Building Bridges. International Youth Work
The IB has been implementing international youth and expert exchange programmes since its foundation. As a significant goal of its articles of association the IB promotes “international understanding and cooperation”. The IB therefore contributes significantly to a more tolerant, open and peaceful society, strengthens international and European awareness and contributes to the implementation of the European Youth Strategy. In accordance with the IB’s mission statement, the exchange programmes help participants to learn to develop freely, live self-determined lives, integrate into society, to assume personal responsibility and to actively participate in the development of society worldwide. The topics of and possibilities for interaction are as diverse as the interests of the youth and young adults: youth encounters take place in leisure time, at work-related meetings, work camps, educational seminars, internships, memorial rides or through expert exchanges.
In its international youth work, the IB particularly focuses on youth with special support requirements. The aim of the projects is to enhance the mutual understanding between young people of different countries and cultures. The youth gain a lot from these exchanges. In most cases it is their first experience with and in a foreign country. While they are confronted with foreign and unknown situations, they reflect on their own cultural identity. In this way they learn about tolerance and acceptance and begin to show an interest in their non-native compatriots. By acquiring important key competences in a professional and social context, they gather self-confidence, which plays an important role in their personal and professional development.
The IB also promotes international expert exchanges. The professionals benefit from a substantial exchange of experiences and enhance their skills. They experience Europe and other continents and are thus able to better transfer their acquired knowledge of these places to their clients and the people they work with. The added professional and intercultural value of international work complements the participants’ competencies. Participants are expert professionals from the areas of youth, social and educational work. The projects are developed and implemented in cooperation with partner organizations from within Europe and beyond Europe in all areas of the IB.
Projects:
BRIDGE
= Breaching Reservation and Improving Dialogue through Generational Exchange
A European strategic partnership
Younger and more experienced youth workers have quite different approaches to their work, be it with the target group (young people), or with colleagues, or as staff or volunteers of an organisation. How do we deal with this as youth workers or as an organisation?
IDA - Inclusive Digital Academy
The IDA (Inclusive Digital Academy) project, a co-operation of 10 European partners, is supported by the European Union as part of the Erasmus+ program, its main target is to reduce the digital barrier for people with disabilities by facilitating access to information and communication technologies (ICT).
KALIS - Keep all learners in schools
KALIS aims to develop brand new innovative holistic approaches to better prevent Early School Leaving (ESL) which involve school management, teachers, students, and parents. Training program for teachers, real-time alert system for potentially at-risk students, an educational game for young students on dropout prevention and a web based resource hub for schools will be the main results.
ArtIn Future
The implementation of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in vocational schools is essential as part of a holistic approach to curricula and educational pathways. The ArtIn Future project shows the integration of digital strategies in education sector in a playful way.
Jobs4All
This project is an effort to enhance VET- bussiness cooperation in an attempt to adapt Vocational Education and Training to labour market needs.
Mental Health of Youth in the post Corona time
The project aimed to give youth workers more confidence in dealing with mental health and to minimise excessive demands due to lack of experience in this area. One of the aims was to provide the best possible support for young people in their environment, of which mental health is an important part. We also needed to train youth workers to recognise their own limits in order to protect their own mental health.
Mobility for Young People and Workers
IB organizes a lot of mobilities for young people with fewer opportunities and workers in different areas like youth work, social work, vocational education and school.
Different Sounds
Three organizations (Poland, Sweden and Germany) which works with people with intellectual disabilities created in cooperation with the target group a printed book, an e-book and an animation movie, each in 4 languages (DE, EN, PL and SE). People with disabilities created the story, text, pictures, paintings and music used in the results. The main idea of the story is a story of objects and instruments, a story about discrimination and acceptance.
GINA-Green Inclusive Academ
GINA aims to increase the level of sustainability knowledge among people with disabilities and staff. The training of both as equal partners to gain more awareness for environmental friendly behaviour. A multiplier training to train peer groups. The production of an exciting and interactive E- Book in easy to read language accessible for everybody. It shall treat important environmental aspects in 6 chapters and encourage the viewers to learn about green topics. You can find the results in 9 languages.
FLC - From Linear to Circular: Promoting Green Entrepreneurship and Employment Through Circular Business Models Design
This project aimed to create a Community of Practice and a workshop training approach for VET, to promote the ideation and development of new circular business models, to support the creation of micro companies for the circular economy by the VET learners. The project addressed the disadvantaged people needs and promoted their inclusion in the socially fair transition to the green economy.
KEYS! - From Migrant Education to VET - Developing Key Competences
KEYS! - From Migrant Education to VET - Developing Key Competences
The projects has developed tools to enhance migrants' basic skills and key competences, essential for their successful integration into education, employment and society. We had identified a gap in collaboration between integration/language training providers and vocational education and training (VET) providers. By bridging this gap, we sought to create upskilling pathways that would facilitate smoother transitions from integration and language training to VET or employment.
AMOR - Advanced Measurements of Responses to the Challenges of Social Skills Development in the Digital Era
Develop solutions to address the social skills gap and the digital divide for people with disabilities and students with special educational needs who are largely excluded from digital and non-digital solutions. You can find the results in different languages.
LEADING2023
The project will feature original and advanced methodology and digital resources, developed to help participating organizations, its staff and other interested business consultants/CVET professionals and leaders to cope with the challenges and demands in advancing SDGs, and implement sustainable and responsible post-pandemic business practices. On the platform, you can find educational resources.
G.O.A.T. - Get on the action train
GOAT is a platform for young people to break barriers, push boundaries, and redefine what’s possible. Through empowerment, we aim to unleash the true potential within every young mind, fostering a generation of trailblazers who fearlessly chase their goals.
AutismFit
The project aims to promote mental and physical health and well-being of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by using digital innovation (e.g. VR games) to support young people to acquire healthy habits such as exercise; dietary habits and nutritious health are also priorities of AUTISMFIT.
CEandDigital - Circular Economy & Digital skills
Development of digital teaching materials (AR and VR) to promote inclusive digital learning in schools with a focus on circular economy topics, an area that is becoming increasingly important today and in the future.
NeuroDiversity
The project focuses on neurodiversity girls and women and recognizes gender diversity within neurodivergent young people. The project will provide training activities for professionals to improve their understanding of neurodiversity, adopt a gender- sensitive approach and ensure that all people, especially neurodiverse young people, receive the support they need.