferring lessons learned from the Dige_E training course;
- adapt, develop, promote and test a quality management accreditation procedure for diversity training and test the procedure;
- to adapt, develop, promote and test the use of a diversity self-assessment product to encourage organisations to implement diversity systems;
- to pilot the concept of a European pool of Diversity Experts; and
- to transfer best practice in diversity information management.
Tangible outcomes will include the ability for:-
- individuals to learn and develop an understanding of diversity and the management of diversity;
- people to be able to choose the best training available and to have standards to measure against;
- organisations to be able to implement diversity policies and strategies
- individuals and organisations to have access to a European Pool of Diversity Experts and
- individuals and organisations to have easy access to high quality information on diversity issues
Intangible outcomes will include:
- an increase in diversity knowledge and experience,
- the ability to implement diversity within organisations;
- better quality of training and advice;
- better access to diversity information and advice.
There will be an impact in each of the partner countries in terms of a raising of the profile of diversity and increase in the ability to deal with the issues.
The partners in this project are: : IUK Institut (Germany)- Research/Training Consultants, VFA (Greece) – Training Consultants, SIF (Lithuania) Adult Education/training Provider LT, South Savo Educational federation of Muncipalities/Mikkeli (Finland) Adult Education/training Provider - pubic sector. Social Research Centre Dortmund (sfs) (Germany) - Research Centre at University, CID- Centro de investigación para el Desarrollo (Spain) - Not For profit Research and Training, ROC Midden Nederland (ROCMN) (Netherlands), FE College
For further information please contact Nicola Daley, Programme Manager, Merseyside Expanding Horizons on tel: 0151 330 0552 or e-mail: nicoladaley@expandinghorizons.co.uk.
NETTRAIN BLOG
The Netrain Blog is now live! If you like to post new message, topic, idea, information the please visit
http://www.nettrain-networking.blogspot.com/.
NEWS BULLETIN
1.) We unfortunately have had to postpone the date of the NetTrain course: The course will take place in Berlin at the Wannsee from Sunday 8th June 08 to Thursday 12th June 08.
2.) The deadlines for application for the participants are not the same in 2008 as in 2007. Deadline for application for the German NetTrain Course is 31st of January.
please note: The new valid application-terms are only available on the National Agencies homepages from October 2007.
One of the priorities for Expanding Horizons over the past year has been to develop our experience in working on transnational projects funded through EU programmes. We are currently working as partners on two European projects:
1) DiGe_E - Managing diversity and gender_ Experts for Europe
2) NetTrain - cooperation and network competencies for key persons in adult education.
This is a two year project funded through GRUNTVIG 1.1
of the EU SOCRATES Programme.
DiGe_E
Managing diversity and gender Experts for Europe
Background
The DiGe_E Project will develop and test a course in "managing diversity and gender competences". We will compile and compare existing concepts, modules, tools and materials from different European countries in order to develop and adapt training modules which can be addressed to diverse target groups. The aim is to build a pool of diversity and gender experts on a Europe wide basis in order to disseminate the results of the project, further improve the original concept and exchange experience. Merseyside Expanding Horizons is the UK partner in this project.
Project Aims
The project aims to improve access to education for diverse, marginalised groups and increase effectiveness of life long learning and motivation to learn.
The primary target groups are key persons from adult education, project managers, trainers, teachers, instructors, counsellors, staff managers in organisations working with adult learners. The project partnership covers wide range of target groups. Main activities will be to develop, adapt and test a course, which will be marketed, monitored and evaluated and disseminated.
Main activities
• Development of a training course
• Marketing
• Monitoring, evaluation
• Dissemination, sustainability
• International meetings, final conference, expert-pool
Expected outputs
• “good practice” examples
• training modules
• marketing strategy, material
• Web-based services – co-operation of partners, “virtual” community of experts
• Monitoring and evaluation reports
• Guidelines for diversity-sensitive criteria and procedures in quality management-systems
• Final transfer-conference
• Pool/network of experts: “flying experts/trainers”, “virtual” community open for newcomers
Course
The course once developed will be tested twice during the lifetime of the project in the UK in December 2006 and Lithuania in June 2007. It will then be offered at least twice through the EU Gruntvig catalogue on a Europe wide basis. The first course will be offered in July 2007 in Portugal with the second to be offered in September in Greece.
