Live Learning - Database with international examples of good practice for mobility with disadvantaged young people (NEET)

Learn more about how our projects work and who made them possible

Here you can find all the projects we have researched in the project "Live Learning". In the course of the project we have researched more than 40 projects that correspond to the approach we are looking for to work with well-organized informal learning situations. These are projects that work in the framework of mobilities, others have as a red thread the development of entrepreneurship.

How our Filters work

The learning situations (which we call learning environments) come in different varieties: Work placements abroad, artistic projects, sports art and sports projects to experiential education approaches. In this overview you can take a detailed look at each of these activities.

What is the purpose of this database?

To present and disseminate projects that show international examples from different countries in Europe of how to work with the target group of so-called NEETs in the context of mobilities and which offers and modules are suitable for practice.

To disseminate practical educational approaches and forms of action from these examples, which want to bring together the best from the different "programme worlds" of international work and with the intention of making non-formal and informal forms of learning in mobilities for disadvantaged young people manageable.

To provide a web-based, practical handout that can be used by practitioners in Europe and adapted for their work in the years to come.

Which projects have we chosen?

Among the projects found, we have selected formats in which work is done with socially disadvantaged young people or NEETs in the context of stays/measures abroad. These are projects that focus on informal learning. It is not clear whether they were originally intended this way or can only be optimised in this direction. The projects therefore have two criteria:

• They are mobility projects that work with NEETs and are conceptually oriented towards them.

• They do this either as special projects or with a deliberate mix (inclusive).

It was always particularly interesting for us to see to what extent and in what form the projects work with "arranged situations" of non-formal and informal learning, whether there are starting points for this, planned or as an additional possibility for the participants.

Funding-policy situation in the countries of the Live Learning project partners

One realisation of all partners in the project was that we were often somewhat "alone across the landscape" with our interest in mobility offers for educationally disadvantaged young people. In professional discussions with both the big providers and the promoters of youth exchanges abroad, we often found that it was not that easy to find interest in this. However, we have already been able to observe some positive developments in the course of the project since 2019 - it seems to be happening in small steps.

• There has been a major exception in the European landscape for about 10 years: the Integration through Exchange (IdA) programme of the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs programme from Germany; through the networking project TNL-Mobility it has also initiated some experiments or parallel programmes in other European countries.

• In the field of youth social work and its equivalents in the countries of our European partners, as well as in some international associations (work camp movement, international providers of experiential education), there are individual committed projects that conceived mobilities from a social work approach - so-called individual projects.

• In the professional discourse of the big providers and promoters of international work - which are not based in social work - our questions and topics seemed very foreign (anyone who really wants to can take part!), so that we were sometimes not understood at all or were rather classified as missionaries.

• At the responsible authorities for disadvantaged young people, we met with both irritation (mobility, really?) and undisguised enthusiasm - depending on the practical experience we had.

Good practice is thus in a minority position in all sectors. Often they are "lighthouse or model projects" or committed authorities. A broader orientation or stabilisation is still contested, rather undesirable, sometimes controversial.

Professional background in the field of mobilities für NEETs

We found several different conceptual formats that can be used to organise a stay abroad as a structured learning situation.

We were also able to find and document one reference each from NGOs that predominantly use and have developed this project format. In the academic discourse of educational research and learning theory, we were able to find a few academic references - but of a different nature in each of the countries involved.

We also tried to ascertain the respective political mood in the individual countries regarding this practice. In this respect, the institutions and multipliers we spoke to repeatedly gave us very clear impressions.

We have defined (partly new) terms to structure and describe the formats of the mobilities we found according to their learning forms and training approaches. They are also defined below (click on them). These are, among others, learning environment, learning principles, learning situation, soft skills.

How did we compile the project collection and how can it be used?

We have created a grid containing criteria to classify and categorise these example formats.

• We have compiled the project formats found, anonymised the underlying practice projects for some of them and made them available in a database.

• In this way, we want to provide interested trainers and other NGOs who work with NEETs internationally with tried and tested project examples that they can use for their own work. They should be able to use the formats, ideas and practical tools.

Who made it possible

The partners of the project Live Learning - a path to Europe for all! have researched, analysed and prepared projects from their countries. In addition, they have researched the basic funding situation for mobility for NEETs and described it as a summary.

Of course, a lot can change in the future, information is added, deepened and differentiated, the funding situation changes. We will find more good projects. The funding situation in the countries is changing (current status as of 2020). Information from other countries is added. This compilation of knowledge is constantly updated and we will try to keep it up to date.

This collection can also be completed and adapted after the end of the Live Learning project in the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme. Project examples, information about the situation in countries or even simple requests for cooperation with us can be sent to the following email address:

news@live-learning.eu

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