Month: November 2023

Stars4SD Project Successfully Concludes, Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Across Europe

Written by cardet-wpadmin on 28/11/2023. Posted in Blog. 1 Comment on Stars4SD Project Successfully Concludes, Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Across Europe

Following the Final ‘Empowering Tomorrow’s Youth Entrepreneurs’ Conference at the University of Cyprus last week, the Stars4SD project has reached its successful conclusion, leaving a lasting impact on the landscape of youth entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

Joined by over 40 students, mentors, and speakers, the conference served as a pivotal milestone of this ambitious Erasmus+ initiative that focuses on the popularisation and implementation of SDG practices across new businesses. The attendees had the unique opportunity to delve into success stories and explore the materials developed throughout the project, gaining insights into the numerous opportunities presented by SDG practices and their adoption.

Over the course of the past two years, the project has continuously drawn inspiration from experts in the field, focused on creating a wider network of SDG entrepreneurs in Europe, as well as provided materials for young entrepreneurs to smoothly integrate sustainability practices. CARDET, who’s been the active driver of the project in Cyprus, is happy to announce that now these innovative tools and materials are also freely available online for everyone, to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs. These include:

Youth Entrepreneurs’ Coaching and Training on SDGs: A comprehensive program designed to educate and empower young entrepreneurs to integrate sustainable practices into their business models.
Train the Trainer Guide: A resourceful guide created to enable trainers to effectively convey the principles of SDGs to young entrepreneurs to further multiply the project’s impact.
Stars4SD Methodology: A groundbreaking framework for business administration that introduced an award system, encouraging and rewarding young entrepreneurs who took tangible steps towards achieving the specified SDGs.
Stars4SD Network: A dynamic network of youth volunteers spanning across EU countries, promoting entrepreneurship and advocating for sustainable development goals.
Stars4SD Good Practice Guide: A guide aimed at raising awareness among young entrepreneurs and policy makers regarding innovative, sustainability-oriented, and holistic approaches to youth entrepreneurship.

Without a doubt, the Stars4SD project has left an indelible mark on the landscape of youth entrepreneurship and sustainable development, creating a legacy that will continue to inspire and drive positive change. As we celebrate the successful conclusion of the Stars4SD project, we look forward to witnessing the lasting impact of empowered young entrepreneurs who are committed to building a more sustainable and equitable future.

BUPA project training in coding and game design concepts

BUPA Project: Training on upskilling with coding and game design concepts

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 27/11/2023. Posted in Project News. No Comments on BUPA Project: Training on upskilling with coding and game design concepts

A successful and interesting training was held by IIS MARCONI MANGANO in Catania, Italy between the 14th and 16th of November 2023.

The 14 dedicated staff members of BUPA partner organizations, including CARDET, participated in this comprehensive 3-day training on enhancing skills and knowledge related to the following modules, developed in the framework of the project:

Computational Thinking unplugged
Methodologies to support Logical Learning
Google Blocky Games
Fundamentals of Scratch
Python and Introduction to Programming with a Formal Language
Game design concepts

The 6 modules address both teachers and students and are now accessible for free on the BUPA e-learning platform

During the training, the participants immersed themselves in various unique activities, including the design of their own board games, viewing inspirational TED talks on relevant topics, and engaging in simple coding activities.

In the following months, the BUPA material will be tested by both students and teachers during the Learning, Teaching, and Training Activities (LTTA) in Spain. Following this phase, pilot implementations will be conducted in all partner countries.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

The BUPA Project is an Erasmus + Project, aiming to find new and innovative tools and approaches to include coding and game design concepts in school education by upskilling students and teachers in developing games for thematic learning. The project also aims to develop students’ digital skills in what game design framework is and enhance their problem-solving skills.

The project partnership is: CODEUP (Portugal), XENIOS POLIS (Greece), CARDET (Cyprus), IES LA SENIA (Spain), AEVA (Portugal), IIS MARCONI MANGANO (Italy), FIP (Ireland).

For more information on the BUPA project, you may visit the website and follow us on Facebook.

Stars4SD Youth Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Guide and Policy Recommendation Report for Sustainable Success

Stars4SD Empowers Youth Entrepreneurs: A Comprehensive Guide and Policy Recommendation Report for Sustainable Success

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 16/11/2023. Posted in Project News. No Comments on Stars4SD Empowers Youth Entrepreneurs: A Comprehensive Guide and Policy Recommendation Report for Sustainable Success

The Stars4SD initiative, a collaborative effort between Austria’s Sudwing, Belgium’s KMOP Policy Center, Cyprus’ CARDET, Greece’s KMOP and Amazing Youth, Ireland’s Future In Perspective, and Italy’s CESIE, has developed a Good Practice Guide. This guide aims to raise awareness among young entrepreneurs about effective, successful, and sustainable ways to incorporate environmentally and socially responsible practices into their schemes. Featuring 14 cases from partner countries, the guide also addresses key areas where young entrepreneurs need assistance.

Key findings

The issues that young entrepreneurs and companies care most about are the following:

• Decent work and economic growth
• Financial Support and Funding
• Entrepreneurial education and Training
• Challenging Sustainable Production
• Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility
• Collaborative Ecosystems
• Networking and Communication
• Support for promoting the SDGs
• Access to Sustainable Materials
• Data and Measurement for Eco-friendliness
• Zero Waste Strategies

The Stars4SD Policy Recommendation Report

The Report complements the previous effort by offering policy recommendations to formulate an effective strategy for promoting sustainability in youth entrepreneurship. Drawing on evidence from desk and field research, as well as insights from participants in the STARS4SD Awards, the report provides a comprehensive summary of key lessons learned from the project outputs and includes policy recommendations, divided into three segments: recommendations for Policy-Makers at Local, Regional, and National Levels; recommendations for Policy-Makers at the European Level; and recommendations for multiple levels of governance.

