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Author: cardet-wpadmin

EntrInnO

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Name/Title: EntrInnO – “Online Game for Entrepreneurship and Innovation”

Executive Summary – Overview

In response to the rise in youth unemployment, via the research conducted by the consortium of the project, EntrInno developed and put forward an interactive learning tool that utilises a gamified approach to cultivate entrepreneurial competencies, drive innovation and guide youth  οn their path to success.

Background

Against the backdrop of heightened challenges across European economies and high-levels of youth unemployment, the EntrInnO project was initiated to help empower and encourage young people to become entrepreneurs. In particular, the initiative sought to leverage the interactivity and engagement of digital games, traditionally associated with entertainment, and channel those benefits towards educational and self-development purposes instead. In doing so, the initiative put forward an innovative gaming platform  to equip young people with essential business skills that would enable them to formulate their own enterprises and mitigate high youth unemployment. 

Solution – CARDET Focused

Following the invaluable insights and research conducted by the Consortium, the EntrInno initiative incorporated a simulation game hosted on Moodle LMS for a fully customised gaming and educational experience. By moving through the game, the users are put before the life-like business scenarios and learn from simulated game design to enhance their critical entrepreneurial skills. 

This challenges the traditional Learning Management System design, and gives a glimpse into otherwise unattainable scenarios of designing, developing and running an enterprise. To further expand their entrepreneurial repertoire, the game also features multiple opportunities for social interaction, serving as a platform for discussion, idea generation and networking. Moreover, the gaming hub allows players to track their progress through character upgrades, as well as a scoreboard for an additional element of competition. 

Results – Impact

EntrInnO’s platform employed innovative ICT-based educational approaches and gaming to elevate the tool from a Learning Management System to an engaging and accessible simulation experience to foster innovation and entrepreneurship skills. Through the work of the project, the innovative online gaming platform has:

  • Validated gaming as a novel form of non-formal learning practice to help engage and motivate young adults to commit to active and experiential learning
  • Re-emphasised the need for novel IT-backed learning tools to adhere to numerous learning styles with a strong focus on experiential learning of entrepreneurship
  • Reached over 300 young entrepreneurs and offered educational material to further strengthen their entrepreneurial ambitions
  • Brought to light the transversal skills such as entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as basic skills such as digital literacy, communication and networking skills. 
  • Strengthened cooperation and exchange of information and good practices between European countries.
SWPBS Recognised by the European Commission and in Academia

SWPBS Recognised by the European Commission and in Academia

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CARDET is delighted to celebrate the remarkable impact and commendation of its SWPBS project, aimed to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory social culture and necessary socio-emotional behaviour support for children, even over a year after its successful completion.

The Centre is proud to announce that the “Building School-Wide Inclusive, Positive and Equitable Learning Environments Through A Systems-Change Approach” (SWPBS) initiative has received a prestigious acknowledgement as a good practice in the European Toolkit for Schools. The work and approaches put forward by the project are now placed among a comprehensive list of tested and effective ideas and interventions for improving collaboration within, between, and beyond schools across the European Union.

With SWPBS showcased as a good practice, the legacy of the project will continue to support and inspire school leaders, teachers, parents, and policymakers in enhancing the quality of early childhood and school education, as well as support exchange of experience among school practitioners and policy makers. The project’s dedicated page in the European Toolkit for Schools can be found here, featuring a short description in 29 languages and a detailed description in English.

In addition to this exceptional recognition, CARDET is proud to highlight two recent publications, in renowned academic journals, that analyse and showcase the lasting impact of the SWPBS project in the field of education. The findings and lessons drawn from the three-year ERASMUS+ Key Action 3 Policy Experimentation program, spanning across Cyprus, Finland, Greece, and Romania served as the basis for the ‘Contextual Adaptations to Implement SWPBS With Fidelity: The Case of Cyprus’ and ‘Effects of the Universal Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports on Collective Teacher Efficacy’ research publications.

Both of the studies provide invaluable insights into the aftermath of successful systematic implementation of SWPBS approach in schools around Cyprus and Greece revealing positive outcomes on teachers’ collective belief in providing quality teaching opportunities and managing unexpected behaviors as a team. The academic publications are readily available to all here:

On this note, CARDET would like to extend its gratitude to all project participants, collaborators, and stakeholders for their invaluable contributions to the success of the SWPBS initiative. The organisation remains committed to advancing inclusive and positive learning environments and looks forward to continued collaboration in shaping the future of education.

Stars4SD successfully concludes

Stars4SD Project Successfully Concludes, Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Across Europe

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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.

Entrepreneurial centres of vocational excellence

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

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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.

Developing capacities together: European CSO-university networks for global learning on migration, security and sustainable development in an interdependent world

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Name/Title:
InterCap – “Developing capacities together: European CSO-university networks for global learning on migration, security and sustainable development in an interdependent world”

Executive Summary – Overview
InterCap put forward a multifaceted intervention to elevate the understanding of EU citizens in the increasingly important issues of migration and sustainable development. By bringing together a pan-European network of Civil Society Organisations and Universities, the project developed a comprehensive set of resources and innovative methodologies to build up educators’ capacity to promote global education and interconnectedness in their classrooms and beyond.

