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Month: November 2025

Empowering Social Change: Launch of the EPIC Toolkits for Youth and Youth Workers

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

A new set of specialized resources, the EPIC Toolkits, has been officiallyreleased to support the development of social entrepreneurship across the Western Balkans. These toolkits provide a practical roadmap for young innovators and educators to transform social challenges into sustainable entrepreneurial ventures.

A comprehensive approach to social innovation
The toolkits were developed to provide hands-on application of the EPIC Curriculum, utilizing non-formal learning methodologies to foster a social innovation mindset. The resources are tailored into two distinct editions:

  • Toolkit for youth: Focuses on developing core competencies such as leadership, ethical thinking, and opportunity identification. It guides young people through the practical steps of creating a Social Business Model Canvas and performing SWOT analyses to solve community issues.
  • Toolkit for youth workers: Equips youth workers with advanced mentoring and counseling strategies. It emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and social justice, helping youth workers provide structured support for young entrepreneurs.

Impact
The effectiveness of these tools was validated during pilot implementations, where they received high praise for their clarity and utility:

  • Kosovo: 100% of youth participants found the content very clear and easy to understand. The training successfully engaged a diverse cohort, with 83% of applicants being women.
  • Albania: The curriculum and tools allowed participants to engage with real-world social enterprises, such as New York Tirana Bagels. Consequently, 85.7% of youth worker participants expressed the highest level of satisfaction.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina: The toolkits provided the first structured exposure to social entrepreneurship for many, helping them move beyond the traditional “humanitarian” view toward a value-driven business approach.

Sustainable skills for the future
Even in regions lacking a formal legal framework for social enterprises, the EPIC Toolkits empower participants to operate effectively by focusing on the European EntreComp framework. By bridging the gap between social work and entrepreneurial action, these resources ensure that the next generation is ready to lead sustainable community-focused innovation.

More information about the project is available at: https://epic-project.eu/

GROWS project releases its final newsletter

GROWS Project Releases its 6th Newsletter

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on . Posted in Project News.

As the GROWS project enters its final phase, partners across six European countries successfully delivered a series of national workshops and a final conference, engaging over 230 VET teachers, trainers, students and education stakeholders. Held in Poland, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal and Bulgaria, the events showcased key project results, including the GROWS Toolkit, e-learning platform, Intelligent Tutor and training programme. Participants highlighted the practical value of the resources and their strong potential to support sustainable waste management education in vocational training, inspiring concrete action towards greener practices across Europe.

To find out more about the project visit the website here.

ACT-INCLUSIVE: Ολοκληρώθηκε επιτυχώς προσφέροντας χρήσιμα εργαλεία συμπεριληπτικής εκπαίδευσης

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

Το ευρωπαϊκό έργο ACT-INCLUSIVE, το οποίο υλοποιήθηκε στην Κύπρο από το ερευνητικό κέντρο CARDEΤ, ολοκλήρωσε τις δραστηριότητές του με τελικό συνέδριο με θέμα: «Συμπεριληπτική εκπαίδευση στην πράξη: Μαθήματα και εργαλεία από το έργο ACT-INCLUSIVE». Το συνέδριο πραγματοποιήθηκε με επιτυχία στις 12 Νοεμβρίου 2025, στις Βρυξέλλες και διαδικτυακά. Στην εκδήλωση συμμετείχαν συνολικά 93 άτομα, εκ των οποίων 37 δια ζώσης και 56 διαδικτυακά.

Ιδιαίτερη τιμή αποτέλεσε η παρουσία της υπεύθυνης του προγράμματος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, η οποία είχε την ευκαιρία να διαπιστώσει από κοντά το έργο που επιτελέστηκε τα προηγούμενα χρόνια. Οι παρουσιάσεις και οι συζητήσεις των εταίρων, εκπαιδευτικών και μαθητών από όλες τις χώρες-εταίρους ανέδειξαν τις δυνατότητες της συμπεριληπτικής εκπαίδευσης. Η εκδήλωση ολοκληρώθηκε με την έκθεση δημιουργικών έργων τέχνης μαθητών που απεικόνιζαν το προσωπικό τους όραμα για τη συμπερίληψη, προσθέτοντας μια σημαντική και ζωντανή πινελιά.

