The Inclusionist: The Story Continues

We are now ready to start our second main activity, a youth exchange, relatad to our international project – The Inclusionist

The Inclusionist is an Erasmus+ youth project financed by the European Union. There are 5 countries participating: Albania, Italy, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia.

The aim of the project is to create a partnership between public and private organizations, experienced in working with youth with disabilities (YwD) and youth with fewer opportunities (YwFO), so that partners can carry out activities and develop comprehensive methodological tools of inclusive education adapted to these categories. Some of the partners are also experienced in adaptive sport activities that will share their experience with the others.

To achieve its aim, the project will have two main activities: a training course and a youth exchange.

The first main activity, the training course, took place in Cluj-Napoca and the mountain resort Băișoara (West-Carpathian Mountains), Romania, starting on November 2 and ending on November 9, 2019 (travel days included).

The second main activity is a youth exchange that will take place in Durres, Albania between April 25 and May 3, 2020, travel days included.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT:

• Sharing and developing methods to enhance the social inclusion of 10 YwD and 10 YwFO coming from 5 different countries (Romania, Serbia, Italy, Albania, Republic of North Macedonia) through non-formal learning and adaptive sport within a 7 day youth exchange held in Durres;
• Developing the capacities of 25 youth workers from the 5 different countries to address YwD and YwFO as specific targets within a 7 day training course in the inclusive education field held in Cluj-Napoca and Băișoara, Romania;
• Enhancing the self-esteem, pro-activeness, acquiring soft and transversal skills of 10 YwD, 10 YwFO and 10 non-disabled/non-marginalized youth coming from 5 different countries through non-formal learning and adaptive sport;
• Raising awareness about inclusion of marginalized youth among 25 youth workers;
• Promoting the international mobility of 30 young people, out of which 20 are marginalized youth from 5 different countries inside and outside the Erasmus+ programme.

PARTICIPANTS TO THE YOUTH EXCHANGE:

The youth exchange is addressing the needs of youth with disabilities, those with fewer opportunities and without disability.

30 youngsters, age 17-25 (6/country), 5 youth leaders, age 18+ (1/country) and 5 accompanying persons (1/country), age 18+, will attend the activity. Out of the total number of 40 participants there will be:

• 10 youngsters (2/country), age 17-25, fully disabled (physical or sensory) who cannot attend independently the activity, cannot travel alone and cannot access materials, and free time without their personal assistant, so we count 5 personal assistants (1/country), age 18+;
• 10 youngsters with fewer opportunities (2/country), age 17-25. These youngsters should face economic or social or geographical obstacles;
• 10 youngsters without disabilities or fewer opportunities (2/country), age 17-25;
• 5 youth leaders (1/country) age 18+. These will be selected from the youth workers who attended the training course in Romania (November 2019).

The selection of all participants is based on their motivation. There will be a common application form for all partners. Each partner organization is responsible to identify and select participants by a set of common criteria:

• For all participants:
  • Citizens or legal residents of Albania, Italy, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania or Serbia;
  • Ready to be involved in the dissemination activities, promotion and visibility of the project.
  • Ready to attend all the activities of the youth exchange;
• For the youngsters:
• Actively involved in the sending organization or in the community life;
• Ready to learn about and to get involved in the social inclusion of marginalized youngsters (YwD/YwFO);
• They are concerned about their self-improvement and willing to work in teams.
• They are enthusiastic about sharing experiences with other peers from different cultures and countries, about gaining new abilities.
• For the youth leaders:
  • Active in one of the partner organizations;
  • Working with youth, preferable 6 months experience with youth with disabilities and with fewer opportunities, some of them with and others without experience in working with disabled youngsters;
  • In the need of upgrading their knowledge/skills regarding the way they can empower/involve marginalized youth in community life;
  • Experienced or ready to learn, about the social inclusion of marginalized youngsters (YwD/YwFO);
  • Eager to apply the knowledge/skills learnt in the training course;
  • English language speakers (at least level B2), since English is the official language of the project;
  • Ready to share their personal and professional experience;
• For the accompanying person:
  • Experienced in guiding disabled persons.
  • Able to use English as working language.

Participants will have the opportunity to contribute at any session of the youth exchange.

During the intercultural evenings, participants will be asked to bring and present pieces of their culture (music, food, dance, data, pictures, collages, etc.) in an inclusive way.

All project activities are based on non-formal education methods and tools (working groups, debriefings, free discussions, role plays, workshops, teambuilding exercises, games, energizers, reflections, study visits, presentations etc.), which encourage active participation of each participant in the sessions. The whole learning methodology will be adapted to the needs of all the participants and will be inclusive with regard of the disabled ones. The two trainers will choose those methods and tools, which involve equally and actively each participant.

THE VENUE:

Accommodation will be in Durres, Albania

Food will be both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, depending on your preferences noted in the application form.

There will be three daily meals, as well as coffee/tea and snacks in between meals. If you have other needs concerning food, please let us know!

TRAVEL   REIMBURSEMENT:

According to the rules within the Erasmus+ Programme, financed by the European Union, we will reimburse the travel costs on basis of the cheapest and most effective possibilities, 2nd class railway tickets, APEX-flights etc., accompanied by the receipt of complete and original tickets, invoices, bills, receipts, boarding cards etc.

ALL THE TRAVEL TICKETS HAVE TO BE BOUGHT AFTER RECEIVING CONFIRMATION FROM THE COORDINATOR  !!!

Participants are expected to arrive to Durres, Albania, on April 25, 2020. The departure will be on May 3, 2020, after breakfast.

We will reimburse travel costs, by bank transfer, within 45 days after receiving all the original travel   documents, after dissemination, including here 2 local workshops, after the training, and filling out the Mobility Tool questionnaire. The maximum reimbursements for Italy is Euro 275. For participants from Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia we will send a bus to pick them up from Skopje, Cluj-Napoca and Nis and bring them to Durres and back.

In case you are interested in participating to the training course, you can find the info pack here. Application deadline is October 20, 2019.

PROJECT PARTNERS:

• Asociatia Babilon Travel – Romania (Coordinator);
• Assoziacione ONLUS L’Alberodella Vita – Italy;
• AzBuki – Serbia;
• Direcția de Asistență Socială și Medicală Cluj-Napoca – Romania;
• MrezazaDozivotnoUcenje – Republic of North Macedonia;
• Projekte Vullnetare Nderkombetare – Albania.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the organizers: office@babilontravel.net.