Background – General
In light of the growing insecurity and concerns on migration and sustainable development, InterCap invested its efforts in engaging educators and foster their capacity to act as agents of positive change and action in collectively addressing the challenges of an interdependent world. Operating on the basis of a structured action plan, that entailed a multifaceted intervention in the field, the project sought to enhance the critical understanding of education actors on the issues of migration and sustainable development. 

InterCap carried out a comprehensive analysis of the way Education for Sustainable Development is being approached and delivered across the EU. Most importantly, it produced a structured Training Package, suitable for both f2f and online delivery, to elevate the knowledge and skills of teachers and trainers on topics related to migration and sustainable development. Its training package put forward a theoretical presentation of the issues at hand and provided learners with structured guidance on how to integrate innovative and engaging methodologies in their teaching to promote a participatory and interactive learning experience. The training programme afforded learners a comprehensive walkthrough on the implementation of innovative teaching methodologies such as Participatory Theater – Theater for Living, Interactive Learning Communities and Communities of Philosophical Enquiry. 

As the Project Coordinator of the project, CARDET was tasked with the general oversight and quality assurance of InterCap, supporting and coordinating the Consortium in expertly delivering all its tasks and actions. The Centre also played an instrumental role in compilation of the Research and Policy papers of the project as well as in the development and delivery of its Training Package in both online and face to face format.

Results – Impact
The project and its implementing partners were successful in initiating a European Community of Practice that facilitated the collaboration and the pursuit of joint actions with the involvement of Universities, CSOs and European Networks in the field of Development and Global Education. With the support of the aforementioned parties, InterCap compiled and published a series of National and Transnational Reports as well as Policy Papers to contribute to a greater conception of the present realities on the ground and facilitate the promotion of Global Education. 

Additionally, more than twenty thousand professionals and practitioners accessed and benefited from the project’s Training package either by accessing it online or by participating in the workshops organized and delivered by the implementing partners.  The project was also overwhelmingly successful in engaging the general public to raise awareness about the importance of quality development education having been able to reach, through its dissemination and digital promotion actions, more than 2 million individuals across Europe.

World teachers day

6 More Reasons to Thank Our Teachers Today

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It’s true what they say – not all superheroes wear capes!

As we come to celebrate the Teachers Day on the 5th of October, no words seem enough to describe the enormous dedication, effort and love that the teachers pour into their job day in and day out. They truly make all the difference in the world of their students…and have a lasting impact on all of us!

With their unwavering commitment and relentless support they walk us through our first mishaps of life, just with as much grace as they cover the curriculum. We consider ourselves lucky. Not only have we been taught by amazing teachers out there, but we also get to work with many of them to empower the community, students, mentors, and society and create a world that’s more just and sustainable.

Today, we cannot help but feel grateful for the small and big miracles they perform every day! So if you are a teacher, our heartfelt ‘thank you’ goes out to you:

For making your Sunday the rest day…

…the rest of the laundry, the rest of the housework, and ‘grade the rest of the papers’ day.

Thank you for waiting till summer for a much deserved break and holding down the fort even on the days that have been difficult to you. We appreciate you and the mental strength you show in doing so.

In our attempt to acknowledge and support your endless efforts of balancing the personal and professional life – we want to make you a priority! As part of the ProW project, we are just about to launch the Teacher Wellbeing and Career Observatory, to help support your wellbeing, as well as career growth and quality of education. We hope that it will generate a systematic change and we want you to be a part of it too!

For saying ‘There are no dumb questions’…

…and then proceeding to explain ‘What are those pyramid-shaped things in Egypt called?’

Thank you for continuously looking for ways to rediscover the world around us, and looking for yet another new way to ignite the spark of curiosity to help us become the very best we can be. Even if that means never taking a break from learning yourself and adjusting to the educational and societal shifts at all times.

At CARDET, we witness the behind-the-scenes daily work you do daily to carry on learning and it is thanks to your immense support that we’ve built an incredible educator community at the Cyprus Education Summit. Thank you for learning and growing with us to help bring the best of the practices to the classrooms around the island. We cannot wait to reconvene for the ‘Student Assessment as an Integral Part of the Educational Practice’ in the Cyprus Education Summit 2023 on 9 December 2023!

For showing us the bigger picture…

…even though math is not really ‘everywhere’.

Whilst we still prefer the type of π that comes with apples and the square root of 9 hasn’t come up just yet, thank you for going out of your way to show us that nothing exists in isolation and it all matters.

Only now do we come to understand the incredible effort and intention that it takes, as we salute our STEAM4All educators who have been on a mission to find even more creative ways to make interdisciplinary learning available for all.

For teaching us how to reach for the stars…

…or at the very least helping us see them as close as possible with the ARISTARCHUS project and the power of VR.