Βασικά συμπεράσματα Συνεδρίου:

  • Η συμπερίληψη είναι νοοτροπία, όχι απλώς μια έννοια.
  • Οι φωνές των μαθητών μπορούν να οδηγήσουν σε ουσιαστικές αλλαγές.
  • Είμαστε πιο δυνατοί όταν δρούμε συλλογικά.

Μετά το συνέδριο, οι εταίροι πραγματοποίησαν την τελική τους συνάντηση, αναλύοντας τα συμπεράσματα της εκδήλωσης και παρουσιάζοντας σχέδια για τη μελλοντική διάχυση και αξιοποίηση του έργου. Συζητήθηκαν επίσης τα τελικά σημεία δράσης για την ομαλή ολοκλήρωση του προγράμματος.

Μελλοντικές κατευθύνσεις
Το έργο ACT-INCLUSIVE ολοκληρώνεται επίσημα στα τέλη Νοεμβρίου 2025, με τη δέσμευση των εταίρων να εξασφαλίσουν μια διαρκή κληρονομιά:

  • Βιωσιμότητα των πόρων: Όλα τα αποτελέσματα του έργου, όπως το Εγχειρίδιο TAR, η Εργαλειοθήκη και το βιβλίο κόμικ, θα παραμείνουν δημόσια προσβάσιμα στους ιστότοπους των εταίρων και σε σχολικές ή δημόσιες βιβλιοθήκες, εξασφαλίζοντας τη συνεχή αξιοποίησή τους.
  • Συνεχής συνεργασία με τα σχολεία: Οι εταίροι θα συνεχίσουν να συνεργάζονται με τα σχολεία, παρέχοντας σεμινάρια, εργαστήρια και ενημερωτικές συνεδρίες βασισμένα στο περιεχόμενο του έργου. Οι πόροι θα ενσωματωθούν σε σχολικά προγράμματα και δραστηριότητες κατά το 2025-2026 και μετά.
  • Διατήρηση του δικτύου: Το δίκτυο αμοιβαίας μάθησης μεταξύ των έξι χωρών εταίρων και άλλων ενδιαφερόμενων θα διατηρηθεί, δημιουργώντας μια μόνιμη κοινότητα πρακτικής για τους επαγγελματίες της εκπαίδευσης που προάγουν τη συμπεριληπτική εκπαίδευση στην Ευρώπη.

Συνοπτικά τα επιτεύγματα του ACT-INCLUSIVE
Ο βασικός στόχος του έργου ήταν η μετατροπή της συμπεριληπτικής εκπαίδευσης από ιδανικό πολιτικής σε πρακτική πραγματικότητα. Κύρια αποτελέσματα περιλαμβάνουν:

  • Ενδυνάμωση των μαθητών: Μέσω πρακτικών και προσβάσιμων πόρων, όπως το βιβλίο κόμικ και το ηχητικό βιβλίο, καθώς και συμμετοχή σε διαγωνισμούς τέχνης και συζητήσεις στρογγυλής τραπέζης, οι μαθητές με και χωρίς αναπηρίες απέκτησαν τα εργαλεία να γίνουν ενεργοί «φορείς αλλαγής» στο σχολικό τους περιβάλλον.
  • Βάση γνώσεων: Το έργο χαρτογράφησε την κατάσταση της συμπερίληψης μέσω των Φύλλων Χωρών για την Συμπερίληψη, παρέχοντας κρίσιμα εθνικά δεδομένα και μια Συλλογή Καλών Πρακτικών για την ενίσχυση της καινοτομίας στην εκπαίδευση.

Σχετικά με το έργο ACT-INCLUSIVE:
Το ACT-INCLUSIVE προωθεί τη συμπεριληπτική εκπαίδευση αξιοποιώντας στρατηγικές μη τυπικής εκπαίδευσης. Συνεργάζεται στενά με σχολεία, οικογένειες και κοινότητες, ώστε κάθε μαθητής να λαμβάνει την υποστήριξη και τους πόρους που χρειάζεται για να αναπτυχθεί, ανεξαρτήτως των ικανοτήτων του.

