Author: Hanna Yerega

LEADING 2030 on Its Way to Advance Sustainability Goals

LEADING 2030 Pursues Advancement of Sustainability Goals

Written by Hanna Yerega on 25/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

In a collaborative effort to drive sustainable practices across Europe, LEADING 2030 partners gathered in Tallinn on April 16, for the 3rd Transnational Meeting to assess the project’s trajectory, celebrate accomplishments, and set the stage for future endeavors.

With its overarching aim to accelerate a culture of sustainability and ownership of the SDGs, the initiative has so far largely focused on driving action through upskilling and developing innovative tools and resources to help businesses reframe their practices for long-term sustainability. One such development discussed during the meeting, is the forthcoming release of the LEADING 2030 Practice Principles Framework. The much-awaited Framework will provide stakeholders with a comprehensive roadmap to instill sustainable practices, as well as help address the multitude of surface and deeper levels to sustainability within their organisations.

The Framework will also further complement the recent release of the LEADING 2030 Upskilling Programme, now available through the project’s website. Targeting business consultants and VET professionals, the Upskilling Programme delves deep into the skills, advice and best practices to assist businesses with swift incorporation of SDG principles into their work. This programme will also lay the foundation for the piloting phase of the Upskilling Programme expected between June and July 2024.

During the meeting, the partners have also agreed on moving forward with LEADING 2030 Corporate MOOCs, where nine thematic e-learning courses for business leaders will be developed to further tie in the resources and lessons learnt from the project so far. Tailored to empower business leaders with actionable insights into sustainability practices, this new exciting development will certainly reinforce the project’s overarching mission.

For more information about the project and its updates, as well as free resources, please visit LEADING 2030 WebHub.

DISCOVER: building the DIgital tranSformation Capacities Of Vet ProvidERs

DISCOVER launches its ambitious bid to promote digital skills in Tunisia

Written by Hanna Yerega on 23/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

CARDET is excited to announce the launch of its new initiative, DISCOVER, aimed at driving forward skills and competences essential for instilling digital readiness across Tunisia. With a strong focus on Vocational Education and Training (VET), the project aspires to empower Tunisian VET centers to craft and execute a sustainable, long-term digital strategy through a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach.

By leveraging CARDET’s long-standing expertise in capacity-building programs, training, and policy support, the project aims to equip the VET centers with digital competencies and enhance Tunisia’s responsiveness to the dynamic demands of the labour market, fostering skill development and leveraging sustainable economic growth nationwide.

The first transnational meeting held in Nicosia between 17-18th of April, marked a significant milestone in defining the grounds of this future cooperation and paving the most efficient way of bringing the strengths and competencies of individual partners into the mix. Central to the discussions with Greek and Tunisian partners were the insights deduced from the consortium’s research aimed to identify both the opportunities and challenges in fostering digital readiness in Tunisia.

One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the recognition of the pressing necessity for a tailored Digital Learning Strategy Toolkit and Ecosystem Mapping, custom-designed to empower VET providers in Tunisia. By providing tailored tools and materials, the initiative hopes to ensure that the project addresses the unique set of challenges and abandons the one-size-fits-all approach.

Throughout this meeting, the consortium, once again, demonstrated its unwavering commitment to advancing the DISCOVER project’s objectives, underlining a shared determination to ensure its impact. With a now-defined course of action, we are all anticipating the upcoming tangible contributions of this initiative in reshaping the digital landscape of vocational education, not only within Tunisia but also on a broader global scale.

Find out more about this initiative here.

RURACTIVE Consortium Gathers in Sweden for Second Meeting

Written by Hanna Yerega on 19/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

With Rural communities and territories demonstrating a vast potential to become vibrant centres of innovation grounded in local resources, grassroots action, creativity and social inclusion – RURACTIVE project is swiftly working towards providing an efficient framework towards leveraging its highest potential.