Find out more about the findings of our Best Practice Guide and Policy Recommendation Report HERE.

Entrepreneurial centres of vocational excellence

Excelling Entrepreneurship at the “International Dimension of Centres of Vocational Excellence” Conference in Turin

Written by cardet-wpadmin on 10/11/2023. Posted in Blog. No Comments on Excelling Entrepreneurship at the “International Dimension of Centres of Vocational Excellence” Conference in Turin

CARDET is proud to have been given the opportunity to participate in the European Training Foundation’s “International dimension of Centres of Vocational Excellence” Conference in Turin.

The Conference, taking place between 8th and 10th of November, provided an exceptional opportunity to celebrate the successful completion of the Entrepreneurial Centres of Vocational Excellence (Entrepreneurial CoVEs) initiative. Most importantly, it served as a forum to share and explore the invaluable insights and excellent work of the project in promoting international cooperation and vocational excellence amongst distinguished international stakeholders and partners.

Since 2020, CARDET has had the honour of being involved in the project supporting the ETF in the establishment and facilitation of CoVEs, while placing entrepreneurship excellence as the key competence for lifelong learning. Through its longstanding expertise in the field, as the leading research and training institution in Cyprus, CARDET has since helped ETF build up an international platform for distinguished educational institutions and organisations who embrace innovation and quality in their operations, services, and responsiveness to the labor market’s skill demands.

Over the course of this collaboration, CARDET has worked relentlessly to further the ETF’s mission and bring together CoVEs and experts from across the region, putting forward a joint vision and conceptual framework for entrepreneurial vocational training centres. To further assist the initiative, CARDET has been involved in introducing the Tunisian approach to entrepreneurial learning, developing a reflection tool to assess the entrepreneurial methods among CoVEs, carrying out coaching sessions, webinars, as well as spotlighting and sharing valuable practices across the EU.

The conference in Turin has served as an important milestone in bringing together the lessons learned throughout this time. By improving organisational practices, the entrepreneurial ecosystem, teaching and training and material, as well as products and services – the project has successfully helped champion entrepreneurship and revamp local and international CoVEs as the true innovation hubs with strong ties to industry and business and its legacy will, without a doubt, live on.

Stars4SD Unveils an Award System for Sustainable Business Practices

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 09/11/2023. Posted in Project News. No Comments on Stars4SD Unveils an Award System for Sustainable Business Practices

Stars4SD, a leading initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable business practices, has created a self-assessment and award system to propel businesses and organizations towards achieving their sustainability goals. The Stars4SD Award system offers comprehensive indicators for the evaluation and cultivation of a sustainability culture within a company or organization. This initiative empowers network members to engage in a self-assessment questionnaire, scrutinizing their business practices against predefined criteria. Upon completion of the self-assessment, participants or companies are rewarded with stars, reflecting the points accumulated during the evaluation. The awarded stars correspond to specific levels within a structured framework of five levels in total. The Stars4SD self-assessment tool is accessible in multiple languages, including English, Greek, French, German, and Italian, and is provided free of charge. Companies can still register to the Stars4SD network, fill in a form with their details and contact information, and use our self-assessment tool.

Star4SD Awards

The Stars4SD Awards were a recognition for applicants who integrate sustainability principles into their business activities, operations, and practices. The award winners from Austria, Brussels, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Ireland have already been announced and were given the opportunity to present their own successful sustainability story. The Stars4SD Awards in each partner country were more like a celebration of businesses and organizations that embrace sustainability as a core value. In the Stars4SD project we believe that by acknowledging and promoting their efforts, we inspire a global movement towards a more sustainable and responsible future. Therefore, we still encourage businesses and organizations across Europe to embrace the challenge, undertake the self-assessment in our network, and share their stories, signalling their dedication to making a positive impact on the world.
Find out more about the Stars4SD Network HERE.

Celebrating the Impact of DigiTeach

Written by Hanna Yerega on 03/11/2023. Posted in Blog. No Comments on Celebrating the Impact of DigiTeach

We are extremely proud to announce that our DigiTEACH project has successfully completed its work having managed to further its mission to promote inclusive education through the integration of digital tools. Responding to the shifting realities and needs that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic in educational systems, the project has played a significant role by deploying digital tools and methods to deliver quality and inclusive education.

Over the course of the project, CARDET worked closely with its partners from 5 European countries to help ensure, through the development of a full-suite of resources and tools, learning continuity for all school learners. Particular attention was placed on supporting students with special education needs and/or suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

To that end, the Consortium invested its work towards furthering the digital competences of teachers and to ensure that they possess the capacity to effectively utilize them in their lessons and classes. This entailed a comprehensive approach through the development and putting forwards an innovative pedagogical approach on the use of digital tools, with learning resources catered to the needs of teachers, and offering practical training opportunities to educators.

Specifically the project developed:

The DIGITEACH Platform where school learners can acquire digital pedagogical competencies enabling them to deliver high quality inclusive digital education and safeguarding the inclusive nature of learning opportunities .The course is free of charge and it is available in 7 languages: English, Bulgarian, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIG) by enrolling on the platform, you can access a SIG of your interest and interact with participants from other countries on some specific topics related to that group. The aim is to create an EU virtual community of practice of teachers /educators.
A website which will continue to work and to be regularly updated.

The DigiTEACH was a joint initiative of educational institutions and organisations from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Spain and Bulgaria. CARDET is immensely proud to have had the chance to collaborate with them and on this project whose work and objective lie at the core of its mission to ‘design innovative education programs to inspire and empower communities to thrive’.