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες, επισκεφθείτε τον ιστότοπο του έργου: https://easpd.eu/project-detail/act-INCLUSIVE-raising-awareness-on-INCLUSIVE-education-and-empowering-students-with-disabilities/   

Empowering Europe’s Agricultural Future: Introducing the Persona Project Education Platform

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

The Persona Project team proudly announces the launch of the Persona Project Education Platform, a digital learning environment designed to elevate agricultural education and training across Europe. The platform provides farmers, TVET learners, educators, and training providers with flexible, structured, and high-quality learning opportunities, all delivered through an advanced microcredential-based approach.

Bringing together innovative tools, personalisation features, and practical learning resources, the platform is fully aligned with key European competence frameworks, including DigComp, EntreComp, and GreenComp. Each component is designed to function either as a standalone resource or as part of a comprehensive, integrated system supporting modern agricultural skills development.

Key Features of the Platform:

  1. European Register of Microcredentials for Innovation in Agriculture

A detailed overview of the current microcredential landscape in agricultural education, providing a clear mapping of existing standards and learning opportunities across Europe.

  1.  Common Microcredential System for Agricultural TVET Education

A harmonised structure that supports consistency, quality, and the wider recognition of microcredentials within vocational education and training.

  1. Microcredential Programme in Innovation Process Management in Agriculture

A full learning pathway aimed at strengthening competencies in innovation, sustainability, technology adoption, and modern agricultural practices.

  1. Manual for the Structure and Use of the Joint Microcredential Programme

A practical guide offering step-by-step instructions, templates, and examples to assist educators, trainers, and institutions in implementing the programme effectively.

  1. Hybrid Human–AI Personalised Learning System

An innovative tool that leverages both human expertise and artificial intelligence to deliver personalised learning pathways, adaptive assessments, and tailored content recommendations.

The Persona Project Education Platform serves as a comprehensive resource for anyone seeking to enhance agricultural knowledge and skills—whether learners pursuing upskilling, educators developing curricula, or institutions aiming to modernise their training offer.

Explore the platform and start your learning journey today! https://lnkd.in/eEsaR-bk

Learn more about the project here: https://personaproject.eu/ 

Grows project final transnational partner meeting CARDET

CARDET Participates in the Final Conference of the GROWS Project in Warsaw

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on . Posted in Project News.

CARDET, together with partners from across Europe, successfully concluded the GROWS project during its final Transnational Project Meeting and conference held on 18–19 November in Warsaw, Poland. The events marked the completion of a two-year effort to promote sustainability competences in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.

During the final partners’ meeting on 18 November, consortium members reviewed the project’s outcomes, finalised deliverables, and officially closed the project. On the following day, the GROWS Final Conference brought together students, educators, VET providers, and stakeholders for an engaging programme dedicated to sustainable waste management.

At the conference, all project partners presented the Work Packages they led, showcasing the project’s innovative resources and achievements. The sessions highlighted the importance of empowering VET trainers and providers with the knowledge and tools needed to prepare and implement effective green education action plans. Local presentations and an open discussion further enriched the event, focusing on sustainability challenges and opportunities in educational environments.

The GROWS project has produced several impactful outputs, including:

  • A comprehensive e-toolkit for developing a Green Strategy in VET institutions, complete with pedagogical materials and methods to enhance learners’ green skills.
  • An E-Learning Platform and Open Educational Resources (OERs) featuring gamified elements and an intelligent tutor designed to guide users in creating green action plans.
  • A hands-on training programme for VET providers and trainers aimed at building their competences in sustainable waste management.

Through these efforts, the project has engaged hundreds of individuals across six partner countries, including trainers, VET providers, students, and key stakeholders who play a vital role in shaping a more sustainable future.

CARDET is proud to have contributed to this important initiative, reaffirming its commitment to advancing environmental education and supporting green transitions in the education sector.