Thank you for not making any dream too big and always looking for a way to make everything seem possible. Thank you for bringing the most innovative solutions to the classroom, after spending hours on training how to implement them first. Thank you for staying ahead of the curve and always raising the bar in education and practices.

For teaching us life saving skills…

…of ordering a coffee in almost any corner of the world.

Thank you for reminding us that the world is our oyster and anything is possible, including learning a new language to travel the world, connecting with people from other cultures and even taking that job offer that’s a 5 hour flight from our home. Thank you for preparing us for all of it and for trying to make it as fun as possible. Through the work we’ve done together on the BoysLingo’s app, we hope it will be even more feasible for you to keep up this great work!

Last but not least, for calling us ‘one of your kids’…

…even when we have kids of our own.

Thank you for caring about our wellbeing, growth, development and creating an environment where we feel safe and secure to roam around and make our first mistakes. During the implementation of the Positive Behaviour Support in Early Childhood Education and Care project, we were shaken by the immense dedication to making any school our second home, and not just a place of formal education.

While no ‘Thank you’ note will ever feel like enough, we ought to start somewhere. Happy Teachers Day our lovely educators and mentors! Thank you for all the love you’ve poured and continue pouring into us.

LEADER AI – LEAarning analytics and AI for personaliseD lEaRning

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LEADER AI aims to address the need for effective Higher Education (HE) digital learning that responds to students’ needs, strengths, and skills, through the proper exploitation of advanced technologies. The main results include a Toolkit with practical guidelines, scenario-based training and an interactive eLearning platform with digital resources on how Higher Education Institutions can use AI-based and data-driven tools and approaches for personalised instruction.

MYComm – Migrant and Refugee Youth COMMunication and advocacy for equity and inclusion

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MYComm aims to contribute to a more inclusive society in Europe by strengthening the capacity and the role of youth organisations that target migrant and refugees, through communications and audio-visual skills training, social networking and mutual learning that connects such organisations at European level and promotes collective advocacy.

Specifically, it will strengthen the institutionalism and visibility of youth organisations targeting migrant and refugees when it comes to their role in enhancing intercultural dialogue for tolerance, mutual understanding and integration; it will provide youth organisations targeting migrant and refugees with training opportunities for communications and audio-visual competencies and for public policy advocacy; sensitize civil society on youth migrant and refugee struggles and successes, through audio-visual production, narrative techniques and awareness raising for migrant social inclusion; and reinforce a sustainable EU network of youth organisations committed to migrants and refugees which can serve as a motor for public advocacy at local, nation and EU level.

RoboAquaria – Robots in aquatic environments to promote STEM and environmental awareness

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With the ocean pollution rapidly increasing and affecting marine life, a strong need emerges: to raise awareness about environmental and climate change challenges and develop sustainability and green skills from a very young age. This is the main aim of the RoboAquaria project, which focuses on the protection of marine environments by integrating Educational Robotics into the classroom and building teachers’ competences to use them. The project will develop a Methodological Framework for the Pilots, Guidelines for the Teachers, and validation, a RoboAquaria Toolkits and Lesson Topics and an E-Learning Toolkit and (OERs) Lesson Plans.

Empowering Teachers: Preparing for diverse classrooms

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DD@S strives to move beyond mere acknowledgement of diversity and focuses on how the classrooms can operate harmoniously and challenge the notion of ‘otherness’ from within the educational structure. It ultimately offers practical tools and educational material to ensure that children have equal opportunities not only for education, but to foster friendships, a sense of belonging in their communities, as well as reshape our future society.

This month’s training focused on bringing teachers from Belgium, Greece, Italy and Cyprus to an open transnational dialogue on how to best combat prejudice and inequality in their classrooms. With the support of the partners, EhB – Erasmushogeschool Brussel, Centro per lo sviluppo creativo Danilo Dolci, CARDET, IISS Einaudi Pareto Palermo, University of Nicosia, the Interorthodox Centre of the Greek Church and Symplexis, the 2-day training was held on the 9th and 10th of May, in Athens. It hosted over 50 teachers who shared their real-life experiences, perspectives, approaches and examples of good practices in a process that enabled them to not only learn from the presenters, but from each other too.

The keynote speeches covered the importance of teaching and discussing controversial issues at school, as well as delved into ways of enhancing a democratic dialogue in the classroom. Separate modules were presented to address sensitive and controversial issues such as politics, religion, gender and vulnerable groups. On this occasion, the secondary school teachers also participated in the training workshops to get hands-on experience with each separate module. Their professional feedback on the proposed practices and tools proved invaluable in further enhancing the project’s toolkit and creating a new teachers’ training course.

DD@S is part of the ongoing and diverse work CARDET is doing to empower teachers and make a tangible contribution to the educational system to the benefit of students. The 2-day training consolidated the efforts to provide an efficient inclusive education framework, which without a doubt, will have a positive long-term effect on challenging discrimination in school communities. For more information about the project, to access its resources and stay in the loop for upcoming events and actions, please visit DD@S website.