The partners in this project are: : IUK Institut (Germany)- Research/Training Consultants(co-ordinator), VDAB(Belgium), Education/ training Provider, VFA (Greece) – Training Consultants, SIF (Lithuania) Adult Education/training Provider LT, Europraxis (Portugal) Training Consultants, South Savo Educational federation of Muncipalities/Mikkeli (Finland) Adult Education/training Provider - pubic sector.
There will also be an end of project conference in June 2007 in Lithuania, following the final test of the course.
Meeting in Liverpool
DiGe_E participants visiting the Liverpool Arabic Centre
In December 2006, 14 guests from our European partners along with 4 guests from Merseyside were invited to Liverpool to take part in testing, developing and adapting DiGe_E.
Our guests were key persons from adult education, project managers, trainers, staff managers in organisations working with adult learners, teachers and instructors who are the primary target group for this project.
The meeting and training course took place at both Expanding Horizons office and Kuumba Imani Millenium Centre, Princess Road, Liverpool throughout the first week of December 2005.
Training Consultants Joanne Anderson from MEH/Innervision Consultancy - United Kingdom and Angelika Kipp from IUK - Germany were the leading trainers delivering the course and Silvino Ruivo and Antonio Maduro from Europraxis - Portugal acted as support and facilitated some of the sessions and group exercises.
As part of the course, guests visited the Liverpool Arabic Centre (LAC) in Toxteth and met with Taher Qassim Chair of LAC and his team to learn about their organisations success in current projects such as the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival.
An evaluation of the training course is now underway. Following this the course will be further refined and tested again in June 07 in Lithuania.The course will then be open to participants from across Europe. Two initial offers are planned in Greece in July 2007 and Portugal in September 2007.
For details of the course and how to apply click here
Applicants can apply to the EU for a grant to attend course.
Course details can be found here
Click here to download the DiGe_E flyer
MEH would like to thank all those that took part in the training course
NetTrain
“cooperation and network competencies for key persons
in adult education”
Background
The project is developing a curriculum for Europe-wide training in co-operation and networking skills for key players in adult education. The training course is targeted primarily at employees in educational institutions, or organisations working with adult learners who are involved in setting up, developing and supporting networks and cross-organisational co-operation in a variety of different contexts. Merseyside Expanding Horizons is the UK partner in this project.
Project Aims
The aim is to develop a course for use throughout Europe in the form of a four-day event. All partners also have the option of adapting it to their regional and national requirements and offering it on their own initiative.
The course aims to impart and consolidate the knowledge and skills required for successful management of networks within and between organisations. It will cover:
• the range and types of networks and forms of co-operation
• the specific challenges of networking
• a systematic understanding of cross-organisational co-operation
• the possibilities and limitations of organising and managing networks
It will consolidate skills related to:
• the creation and organisation of networks
• the generation of an appropriate networking culture
• coping with competition and conflict within networks
• reflection on the role of the network manager
It will support and encourages:
• critical reflection on one's own networking activities
• implementation planning
• an exchange of experience amongst participants
• the creation of networks amongst participants.
Course
The course has been tested once in Romania in November 2005 and will be refined and tested again in Liverpool in April 2007. The course will then be offered at least twice through the EU Gruntvig catalogue on a Europe wide basis. These two offers are planned for Greece in June 2007 and Sweden in September 2007.
The other partners in this project are: Move Organisations Beratung (Germany) – Training Consultants (lead Partner) , Career Counselling Center of Serres (Greece) – public Sector , Business Link (Czech Republic) training consultants , IREA (Romania ) Research Institute, ROC Netherlands – Continuing Education Provider, EMMERCE EEIG (Sweden) Voluntary Organisation and LfQ, (Germany) Adult Education Provider Germany.
There will also be an end of project conference in April 2007 in Liverpool, following the final test of the course.
Click here to download the NetTrain Flyer
For Further information on Dige_E and NetTrain please contact Nicola Daley on tel: 0151 330 0552 or email: nicoladaley@expandinghorizons.co.uk
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