More information about the project you can find here.

Digital Harmony Partners Advance to Development Phase During TPM2 in Cyprus

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

The Digital Harmony consortium convened its second Transnational Partners Meeting (TPM2) on 18 November 2025 at CARDET’s offices in Nicosia, Cyprus. Partners from across Europe met to review the project’s progress, coordinate upcoming tasks, and transition collectively into the material development phase.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from CARDET and an overview of the day’s programme presented jointly with IFESCOOP. Subsequent sessions focused on project management and coordination led by Reintegra, followed by CARDET’s update on quality assurance and risk assessment procedures.

One of the central discussions of the day centred on Work Package 3, where CARDET presented the framework for developing the project’s educational materials. This session built on recent comparative findings from eight countries, which underscored growing concerns around digital well-being—including excessive screen time, cyberbullying, and emotional strain among young learners—alongside persistent digital inequalities affecting both youth and older adults. These insights will now guide the creation of structured, evidence-based modules designed to strengthen intergenerational learning, support seniors’ digital confidence, and enhance communication and empathy among younger generations.

In the afternoon, partners examined forthcoming activities across additional work packages. ECSH outlined the approach for capacity-building workshops and the impact assessment framework under WP4, while Rafina presented plans for intergenerational after-school projects under WP5, IFESCOOP led the session on dissemination and the promotional strategy within WP6, followed by contributions from Quart de Poblet on sustainability planning and policy-oriented multiplier events. Reintegra provided updates concerning community- and school-based multiplier activities scheduled for the next implementation period.

The meeting concluded with collective planning of future milestones and confirmation of upcoming meeting dates, ensuring coordinated progress across all partner organisations.

Through its continued collaborative approach, Digital Harmony is progressing steadily toward producing impactful, scalable resources that promote digital well-being, resilience, and meaningful intergenerational engagement across Europe.

DISCOVER Newsletter – 4th Edition: Completing Two Years of Digital Transformation in VET

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

The DISCOVER project has successfully concluded a two-year cycle of activities aimed at upgrading Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Tunisia, drawing on the expertise of partners from Greece and Cyprus. Over the course of the project, key educational tools were developed to enhance the skills of VET providers and trainers and support the digital transformation of the sector.

Building the Digital Transformation of VET Providers
February 2025 – November 2025

Highlights:

New Educational Tools & Resources – Now Available:

  • Curricula for VET Providers & Trainers – Two comprehensive 20-hour blended-learning programs designed to meet the needs of modern digital teaching.
  • The Master Trainers’ Handbook – A practical guide for creating a high-quality digital and blended learning environment.
  • The DISCOVER eLearning Platform – Available in English, French, and Arabic, featuring:
    – Digital Toolkit & Ecosystem Mapping
    – Curricula and Handbook
    – E-learning tools and OERs
    – Community of practice forum

Final Conference in Bizerte
The project concluded with a highly successful Final Conference in Bizerte, bringing together 100 participants from VET, education, innovation, and digital transition policy sectors. The atmosphere of cooperation and active participation demonstrated that DISCOVER is not only a project but the beginning of an ongoing dialogue on digital empowerment in the VET community in Tunisia and beyond.

Continuing the Legacy – Resources Are Open to All
All DISCOVER educational tools and the eLearning platform remain freely accessible, supporting continuous skills development in vocational education and digital innovation.

Explore the resources and join the DISCOVER community: https://discoverproject.eu

Teachers Embrace TINKER Methodology for Inclusive Informatics Education

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

50 primary and lower secondary school teachers from 10 schools recently participated in a successful online training programme designed to introduce them to the innovative TINKER methodology. The three-session training focused on promoting authentic learning approaches and gender-inclusive practices within informatics education.

Key Highlights from the Training

The programme saw active participation from educators keen to enhance their teaching methods. Central discussions revolved around:

  • Applying Authentic Learning: Teachers explored practical ways to apply authentic learning principles meaningfully within their specific school contexts, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.
  • Gender-Inclusive Strategies: A significant focus was placed on strategies to ensure all students feel included and represented in their learning experiences, fostering an equitable environment in informatics classrooms.