Following the RURACTIVE Consortium meeting and study visit in Gotland, Sweden earlier last week, the partners have has the opportunity to discuss the concrete deliverables to help boost digital innovation, valorisation of local resources and training and help rural areas strive to become attractive places for all people to live, work and stay. In particular, the project members have discussed the innovative approaches for a sustainable and just transition in support of the European Commission’s efforts, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Following this productive meeting, the RURACTIVE Consortium also had the privilege to visit the Sibbjäns farm. This educational visit served as an important milestone in understanding how sustainable agricultural practices and waste management can help incorporate a circular perspective and bring self-sufficiency in energy, food, and water. By exploring the farm as a case study, many lessons were deduced that will be also shared further through the future updates of the project, including the upcoming release of a dedicated MOOC platform.

For more information about the project and to keep in the loop with the project’s news, please visit the official RURACTIVE website.

Just4All Project: Bridging Adult Education and Just Transition

Written by Hanna Yerega on 18/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

With climate change and green transition plans shaping the foreseeable future, ensuring a socially just transition is of utmost importance. This is where Just4All aims to make the biggest contribution.

An EU-funded project is set to revolutionise adult education by bridging it with the principles of a just transition. With its ambitious plans and comprehensive approach, Just4All is poised to make a significant impact on the lives of marginalised communities across Europe. The cornerstone of the project lies in its collection of 50 exemplary practices focused on adult education and just transition between March and May this year.

These practices span a diverse range, from advocacy activities to educational methodologies, all aimed at empowering women, migrants, and adults with low formal qualifications. Through this collection, Just4All aims to raise awareness, improve rights, and enable a socially just transition through education.

In total the project will collect 50 good practices, 40 of which will be deduced from the four partner countries: Cyprus, France, Ireland, and Sweden, and an additional ten practices will have a regional dimension, disseminated at the EU level. These practices will serve as blueprints for educators, civil society organisations, and policymakers alike, informing more inclusive just transition policies in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights.

But Just4All’s ambitions don’t stop there. Alongside the collection of good practices, the project will also develop four research papers and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), furthering its commitment to empowering communities through education. By reviewing EU just transition policies and regulations and developing a range of resources and learning tools, Just4All will certainly advocate and educate for a transformative shift towards a more equitable and sustainable future.

For those seeking further information or wishing to get involved, contact Majda Richer at majda.richer@gmail.com or visit the project’s page on solidar.org.

ARISTARCHUS transnational partner meeting

Striving Towards Empowering Schools with Innovative Astronomy Teaching Model

Written by Hanna Yerega on 08/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

In its pursuit to revolutionise astronomy education, the ARISTARCHUS project hosted its transnational partner meeting in Cyprus on April 5. The event, coupled with a visit to the Cyprus Planetarium, aimed to propel the integration of Astronomy into primary and secondary school curricula through new tech advancements and tools.

Addressing the existing challenge of teaching astronomy effectively, ARISTARCHUS project aims to introduce a kinesthetic model of the solar system, fostering hands-on learning experiences to stimulate more engagement amongst young learners. In particular, this initiative is focused on providing a comprehensive teaching framework to guide educators in implementing engaging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities and fostering inclusivity and accessibility for all students.

In line with these goals, the study visit to the Cyprus Planetarium has played an essential role in understanding the use of the latest technologies, tools and narratives that are used in bringing astronomy into life. The partners had an opportunity to meet with the staff, as well as test out interactive boards, VR glasses amongst other tools to first hand experience how important it is to facilitate experiential learning, especially across more abstract subjects such as astronomy.

As the host of the meeting, CARDET has also facilitated discussions among stakeholders to strategise on the project’s next steps and ways to make best practices accessible to all. As the ARISTARCHUS project continues to gain momentum, stakeholders anticipate tangible results and milestones, paving the way for a generation of aspiring astronomers and scientists.

Stay tuned for more updates on the project and visit the ARISTARCHUS website for more information and additional resources.

Green for Life – Energy efficiency promotion and green transition

Written by Hanna Yerega on 04/04/2024. Posted in Projects & Initiatives.

The Green for Life project aims to raise awareness and responsibility among young people about ecology and climate change to help achieve objectives proposed by the Green Deal. The Green Deal aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, competitive and efficient economy that’s decoupled from the use of fossil fuels. More specifically, it aims to achieve no greenhouse emissions beyond 2050. To this end, the Green for Life project strives to support this initiative by providing new and engaging learning materials, tools, programs, educational visits and more to encourage young people to take an active stance on this matter and more towards a more energy efficient society.