Practical Application and Future Implementation

A core component of the training was a practical workshop where teachers actively developed their own learning scenarios. These scenarios will serve as practical guides for the classroom implementations scheduled to take place over the coming months as the schools integrate the TINKER methodology.

Positive Initial Feedback

Initial feedback from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the programme’s immediate relevance and practical value. Many teachers noted that the training helped them rethink how to design more engaging and inclusive informatics lessons.

Specifically, participants praised:

  • The usefulness of the practical examples provided.
  • The clarity of the TINKER methodology.
  • The relevance of applying the framework in real classroom settings.

The successful completion of this training marks a crucial step in preparing educators to implement the TINKER methodology, ultimately aiming to create more engaging, authentic, and inclusive learning experiences for all students in informatics education.

For more information on the project, visit the official website: https://tinker-project.eu/

DISCOVER Project Marks Two Years of Impact with Comprehensive Digital Learning Resources for Tunisian VET Sector

Written by Veronica Charalambous on . Posted in Project News.

The two-year implementation of the DISCOVER project across Cyprus, Greece and Tunisia has concluded with a set of impactful digital tools and capacity-building initiatives designed to accelerate the digital transformation of the Tunisian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. The project focused on equipping VET centres with modern strategies, frameworks and training to help them respond effectively to labour-market demands for digital skills.

Digital Learning Strategy Toolkit

The Digital Learning Strategy Toolkit and Ecosystem Mapping was designed to guide Tunisian VET centres in shaping, developing and delivering effective digital learning strategies. It connects the centres’ needs with a structured framework and maps the roles, responsibilities and dependencies required for successful implementation. The Toolkit includes a digital learning readiness checklist adapted from the EU SEFIE for Work-Based Learning and tailored to the Tunisian context through extensive research activities. To support this work, the consortium conducted three focus groups with 24 participants across three VET centres and distributed self-assessment questionnaires to VET providers, trainers and learners, receiving 73 responses.

Training Curricula for VET Providers and VET Trainers

The training curriculum for VET trainers provides structured guidance on digital teaching methodologies, while the curriculum for VET providers supports institutional digital transformation efforts. Both curricula adopt a blended learning approach, combining self-paced online modules with in-person training. The project complemented these efforts through a two-day online study visit with 28 participants and a three-day physical study visit in Athens with 11 participants. In Tunisia, 15 Master Trainers completed an online Training of Trainers, while 34 VET providers and 41 VET trainers took part in three training cycles delivered across the participating VET centres.

Master Trainers’ Handbook

The Master Trainers’ Handbook was developed as a practical guide for Master Trainers tasked with delivering the curricula to VET professionals. It offers detailed instructions, tools and methodologies to ensure consistent and effective implementation. This component helped consolidate cooperation among eight institutions, establishing partnerships that will continue beyond the project’s lifetime.

eLearning Platform

A dedicated eLearning platform hosts all project resources — the Toolkit, curricula, Handbook and interactive materials — in English, French and Arabic, ensuring wide accessibility across the Tunisian VET ecosystem. The platform has engaged more than 100 registered users, while the DISCOVER Facebook page attracted 436 followers.

Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement

The DISCOVER project placed strong emphasis on visibility and stakeholder outreach.
The Final Conference held in Bizerte on 13 November 2025 brought together 100 stakeholders from across Tunisia. A further 200 stakeholders in Cyprus, Greece and Tunisia were reached through six dissemination workshops. The project also established a solid online presence, with the DISCOVER website registering 31,861 visits in 2024 and 74,660 visits in 2025.

All project resources are available through the eLearning platform: https://e-learning.discoverproject.eu/.

Through its extensive research, targeted training, and multilingual digital tools, the DISCOVER project leaves a lasting legacy for the Tunisian VET sector, strengthening its capacity to design and implement digital learning strategies and to keep pace with the digital skills demanded by today’s labour markets.

Find out more about this interesting project here: https://discoverproject.eu/