GREEN SHOOTS Releases Its First Newsletter

Written by Hanna Yerega on 04/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

The GREEN SHOOTS project, aimed at advancing skills of Vocational Education and Training (VET) teachers and trainers across the field of green economy, is excited to share the latest updates and milestones in its first official newsletter.

With a strong focus on leveraging the EU Green Deal and GreenComp initiatives, the project is steadily making steps towards enhancing educators’ pedagogical competences, particularly in technical green skills and digital education. Check out the newsletter below to find out the outcomes of its first partner meeting, as well as the next steps of this important initiative.

GREEN SHOOTS: Green Skills for VET learning

Written by Hanna Yerega on 04/04/2024. Posted in Projects & Initiatives.

GREEN SHOOTS project is designed to proactively contribute and facilitate the European Commission’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. With the key goals of the European Skills Agenda to improve the quality and relevance of education and training, the GREEN SHOOTS aims to modernise vocational education and training, as well as promote the development of new skills for emerging industries, and to encourage the use of digital technologies in learning.

In particular, the GREEN SHOOTS project strives to develop new learning materials and tools that address the green skills, knowledge, and abilities needed by young people and workers to understand and appreciate the future employment opportunities within environmental sustainability, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and resource conservation. Having knowledge of these green sectors can help young people pursue careers in fields related to the environment and close the skills gap necessary to reap benefits for the environment, society, and the climate in a way that also encourages plentiful and more fulfilling job opportunities for young people.

Green VET Choices Unveils Its Interactive Learning Platform

Written by Hanna Yerega on 03/04/2024. Posted in Project News.

In a bid to address environmental challenges and climate change, Green Vet Choices project has now officially unveiled its latest educational materials and e-learning platform to promote Green Vocational Education and Training (VET) careers.

The platform offers a gamified approach, presenting users with three paths (positive, neutral, negative) on over 24 hypothetical narratives to equip VET trainers with the necessary skills and critical thinking to promote green professions and understanding complex environmental challenges. At the conclusion of each narrative, the outcome is revealed, with the positive paths earning a badge for an added element of gamification and progress tracking.

Another unique feature of the Green Vet Choices’ platform is its career guidance system, which directs users to green VET institutions across Europe offering professional seminars tailored to specific fields. By making these options accessible and available, the project hopes to make a tangible impact in the field and prompt continuous life-long learning for VET professionals, especially at the time of dynamic environmental changes and challenges.

Click here to access the e-learning platform or check out the Green Vet Choices website for more information on this initiative and its focus on fostering green VET careers and promoting the importance of environmentally conscious professions.

Green Vet Choices Highlights Sustainable Career Pathways

Written by Hanna Yerega on 27/03/2024. Posted in Project News.

On March 26th, the Green Vet Choices successfully carried out an informative event at CASA College, bringing together VET learners and trainers in Cyprus for an enriching half-day experience. The event delved into the outcomes of the Green Vet Choices project, offering insights into the future of green VET careers and the emerging opportunities within.

Attendees had the opportunity to witness insightful presentations unveiling the project’s main results, including a comprehensive survey report, a cutting-edge Virtual Portal, and an innovative Digital Model. The Virtual Portal, in particular, showcased 24 engaging stories crafted by project partners, providing an interactive exploration of green VET pathways. Notably, the survey report shed light on the current landscape of VET professions in Cyprus, highlighting the availability of green VET careers and emerging green initiatives that lie at the heart of this timely project.

One of the major highlights of the event was the presence of guest speaker Alexandros Peletie, an esteemed expert in Design Thinking. Alexandros led a workshop aimed at empowering participants to design sustainable services integrated with digital technologies. The workshop aimed to equip attendees with the tools and insights necessary to craft innovative, eco-conscious services that harness the power of digitalisation for maximum impact.

The event underscored the importance of nurturing sustainable career pathways within the VET sector while harnessing the potential of digital innovation for a greener future. For more information and to access the Green Vet Choices’ resources, please visit the official website.